How to Wash a Cashmere Blanket

by GR0 Collaborator / Jan 20, 2020

SENREVE seeks to meet the modern-day woman where she is, whether that’s on the go, at work, or even snuggled up with popcorn and her favorite movie. SENREVE aims to bring style and luxury to all aspects of life, and our Cashmere Blanket adds the perfect ambiance and elegance to any night in.


Spun from the finest Mongolian Cashmere, our blanket provides warmth and sophistication in a cozy, breathable way. Offered in five neutral, two-toned options, this blanket can complement your living room and bedroom in the most elegant of ways. 


Read on to learn more about how to care for your cashmere products. 


How to Wash a Cashmere Blanket 


Cashmere is naturally one of the longest-lasting fibers around. With proper care and attention, your cashmere products can last for years to come. Follow these tips to keep any cashmere products in tip-top shape. 


  1. Make sure you regularly shave the cashmere. Natural pilling, or fuzz balls, can occur in places with the most friction (think underarms on a cashmere sweater). To keep the product fuzz-free, we recommend using a razor blade or special de-pilling tool. In fact, our lifetime warranty on our cashmere products covers all product manufacturing defects and a free depilling service within the first year of purchase. After the first year, we offer depilling services at a discounted rate.
  2. Don’t wash too frequently. Assuming your blanket is free of stains and spills, you can go for several months without washing or cleaning. 
  3. Cold water and mild detergent. Handwashing is always the best method, using only cold water and a very mild detergent specifically designed for cashmere. Alternatively, dry clean your cashmere.
  4. Do not put your cashmere blanket in the dryer. Applying any kind of heat to cashmere will cause it to shrink immediately. This is why it’s important to make sure the water is ice cold. Gently squeeze until dirt is removed and then rinse in cold water. 
  5. Do not use fabric softener or any laundry enhancers, and do not machine wash. Cashmere is already one of the softest materials in the world. Not only does it not need fabric softener, but the chemicals in the softener can negatively interact with the delicate fibers, leaving irreparable damage to your new blanket. 
  6. Air Dry. We can’t stress this enough - you should never expose cashmere to any type of heat. The best way to dry your blanket is naturally. It does help to dab with a dry towel to help absorb excess water, then lay it flat to dry. Do not expose the cashmere to direct sunlight. Leave it in an open, airy spot and let it dry naturally. 

Learn more about our recommended care for our SENREVE cashmere here, and if you’re curious to explore more cashmere, visit our At-Home Collection. To learn more about cashmere, keep reading.


What is Cashmere Made of? 


Cashmere is made from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats. These goats, primarily from China and Mongolia, have little fat on their bodies. Their coats act as a protective layer to insulate and warm them during the winter seasons. In the summer, however, the goats shed their coats naturally and the wool is then spun and colored to produce a variety of cashmere products.


The variety and quality of cashmere vary wildly depending on the specific location of the goat, the annual climate, diet, and can even be influenced by other environmental factors like the amount of rain or snow. The biggest difference in quality comes from how fine the hair is. In general, the more fine the hair, the more rare, luxurious, and silky it is. The thickness of the hair makes a difference when it comes to the quality of the final product, as well. 


The manufacturing process to create cashmere products is unsurprisingly complex as the softer undercoat must be separated from the rest of the wool, which is typically denser and more coarse. In addition to a complex manufacturing process, the yield from each goat is often quite low. For example, it takes wool from two goats to make a single sweater. These two factors contribute to both the scarcity and the price of cashmere wool



How to Tell If Your Cashmere is High Quality 


The higher the percentage of cashmere the product is, the higher the quality. Oftentimes, cashmere is blended with other fabrics such as silk or cotton to reduce pilling and maintain a specific softness and feel. 


If the cashmere is a brighter color, that usually means the cashmere was cleaner to begin with and went through a higher-end dying process. This generally means that the brighter the color, the higher the cashmere quality.


Finally, the knit pattern is another indication of product quality. The tighter the knit, the more complex and high-end the manufacturing process. 


At SENREVE, our cashmere blanket is hand-stitched and spun from 100% Mongolian cashmere. We are proud of our products' high quality, and want you to love them for years to come. We offer a lifetime warranty to cover everything from product defects to free de-pilling services. 


Benefits of Cashmere Blankets


We already know that cashmere is synonymous with luxury, but cashmere blankets also offer a variety of other benefits. 


  • Cashmere blankets are naturally moisture-wicking and will not cause you to sweat like some synthetic materials. This is due to the nature of the fibers, with an exterior that repels water. This means that if you do sweat, cashmere can help wick that moisture from your body. 
  • These blankets also offer the perfect level of temperature regulation year-round, keeping you cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. 
  • Due to the delicate fibers that are 16 times thinner than a human hair, cashmere blankets are also extremely breathable
  • Made from completely organic material, cashmere blankets are naturally hypoallergenic. 
  • The fine fibers of cashmere contain a natural wax called lanolin, which is said to provide moisturizing benefits when in contact with the human skin. 
  • Cashmere is naturally wrinkle-resistant, meaning it always looks great and without creases. 
  • Because the strands used to produce cashmere are so delicate and fine, the result is a product that is never bulky. Cashmere blankets make the best travel companion as they can be easily folded up and tucked away due to their lightweight nature. 

Is Cashmere Ethical and Sustainable? 


When it comes to fast fashion, the answer is no. In an effort to drive down the price of cashmere, the quantity of available wool must increase. This means that goats are often sheared too early in the season and aren’t as well-equipped to deal with cold weather since they’re already low body fat animals. Cashmere production also comes with a social implication and concerns around the working conditions of the goat herders who have been left to deal with the pressures of increased global demand.  


In addition to working conditions and premature shearing, another environmental issue that arises with cashmere production is the impact the goats themselves have on the environment around them. These goats have sharp hooves that help them break through the topsoil and more easily eat grass. However, the increase in demand has another effect of crowding too many goats on land that is unable to handle it. The land is unable to recuperate which impacts the diet and food availability for the entire herd. 


Not all cashmere, however, is unethical. Companies that maintain rigorous sourcing and manufacturing standards like SENREVE leverage the goats' natural shedding cycle in harvesting and work only with farms that meet working regulations and other sustainability guidelines



The Bottom Line 


Searching for a cashmere blanket is a fun and exciting process, but learning how to properly care for your blanket will make it enjoyable for years to come. Follow our guide and you’ll be golden.


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