Looking After Your Garments

Our cashmere is crafted from the very softest wool and manufactured into luxury products that can last a lifetime. When lovingly cared for our cashmere will become a truly timeless piece, becoming softer and more luxurious with age.

Below we have shared some helpful tips on how to properly and lovingly care for your favourite cashmere, lambswool and tweed statement pieces.

 

Cashmere

At Kiltane, we’re very proud to be able to certify that all of our cashmere products are made from nothing less than 100% Pure Cashmere, that is both ethically and ecologically sourced by our expert partners.

Due to the natural anti-bacterial properties found in the fabric, it’s not necessary to wash cashmere garments as often as other textiles. With this in mind, we would recommend a gentle wash every 3 – 4 wears, and simply airing out your garment in between.

So how do I wash my cashmere?

When the time comes, please consider dry cleaning. The dry-cleaning process will not use an excess of water and ensures any dirt is removed without causing damage to the fabric.

If you would prefer to wash your cashmere at home, then please take care to follow these steps:

• Add a few drops of cashmere shampoo to a clean bowl of lukewarm water and mix well;
• Gently squeeze the water and suds through the fabric without rubbing, stretching or wringing the fabric;
• Rinse thoroughly in clean lukewarm water;
• Lay your garment on a towel and gently roll to remove the excess water and smooth back into shape;
• Place your garment flat on a towel and dry away from any heat or direct sunlight;
• Once dry, press your garment lightly with a cool iron.

 

Lambswool

Lambswool is the wool collected from the first shearing of a sheep at around seven months old and is very fine and soft to touch. Sheep need to be sheared each spring for their own health, making wool entirely natural with no environmental impact.

Similar to cashmere, wool also contains natural properties that deters dirt, odours and moisture, and as such, should be cleaned less often than other textiles. Before washing your lambswool garments, we would also recommend airing these out between wears.

Lambswool should not be washed in a washing machine as this will cause the fabric to shrink and lose its shape. Instead, we would recommend taking extra care to handwash any wool garments where necessary and lay flat on a rack to dry. Wet wool can be heavy and hanging to dry will also cause loss of shape.

 

Pilling

Pilling is a completely normal and natural process and is part of the unique character of both cashmere and lambswool. Pilling should be expected when wearing natural fibres such as these and is often caused by the friction of everyday wear against the loose fibres on the knitwear’s surface. Pilling can easily be removed by hand or with the use of a special cashmere comb.

To comb your cashmere, lay your garment flat and lightly brush the comb over the surface wherever you see the pilling form. Pay special attention to areas of your garment that are most susceptible to friction such as the hips, underarms and shoulders. After combing, the garment will regain its luxurious texture as before.

 

Storing Cashmere & Lambswool

When not wearing your cashmere or lambswool we would recommend folding and storing in a drawer or shelf away from heat sources and sunlight. Hanging your garments can create dimples and your item to become misshapen. A lovely way to store is to keep your pieces with some cedar wood balls or lavender, a natural way to prevent damage by moths.

 

Harris Tweed

Handwoven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland from pure virgin wool, our Harris Tweed garments are full of heritage, practicality and longevity. All Harris Tweed garments sold by Kiltane are adorned by the iconic Orb label, which guarantees the authenticity of the fabric.

As with other wool garments, it isn’t necessary to clean your Harris Tweed pieces after every wear. Instead, we would recommend simply dry cleaning when needed.

Alternatively, you can also steam your Harris Tweed garments. Steaming is a great way to care for your tweed and can easily be done at home using a handheld or upright steamer. This practice provides the safest and gentlest finish for freshening woollens, reducing wrinkling and killing germs, bacteria and odours.