Pashmina is priceless in every way – it’s warm, feather-light, and incredibly chic. Conventional wisdom says the fibre procured from the underbelly of the extraordinary Changpa or Capra hircus goats can last a lifetime, albeit you give it all the TLC (Tender Love Care). What’s more? Your luxury Pashmina shawl gets softer with every wash, bringing you joy and warmth for years to come. It does offer maximum toastiness with the least bulkiness.
Keeping your cashmere wrap luxe and in high condition is not tough but does require a little patience and effort for care for pashmina. Though it is less prone to pilling, there are still a few tips to keep in mind so that it makes you dazzle every time you adorn it. What more? You can enjoy the companionship of your luxury shawl or scarf for an entire lifetime. You can even pass it to the next generation, if you care about it and it regains its freshness after every season. So here we go answering your 'Pashmina care' queries, and giving you pro tips on how to keep your delicate baby safe and new!
Is Pashmina Washable?
Yes, Pashmina is washable, but with enough care and attention. While some believe spot-cleaning is enough to care for your favourite Pashmina, if your wrap has been lying in your chest of drawers for a while, it requires thorough cleaning. You might think it looks clean enough, but believe us, the smallest particles of food, hair strands, or even sweat can attract moths so Pashmina needs to be taken care of. After all, who would like to lose a luxury?
As a general rule, dry cleaning is the preferred method of washing Pashmina. However, some believe that a better option is to hand wash it, occasionally at home. But only if you promise to be extremely careful with it and follow certain precautions that are mentioned below.
Make sure you wash Pashmina by hand unless you have a hand-wash setting on your washing machine. Use lukewarm water and a small amount of mild detergent or baby shampoo to clean it. There are some who say even a hair conditioner works wonders to make Cashmere super soft! But why take chances. It is best to invest in a Cashmere shampoo.
Another tip to remember is to turn your Cashmere inside out (in the case of Cashmere apparel like sweaters). Make sure you don’t rub, wring or twist the fabric while washing. Instead, gently squeeze the water through the fibre. This immensely gentle fabric needs a delicate handling hand.
Steps to Hand Wash Your Pashmina.
The care for Pashmina starts with washing it. To wash your Pashmina with hands, follow the following steps stringently
- Pour lukewarm water into a water tub.
- Add Cashmere/Pashmina shampoo to it. If these are not available, you can use baby shampoo or conditioner.
- Now dip your Pashmina scarf into this mixture and let it rest for 30 minutes
- Post this time, remove the scarf from the soapy water and gently squeeze it between your hands. Do not wring a Pashmina, as the base can tear, or permanent wrinkles can be caused in it.
- Soak it in fresh clean, and cold water for rinsing. Make sure all the soap is rinsed out of the shawl, lest it results in damage later
- After rinsing, again squeeze it between your hands. Now you can dry it.
How to wash Pashmina in Washing Machine?
If for some reason, hand washing is not possible for an individual, the next best alternative will be a washing machine. Change the settings of your washing machine to hand wash and cold settings. Add Pashmina shampoo or any mild shampoo or conditioner to the detergent section. Place your scarf in a mesh bag. This helps avoid the wrap being stuck around, and hence damaging itself. Start the machine and as soon as the cycle completes, remove the scarf. Removing the scarf immediately from the washer prevents wrinkles in fine scarves like Pashmina scarves.
Also read: What is so special about Cashmere?
How to dry your Luxury Wrap?
It’s the same in the case of drying - one needs to be gentle. Hence for an optimum care for a Pashmina scarf, tumble drying is a big no-no. Make sure there’s no wringing or twisting of Pashmina to remove excess water. Instead, it’s best to layout your Pashmina wrap on a towel, gently roll it up, and lightly press against the towel base. Later, you can un-roll and re-shape it.
Your Pashmina shawl must be left to dry in a flat manner because if you hang it, the weight of the water will stretch it out of shape. Lastly, you must keep it away from heat sources like radiators, hair-dryers, or even sunlight, since it needs to air-dry naturally. Lay it flat on the floor or any flat surface, and let it dry in shade. Sunlight might, in some varieties of Pashmina, fade the color.
How to Store Pashmina?
A proper care for Pashmina means proper storage of the same. Proper storage of a Pashmina for the current season ensures a long life, and keeps it fit to wear for the next season. If not stored properly, a Pashmina might fall prey to infestations, and hence get spoiled. For proper storage, firstly, the most basic tip of all – clean, dust, wipe the shelf where you store your Pashmina. It must be squeaky clean and damp-free. After the cleaning is done, you’ve to be on guard against moths, since it won’t take for them to attack your luxurious shawl or scarf.
Lay down some anti-moth paper on the storage shelf and put out some scented naphthalene balls to keep these pests at bay. And if these are old, make sure to replace them, since they lose their strength after a season.
If there’s not much space in your wardrobe, do not commit the mistake of storing these in cardboard boxes, since they are not pH neutral, and these could react with the chemicals in your fabric. In addition, do not even leave these luxury wraps in plastic bags for more than a few months, since the change in temperature is also likely to affect its condition. It can also alter the colour of your Pashmina. also, do not layer Pashmina shawls one over the other. This too is likely to cause a little if not much damage to the fibres.
Lastly, try and wrap your luxury Pashmina securely in acid-free tissue paper to preserve its original state and ensure greater protection against dust and dampness. A muslin cloth is another alternative to tissue papers, if and when they aren't available.
Turning Your Pashmina Moth-free
We all know ‘Prevention is better than cure', but what if your Pashmina is already infested with moths? There definitely needs to be some damage control. Invest in a good moth trap to drive away these creepies; it’s a sure-shot solution.
There’s another tip that might baffle you. It does sound a little strange though. Freeze your Cashmere wrap. Yes, you heard it right. Put this luxury wrap in a plastic bag and freeze overnight or for a day. Later, defrost it and this will prove effective in the removal of any moths that are present.
However we recommend preventing your Pashmina scarf from the beginning. Later curing it from a moth infestation will be time consuming, and cause unnecessary worrying.
Remove & Prevent Pilling from your Timeless Beauty
This is not uncommon, because some amount of pilling does occur in every Cashmere, primarily due to the friction of everyday wear against wobbly fibres on the surface. It’s not that this determines the quality, but it is distinctive to Pashmina itself. For proper Pashmina care, you can certainly reduce the pilling of your garment by gently washing it to remove detached fibres.
In case you still experience pilling, you can comb it out with a brush or rather a special kind of brush used for Pashmina apparel and accessories. To comb your luxury wrap, put it out in a flat manner and with very gentle hands, brush the comb-over its surface wherever you see pills. Pay a little more attention to areas that are more prone to friction, including elbows, underarms, and even shoulders.
In case there’s not much pilling, you can still comb it on a regular basis to remove superficial fibre. Besides, try not to wear your cashmere against clothing with a harsh texture, such as pointed neckpieces, bracelets, or even rough bags.
Now that you know all the tips to take care of your Cashmere wrap, make sure you give it all the love it deserves. After all, if you shower it with all your attention, care, and patience, it will consistently reward you with its finest luxury, softness, and warmth! The biggest reward that a Pashmina scarf will give you is its long life, and the timeless comfort that it is well known for, all over the world.
Also read: Pure Pashmina - Myths and Facts