Cashmere is one of those rare fabrics that gets better with time — softer, more familiar, more yours. But only if you store it well. A single summer in the wrong drawer can undo years of careful wearing.
What you'll need
- Knitwear Storage Bag — breathable, pest-proof storage for folded knits
- Acid-free tissue paper — to layer between folds and stop crease lines setting
- Constrain Moth Spray — to treat the empty drawer or wardrobe before storage
- Pheromone Moth Traps — to monitor for clothes moths through the season
- Wool & Cashmere Wash — a pH-neutral, lanolin-rich detergent for hand or gentle machine washing
Cashmere comes from the soft undercoat of goats raised in some of the harshest climates on earth. The fibres are extraordinarily fine — around three times finer than human hair — which is what gives the fabric its lightness and warmth. It is also what makes it so vulnerable. Heat, moisture, friction, and a single hungry moth are all it takes to ruin a beloved jumper.
We come from a family of textile conservators, and we have packed away a great deal of cashmere over the years — for clients, for museum collections, and for our own wardrobes. Here is exactly how we do it.
Why cashmere needs proper storage
Cashmere's structure is what makes it luxurious, and also what makes it fragile. The fibres are smooth and short compared to wool, so they shed and tangle more easily, and they are a magnet for the larvae of clothes moths and carpet beetles. Add to that the fact that most of us only wear cashmere for half the year, and you have a fabric that spends a great deal of time in storage — usually in the wrong conditions.
The biggest causes of cashmere damage in storage are invisible body oils and food residue (which attract moths even when a jumper looks clean), plastic bags (which trap moisture and let mildew bloom), wire hangers (which stretch and distort the shoulders), and direct sunlight (which fades and weakens the fibres). None of these are obvious. All of them are common.
Step one: clean before you store
This is the rule that matters most. Even if your cashmere looks spotless, the things that draw moths — perspiration, perfume, hair products, the trace of a long lunch — are mostly invisible. Storing knitwear unwashed is the single biggest reason people open their drawers in autumn to find small holes.
Hand wash in cool water with a wool-safe detergent, gently squeezing the suds through the fabric. Don't wring, don't rub. Rinse twice in clean cool water, press out the excess between two clean towels, and lay flat to dry on a fresh towel — never on a radiator, never in direct sun. If you would rather not, a reputable dry cleaner who specifically handles knitwear is fine.
Step two: fold, never hang
Cashmere has memory. Hung on a hanger, the weight of the fabric slowly pulls itself out of shape — you will find shoulder peaks, sagging cuffs, and a hemline that no longer hangs straight. Always fold knitwear for storage.
The simplest fold: lay the jumper face down, fold the sleeves back across the body, then fold in half from the bottom. Smooth out any creases as you go. Place a sheet of acid-free tissue paper between layers if you are stacking several pieces — it stops fibres catching and helps the air circulate.
Step three: choose the right bag
This is where most people go wrong. The plastic vacuum bags that promise to save space are a slow disaster for cashmere — they trap residual moisture, compress the fibres flat, and create exactly the warm, still environment that pests love. Cardboard boxes can be just as bad if they are not acid-free, leaching slow chemical damage into the fabric over the months.
What cashmere wants is something breathable, opaque, and chemically inert. Our knitwear storage bags were chosen specifically for this — made from conservation-grade Tyvek, the same material used to protect fragile museum textiles. It blocks dust, light, and pests, but lets the fabric breathe so moisture cannot build up. The bags zip closed, sit flat in a drawer or on a shelf, and won't release anything harmful into your jumpers.
Slip a sheet of acid-free unbuffered tissue paper inside the bag too — it cushions the fold lines and helps keep the shape intact.
Step four: pick a sensible spot
Cashmere likes the same conditions you do: cool, dark, and dry. Avoid lofts (extreme temperature swings), basements (damp), and the cupboard above the radiator. A drawer in your bedroom or a shelf inside a wardrobe is ideal. Keep it out of direct sunlight, and make sure there is a little air circulation — don't pack things in so tightly that nothing can move.
Step five: take moth protection seriously
Clothes moths are the number one enemy of stored cashmere. They don't actually eat the fabric — it is their larvae that do the damage, feeding on the natural protein keratin found in animal fibres. By the time you see a moth fluttering about, the eggs are usually already laid.
The most reliable approach is what conservators call integrated pest management: monitor first, then treat in a targeted way. Place a pheromone moth trap on a shelf near your stored knitwear — it will catch any adult males and tell you whether you have a problem. If you do, give the empty wardrobe or drawer a light spray with Constrain Moth Spray (a pH-neutral, water-based insecticide trusted by conservators), let it dry fully, then return your knitwear. Constrain lasts up to nine months and won't damage textiles.
Don't spray directly onto your cashmere — treat the storage area, not the fabric.
Step six: check in once a month
Open the bag, give the jumper a gentle shake out, and take a look. It takes thirty seconds, and it is the difference between catching a problem early and discovering a hole in October.
Quick reference: dos and don'ts
Do: clean before storing, fold flat, use breathable Tyvek bags, layer with acid-free tissue, monitor with pheromone traps, store cool and dark.
Don't: hang on hangers, use plastic vacuum bags, store unwashed, leave in sunlight, ignore the drawer for six months, or spray insecticide directly on the fabric.
Frequently asked questions
Can I store cashmere with cedar balls or lavender?
They smell lovely, but the evidence that they actually deter moths is thin — and cedar oil can stain delicate fibres if it touches them directly. We would choose a properly designed pheromone trap and a breathable bag over a sachet any day.
How long can cashmere stay in storage?
Indefinitely, if it is clean and stored in the right materials. The pieces we have packed away in Tyvek with acid-free tissue come out the next year exactly as they went in.
Is dry cleaning safer than hand washing?
Not necessarily. Good hand washing with a wool-safe detergent is gentler than aggressive dry cleaning. But if you are nervous, a specialist who knows knitwear is a sensible choice.
What if I find moth holes?
Quarantine the affected piece in a sealed bag, freeze it for 72 hours to kill any larvae, then have it invisibly mended by a specialist. Treat the storage area thoroughly before putting anything else back.
Care more, replace less. That is the whole idea.
