The Ultimate Care Guide for Wool, Cashmere, and Down Outerwear

Take a look inside most closets in the New York TriState, and you’ll find at least one luxurious winter outerwear garment made from pure wool, exquisite cashmere, and/or the softest down. These items are a pleasure to wear, and immediately signal both status and supreme comfort when and wherever they are worn. During the season, as well as after, it is important to keep these winter wardrobe staples clean, fresh, and ready to face the elements. If you have access to laundry facilities in your home or apartment, you might be tempted to clean these garments yourself. After all, the internet offers a wealth of “how tos” regarding hand laundering delicate garments. Resist that urge, however, or you’ll likely damage or destroy your luxury outerwear. Optimal coat dry cleaning is best left to the experts at Winzer Cleaners. Here’s why:

Down outerwear is almost never dry cleaned with harsh chemical solvents; instead, it is typically wet cleaned by hand or in a specialized machine with mild soap.

Winzer Cleaner’s Coat Dry Cleaning Process for Wool and Cashmere

1. Tagging and inspection: Upon its receipt, Winzer Cleaners’ experts will inspect your garments for stains, damage, and fabric type. For wool, we will examine the weave and look for any pilling. For cashmere, we will note the delicate fibers and if the garment is a knit, if it is single-, double-, or triple-ply.
2. Pretreatment and spot removal: Winzer’s technicians use specialized spotting agents to pretreat specific stains based on their origin (e.g., oil, protein, or tannin).
3. Solvent cleaning cycle: Your garments are loaded into a large, sophisticated dry cleaning machine. Instead of water, our machine uses a liquid solvent, such as a hydrocarbon solvent or liquid CO2, which gently removes dirt and oil without causing the natural fibers to swell and felt (compress).
4. Extraction and drying: The machine extracts the solvent, which is then filtered and recycled. Your garment(s) is dried using a controlled, low-heat process. For natural fibers like wool and cashmere, low or no heat is critical to prevent shrinkage.
5. Finishing: As a final step in the coat dry cleaning process, your garment is professionally pressed or steamed to remove wrinkles and to restore its shape. Delicate items like cashmere may be laid flat or hung on wide hangers.

Coat Dry Cleaning Process for Down Outerwear

1. Initial assessment: Dry cleaning chemicals can strip the natural oils from down feathers, causing them to lose their fluffiness and insulating properties. For this reason, Winzer Cleaners’ experts prefer to wet-clean down items using specialized techniques.
2. Specialized washing: As a first step in your coat dry cleaning process, your garment is washed in a commercial front-loading machine or by hand with a mild, down-specific soap. All zippers are closed to protect the fabric during the cycle.
3. Thorough rinsing: A second rinse cycle is often used to ensure all soap residue is removed from the down and fabric.
4. Low-heat tumble drying: After spinning to remove excess moisture, your clothing is placed in a large commercial dryer on a low-heat setting. To restore the loft of the down, dryer balls or clean tennis balls are often added to the machine. This process is monitored carefully to prevent the down from clumping.
5. Post-cleaning inspection: Your garment is inspected for any remaining clumps, and the process is repeated if necessary to restore full fluffiness.

Before You Drop Off or Arrange for Us to Pick Up Your Items:

• Let Us Know: Point out any visible stains or hidden issues like odors. The more information we have, the more effectively we can treat and maintain your garment.
• Review Care Labels: Double-check the care instructions. While wool is typically dry cleaned, some cashmere is better hand-washed and down is almost always wet-cleaned.
• Specify Special Instructions: Alert Winzer Cleaners to any special hardware, such as fragile buttons or decorative trim, that may require protection.

Together, we can ensure your garments will receive the finest coat dry cleaning to restore their original appearance and extend their service life. Fall is here, and temperatures are dropping, so now is the ideal time to arrange for pickup and delivery of your wool, cashmere, and down outerwear. Call today!