Cashmere goes into our fancy-smancy front-loading washer on the delicate cycle. My wife has more cashmere sweaters than socks. We dilute regular solid 7th Generation laundry detergent in water (about two scoops per quart of water) and use that. For my merino stuff, it usually goes into the shower with me for a hand-washing with just enough Dr. B's to make some suds. I dry them all either on a line or on a hanger hung on the shower curtain rod.