searer's Profile

I have been washing my cashmere pullovers and generally all my wool in my washing machine for more than twenty years without any problems (in fact I have a cashmere cardigan that is twenty years old and still going strong, with elbow patches of course..). Just make sure your washing machine has a wool program and use a wool/cashmere detergent like Woolite, half a dose..The washing machine is a much more safe method that hand washing as you have a precise control on water temperature and the amount of movement and spinning (the machine has a delicate spinning cycle just for wool that is much better on the wool fibers than wringing or spinning in a salad spinner..)
Then roll in a towel and gently press, not squeeze or wring and dry flat , with another towel underneath or put in a drying machine with a cashmere/wool program.
A friend that is a professional knitter told me that the drying machine is actually better for delicate wool than air drying, just take them out still dump and let them finish drying flat on a towel..and in fact this method really reduce pilling...