Garment care · Winter wear
Winter Wear Care: How to Clean and Store Woollens, Pashmina and Coats
Before the NCR winter: which woollens to hand-wash, why coats and pashmina are best dry cleaned, and how to store knits away from moths.
Quick answer: most sweaters can be hand-washed in cold water with a wool detergent and dried flat. Coats, blazers, embroidered shawls, pashmina and anything leather or suede are best dry cleaned. Whatever you do, clean everything before you put it away in March — moths go for worn, unwashed wool.
Getting winter wear out of storage
Before the first cold week, take everything out and check it in daylight.
- Air it. Open woollens out in the shade for a few hours to lose the cupboard smell.
- Look for small holes along seams, cuffs and under the arms — signs of moth larvae.
- Check for marks that were missed last season. A stain put away in March has had eight months to set; get it treated now rather than wearing it.
Sweaters and knits
Many wool and acrylic sweaters can be washed at home, carefully.
- Turn the sweater inside out and wash it by hand in cold water with a wool or mild detergent.
- Squeeze gently — never wring or twist.
- Roll it in a towel to remove water.
- Dry it flat, reshaped, away from direct sun. A wet sweater on a hanger stretches out of shape.
- Remove bobbles with a sweater comb or fabric shaver, not by pulling.
Check the label first: anything marked dry-clean-only, or a knit with embellishment, belongs with a cleaner.
Pashmina and cashmere
Real pashmina is fine and easily damaged. Dry cleaning is the safest choice. If you do wash at home, use cold water and a little mild shampoo, keep it in the water briefly, don't rub or wring, and dry it flat in the shade. Never brush hard — it pulls fibres out.
Coats, blazers, shawls, leather and suede
Structured coats and blazers lose their shape in a wash, and embroidered shawls can bleed or pucker. Dry clean them, and ask for structured pieces to be finished on a former so the shoulders keep their shape. Leather and suede jackets need specialist cleaning and conditioning — see our leather and suede care. Heavy blankets and quilts are covered by our curtain, carpet and blanket cleaning.
Putting winter wear away in March
- Clean everything first. Clothes moths are drawn to wool and silk carrying body oils, sweat and food traces — clean garments are far less attractive to them.
- Fold knits; hang coats. Store sweaters folded. Hang coats on broad, shaped hangers.
- Breathable storage. Cotton garment covers and bags, not plastic, which traps moisture through the monsoon.
- Deter moths naturally. Neem leaves or cedar blocks in the cupboard help; keep mothballs from touching the fabric.
- Dark and dry. Light fades wool, and damp invites mildew.
When to hand it to us
Send us coats, blazers, pashminas, embroidered shawls, leather and suede, and anything stained — ideally at the start of the season and again before you store it. Every piece is cleaned on South Korean machines with German chemicals, and counted with you at the door. Read about our dry cleaning, or book a pickup.