How to wash a cashmere coat in a washing machine?

Before you wash the cashmere coat in the washing machine, you must carefully prepare. If you immediately throw a thing into a drum and fill in the first powder that comes to hand, then instead of expensive and chic-looking cashmere, you will get a shapeless and colorless something. Therefore, products from combed wool of mountain goats require special care, which does not spoil the natural softness and silkiness of the material. How to cope with pollution, why and how dangerous washing in the machine is - we will examine in detail this article.

Determine how to wash

Not every cashmere coat can survive machine wash. It all depends on the composition of the material: if in addition to thin wool synthetic fibers and threads are present, then you can use the machine automatically. There is no need to independently conduct an examination - just look at the internal label of the product. Washing in a typewriter will not hurt if the tag has one of the following symbols:

• PAN - acrylic;
• PU - polyurethane;
• NY is nylon;
• MA - modified acrylic;
• EL is elastane;
• RA - polyamide;
• LY - lycra;
• PL is polyester.

Another thing is when the tag indicates only “WS” or “WS 100%”. This means that the coat consists of one hundred percent cashmere and will not tolerate automatic washing. The limitation is explained by the use of a special doubler agent in production, which impregnates the material to maintain a given shape.

When using a washing machine, doublerin is easily washed out of fibers, which leads to severe deformation, “tucking” of the collar, cuff and hem.

We also pay attention to other designations on the label. If the tag contains a schematic image of a basin with a hand dipped in water, then a cashmere coat is allowed to be washed only by hand. When the pelvis is crossed out, self-cleaning is prohibited - you must use dry cleaning services.

Preparing a thing for washing

If the coat does not have “contraindications” to automatic washing, the cleaning process can begin. But first, the thing should be prepared for loading into the drum to reduce the risk of damage and deterioration.

1. Remove all fur inserts, accessories and edges from outer clothing, especially if they are made of natural material. Staying in a washer will worsen their appearance, and when this is not possible, it is better to refuse washing.
2. Remove buttons, brooches, decorative elements from the product that could tear the coat off when the drum rotates. Also, metal elements are undesirable to leave on clothes, as they rust in water and can "give" cashmere unpleasant smudges.
3. Check all pockets and lining to prevent small and sharp objects from falling into the tank and drum.
4. Turn inside out, having previously buttoned buttons, rivets and zippers.

The last thing you should take care of is a special protective bag. It can be purchased at a hardware store or replaced with a pillowcase / duvet cover. You just need to choose a “protection” in size and carefully put a cashmere coat in it.

What will we wash?

It is equally important to correctly choose a detergent. Conventional laundry detergent is too aggressive, so you should look for a special detergent for washing cashmere products. There are many options for such gels, but it is better to pay attention to the following brands:

• Wellery "Delicate wool". It is a helium product intended for wool, cashmere and silk. Cope with pollution of any origin without damaging the structure of the fabric. Its advantage is that with intensive cleaning, the color of the material is not washed out.

Wellery is approved for manual and automatic washing.

• "Emulsio."Universal gel that can be used with both hand and machine wash. It does not foam very much, it is completely washed out of the fibers and perfectly removes even stubborn stains. It is hypoallergenic and suitable for children's clothing and people who are sensitive to chemicals and perfumes.
• "Almacabio". Means for the most delicate woolen materials - cashmere, silk and merino. Completely natural, biodegradable and absolutely safe. It has antibacterial effect and is suitable for hand and machine wash.

These funds are expensive, but practice shows that cheaper analogues are often poorly washed, leave stains on the fabric and can not cope with serious stains. Such savings can lead to significant financial losses in the form of a spoiled cashmere coat.

Which program to choose?

Now we are determined with the mode. Ideally, you need to choose a special program "Cashmere". But this is not always possible, since a similar button is present only in the latest models of washers. More often, alternatives close to it are found - Delicate Wash and Wool. They set the most optimal conditions for washing, but it is better to check again so that in the settings:

• water temperature is set to 30-40 degrees;
• spin and drying are canceled;
• the rinse is off.

Do not forget to calculate the weight of a thing. Cashmere has a strong absorption of water and when wet becomes very heavy. Therefore, it is not recommended to load large coats in drums with a maximum load of up to 7 kg. Otherwise, the clothes cannot be fully removed, and exceeding the permissible load will lead to an unbalance of the washing machine and mechanical breakdowns.

Hand wash

If the manufacturer does not recommend loading the coat into the washing machine or it is decided to minimize the risks, then it is better to choose a hand wash. This will require more time and effort, but will increase the chances of a clean and undeformed product. It is only necessary to adhere to a certain order:

1. Dial in a bath of cold water with a temperature of up to 30-40 degrees.
2. Pour a small amount of special gel. As a rule, it is enough to halve the “machine” dose. Exceeding the volume is not recommended - concentrated solutions are fraught with stains and "soap" stains.
3. Soak coat for 15 minutes.
4. Easy to walk with a soft sponge through the contaminated areas, following the direction from top to bottom.
5. Drain dirty water from the bathtub and collect clean water.
6. Rinse thoroughly.

It is forbidden to rub, twist and squeeze cashmere products heavily - pressing and pressing may be the maximum effect.

Even handwashing can damage cashmere. Remember that this material easily loses not only its shape, but also its color. The fact is that the dyeing of the fibers occurs with weak dyes, which are quickly washed out of the fabric structure. Therefore, it is better not to experiment with an expensive and new coat, but to seek professional help in dry cleaning.

How to dry a coat?

In addition to gentle washing, a cashmere coat also requires special drying. The shape, color and safety of the product also depends on the drying technology, since there are many nuances and dangerous moments. So, the wrong approach will lead to untidiness and deformation of outer clothing, which will not please its owner at all. But drying at home is possible subject to the following recommendations:

• You can not use artificial sources of heating - only natural air and sunlight.
• The wet thing is first dried horizontally and only hung in a semi-wet state on the shoulders until it dries completely.
• An ideal place to dry a cashmere coat would be a balcony or ventilated area.

Horizontal drying takes place like this: gently place a wet coat on a commensurate terry towel or sheet and wrap it in a moderately tight roll.As soon as the fabric absorbs some of the moisture, we change the basis to dry. Then we again unwrap the bundle and place the cashmere item on a dry cotton cloth or hang it vertically on our shoulders until it dries completely.

Wash a cashmere coat at home is real, but only focusing on the condition of the fabric, the available label and the above recommendations. Then expensive material will be cleaned without problems and transformations.