Nobody likes doing laundry. The sorting, pre-treating, washing, drying, ironing and folding are all things we’d love to do without. For this reason certain items (cough, scarves, cough) always get put away time and time again after being worn. We’ll wash them next time, we always say but it never seems to happen. But if you’d like your scarf collection to last, you need to care for them. So don’t put if off any longer, clean your scarves & clean them properly!

Each fabric requires different care, so be sure to know which scarf is made from which material. Also, always check the care label on each of your scarves before washing them.

Cashmere
Cashmere is a delicate type of wool that should be hand-washed. Some cashmere can be dry cleaned, but be sure to check the label before doing so. Cashmere should be washed in lukewarm water with a mild detergent such as Woolite. Allow the scarf to soak in the water for about five minutes but do not scrub it. When the scarf is done soaking, rinse it in lukewarm water. In order to dry your cashmere scar you should roll it into a soft towel and squeeze gently, allowing the towel to soak up the excess water. If the towel becomes too damp, switch to a fresh towel. Do not wring out the scarf. Finally, lay it to dry on another towel. Do not hang dry your scarf because this will cause stretching.

Cotton & Jersey
Cotton and jersey cotton can generally be machine washed and dried. This fabric can shrink easily, however, so it is best to wash it with cold water. Be sure to check the care label for instructions specific to your scarf.

Wool
In order to clean your wool scarf, fill a basin with lukewarm water and a drop of laundry detergent. Swish the water just once or twice, you don’t want to create suds. Place your wool scarf in the water and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes. Like with cashmere, do not rub or scrub the scarf. Rinse the scarf in fresh, lukewarm water and roll in a towel, pressing gently to remove the excess water. Lay the scarf flat on another towel to dry.

Silk
Silk scarves should also be hand-washed but because of the shine of the fabric, they require a little extra attention when cleaning. For more details on how to care for your silk scarf check out our post on how to wash and clean silk scarves.

Pashmina
Dry cleaning is often preferred for pashminas but they can also be hand-washed in cold or lukewarm water. Add a couple of drops of a soft detergent to the water and allow the detergent to dissolve. Then place the pashmina in the water and allow it to soak for a few minutes. Rinse the scarf in clean water and refrain from squeezing the excess water out of it. Instead, lay the scarf flat to dry.

Photo: earth-photography.com

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