A well-made cashmere or merino piece should give a decade of service. Whether it does comes down to three habits: how you wash it, how you deal with pilling, and how you store it.
Washing
Fine knitwear needs washing far less often than most people assume — airing a jumper overnight between wears is usually enough. When it does need cleaning, hand wash in cool water (30°C or below) with a specialist wool or cashmere shampoo. Support the garment's weight as you lift it; never wring. Press the water out between two towels, then dry flat on a rack, reshaped, away from radiators and direct sun. Machine wool cycles can be used for merino at your own discretion, always inside a mesh bag — but cashmere is best kept to the basin.
Pilling
Small bobbles on the areas of friction — under the arms, at the cuff — are a natural consequence of shorter fibres working to the surface, not a sign of poor quality. Remove them gently with a cashmere comb or a fabric shaver once the garment is dry. Most knitwear pills lightly in its first season and settles thereafter.
Storage
Always fold knitwear; hanging stretches the shoulders out of shape. Store clean — moths are drawn to skin oils and food traces, not to the wool itself — and keep cedar blocks or lavender sachets in the drawer. For end-of-season storage, use a breathable cotton bag rather than plastic.
A note on first wear
New cashmere may shed a little loose fibre at first. This is normal and reduces after the first two or three gentle washes, which also bloom the yarn and soften the hand-feel.
If in doubt about a specific garment, the woven care label is the final word — or write to contact@halsworthhayes.shop.