How to care for your coat
in wool and cachemire

There is something Atelier MAUDÉ regularly hears from its clients, a few months after their first purchase: "I didn't realise it was this simple." Because caring for a wool and cachemire coat is daunting, needlessly. People imagine complicated protocols, risks everywhere, a finicky material that forgives nothing.

The reality is more nuanced. Cachemire is demanding, yes — but its demands are consistent, logical, and once understood, become natural reflexes. This guide is the one Atelier MAUDÉ wished it had found when the house began working with the Suzhou ateliers. Everything learned, sometimes the hard way, about the fibre, washing, drying, and storage.

Understanding the fibre first

Wool and cachemire are fibres made of keratin — the same protein as hair. Their surface is covered in microscopic scales that interlock to create that unique feel, both soft and slightly textured. This is also what makes them vulnerable to two specific enemies: heat and vigorous friction.

When these scales are exposed to hot water or intense mechanical agitation, they tangle irreversibly — this is felting. The fabric shrinks, hardens, loses its suppleness. No treatment can reverse a felted cachemire. It is permanent.

Understanding this mechanism means understanding why all the advice that follows rests on a single principle: gentleness. Cold water, slow movements, flat natural drying. No mystery — just consistency with what the material demands.

A useful clarification: a wool-cachemire blend is generally more tolerant than pure cachemire, without being less demanding than ordinary wool. The 50/50 balance Atelier MAUDÉ chose is not a compromise — it is a considered complementarity, which also holds true for care.

Frequency: less often than you think

This is often the first surprise. A wool and cachemire coat does not need washing after every wear. Wool has remarkable natural antibacterial properties: it absorbs little odour, naturally regulates moisture, and refreshes easily in fresh air.

Two to three washes per season is more than sufficient. Between washes, hanging the coat near an open window or on a balcony for a few hours does the job. Natural air humidity is enough to refresh the fibres and smooth out light creases.

Washing too frequently is one of the main causes of premature wear. Every wash puts the fibres under stress — even when done correctly by hand. Economising on washes is not laziness, it is intelligent care.

After each wear: shake gently to revive the fibres, hang on a wide padded hanger, and air for at least an hour before storing.

Hand washing: the only acceptable approach

The rule is absolute: never in the machine. Not even the wool programme. Not even the delicate cycle at 30°C. The mechanical agitation of the drum stresses the fibres repeatedly and randomly — precisely the type of strain that causes felting over time.

• Water — cold or lukewarm, never above 30°C. A thermal shock can cause immediate and permanent shrinkage. Keep the same temperature from start to finish
• Detergent — specialist wool detergent, in minimal quantity. Ordinary detergents contain proteolytic enzymes that degrade the natural proteins of the fibre. On cachemire, this is slow and invisible destruction
• Soaking — five to ten minutes maximum. Prolonged soaking unnecessarily fatigues the fibres
• Movements — gently press the fabric between your palms to circulate the soapy water. Never rub, never wring, never agitate
• Rinsing — at the same temperature as the wash, several times until the water runs perfectly clear

Practical tip: use a bathtub rather than a sink. The coat should be submerged flat, without being crumpled or compressed.

Wringing and drying: the critical step

This is where most accidents happen. Two mistakes account for the majority of damage: wringing to extract water, and hanging to dry. Wringing — even gently — tears the fibres and permanently deforms the fabric structure. Hanging a wet coat stretches the shoulders under the weight of the water — deformations that cannot be corrected once dry.

The correct technique

Lift the coat out of the water supporting it along its full length. Place it flat on a large clean towel. Roll the towel with the coat inside and press firmly without ever wringing. Unroll, change towels if necessary, then lay the coat flat for the final drying.

• Flat always — never on a wet hanger, even for a few minutes
• Away from direct sunlight — UV rays progressively fade and weaken natural fibres
• Away from any heat source — radiators, hair dryers, air vents: all must be strictly avoided
• Turn halfway through drying — for an even result, allow between 12 and 24 hours depending on fabric thickness

Ironing: rarely necessary

A coat dried correctly flat generally does not need ironing. A handheld steam garment steamer is the ideal tool for daily use and travel — a few passes of steam and the coat regains its impeccable appearance.

• Wool setting, maximum 110°C if an iron is necessary
• Always iron on the reverse side of the fabric to avoid altering the surface
• Place a slightly damp cotton cloth between the iron and the garment
• Steam does the work — the iron should never press directly on the fabric

Pilling: natural, and easily managed

Pills form at friction zones — under the arms, on the sleeves, at the back. They appear on all wool and cachemire coats without exception. This is not a quality defect — it is paradoxically more common on fine, high-quality cachemires.

An electric fabric shaver removes them in minutes and immediately gives the coat the appearance of a new garment. Once or twice per season is sufficient. Never fingers, never scissors — only the shaver or a cachemire depilling stone.

• Use an electric fabric shaver — the most effective and gentle tool for the surface
• Or a cachemire depilling stone — more traditional, ideal for small localised areas
• Never fingers, never scissors — you risk irreparably damaging the fabric

Stains: act within the first minutes

Every minute counts. Blot immediately with a clean damp cloth, without rubbing, working from the outside in towards the centre.

For greasy stains — oil, butter, make-up — dust with talcum powder or cornflour, leave to absorb for 30 minutes to 2 hours, then brush off gently.

For water-based stains — wine, coffee, juice — cold water and a few drops of diluted wool detergent. Cold water is imperative: hot water fixes protein stains irreversibly.

For persistent stains after drying: consult a dry cleaner specialising in natural fibres.

Off-season storage: preparing for hibernation

Always wash before storing — organic residues attract moths. Never store a coat that has been worn without prior washing.

• Fold rather than hang — hangers deform shoulders over the long term, especially under the weight of a coat
• Breathable cotton garment bag — never plastic, which traps moisture and encourages mould
• Natural cedar block or lavender sachets — effective and natural moth repellents, without chemicals harmful to the fibres
• Dry, dark, temperate location — moisture, direct light and extreme temperatures are enemies of natural fibres

Turning the coat inside out before folding protects the outer surface during storage.

Mistakes to never make

• Washing machine, even on gentle cycle — the number one cause of irreversible felting
• Drying on a wet hanger — deforms the shoulders within hours
• Wringing out — tears the fibres
• Exposure to direct sunlight — progressively fades and weakens
• Ordinary detergent — degrades natural proteins
• Storing slightly damp — develops mould and persistent odours

These six mistakes account for virtually all cachemire coats that do not survive a third season. Avoiding them means ensuring your investment accompanies you for a decade.