If you’re one of the many people who own a cashmere scarf (or several), you know that they require a little more care than your average cotton tee. But with a few extra steps, you can keep your cashmere looking amazing season after season.

Since you’re here, you’re probably wondering how to wash and dry cashmere. We have already created a comprehensive guide to washing which you can check out here. This time, we’ll be tackling the subject of drying and ironing. So, if you’re looking for an answer to how to dry cashmere, whether or not can you put cashmere in a dryer or can cashmere be ironed, you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s start with drying.

How to dry cashmere

By now you have finished hand washing your garments, you gently squeezed out the excess water, and now it’s time for the next step. That’s right, drying. But before you happily put your cashmere into one of your handy drying machines think back a little. Ask yourself, “can I tumble dry cashmere”, or put it in any dryer in general? You really shouldn’t do so. Instead, follow the steps below to achieve the best and safest results.

Flat dry cashmere – the best way to dry cashmere

Drying cashmere is surprisingly easy, all it requires is a bit of free space and some time. Spread the cashmere piece on a dry towel. Take care not to stretch it, as it will cause wrinkling and may misshape your garment. To speed up the drying process, you can use dry towels to absorb more water first. You can also turn the clothing every few hours, so it dries equally on both sides.

Things to remember:

Can I dry cashmere in the sun? No, and the same thing goes for drying it near a heater or radiator. Cashmere will shrink when exposed to heat while drying.

Can I hang cashmere to dry? Also, no. We explain the problems with hanging cashmere in an article about how to store cashmere. But long story short, the tension on wet, natural fibres will be strong enough to cause stretching and may even create tears in the clothing.

How long does it take cashmere to dry? Unfortunately, there is no definite answer. Cashmere drying time varies depending on whether you’re drying a cashmere scarf, a sweater, or a different piece. It is also dependent on your room’s temperature and humidity. You must be ready to have to wait for even a couple of days until your garment fully dries.

And that’s the whole process, it’s very simple and doesn’t require much involvement. But, what’s the deal with not drying cashmere mechanically? Why can’t you machine dry cashmere?

Why you should not machine dry cashmere

We have already stated that putting cashmere in dryers is not a good idea. But why? What happens when you tumble dry cashmere? And why can you not dry cashmere in a dryer?

It all comes down to damage prevention. Machine drying is a forceful process. You may save time doing so, but what you take out of the dryer may not be the same thing you put in it. The heat these machines use to hasten the drying process may cause the cashmere fibers to shrink. Unless you have the power to shrink yourself, those cashmere clothes won’t fit you anymore.

Not only that but there is also the case of excessive cashmere pilling. Although pilling is something that occurs naturally, we really want to minimize it. You can learn more about cashmere pilling and how to remove it from this article.

And of course, all these factors make the fibres weaker, which will eventually cause irreparable damage, destroying the cashmere fabric.

That is all you need to know about drying cashmere, now let’s talk about ironing.

How to iron cashmere

Why do we iron clothes? To get rid of those terrible-looking wrinkles of course. So does cashmere wrinkle often? No, not really. Cashmere is very wrinkle-resistant, and when washed and dried properly you may not even see any wrinkles appear. But what if they did? Can you iron cashmere? Yes, here is how to do so.

Ironing cashmere – step by step

1. Lay your garment flat on the ironing board.
2. Set the proper setting on your iron. You want to use the lowest heat settings possible to avoid causing damage to the fabric.
3. Put a cotton cloth on your garment to create a protective layer between the iron and the clothes.
4. When ironing don’t spend too much time in one area to avoid heat build-up. Also, be careful to not let the iron surface touch cashmere directly.

And voilà. You have successfully ironed your cashmere piece. But regular irons are not the only tools you can use to get wrinkles out of cashmere. Fabric steamers are very popular as a substitute for ironing. So can you steam cashmere then?

How to steam cashmere

Fabric steamers are very useful home appliances that are gaining in popularity. They substitute irons really nicely. Steamers are also safer, as they eliminate the risk of burning and creasing the fabric. Steaming, compared to ironing, provides a more fluffy finish to the process.

Steaming cashmere – step by step

The cashmere steaming process is short, sweet, and simple.

1. Hover the head of the steamer above your garment.
2. Gently drag it down across the fabric in one, long line. Don’t worry if the head touches the cashmere surface. Unlike iron, there is no risk of burning the fabric with the steamer.
3. Don’t press the head on the fabric, let the steam invigorate the cashmere.
4. Keep steaming from top to bottom, until the entire piece has been steamed.

And now you know all you need not only about drying cashmere, but also ironing and steaming it. The next step is to store it properly for the next season. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered on this one too. If you want to know how to keep cashmere safe when storing it read this article on how to store cashmere.