Wool and cashmere care that is not a spa day

People ruin good knits by either never washing them or washing them like cotton tees. The middle path is boring and correct: air between wears, spot clean, wash or dry-clean only when they need it, and store folded if the shoulder would stretch on a hanger.

Moths are real. Cedar and clean storage beat folklore. A sweater that smells like last winter's closet will not get better under a sport coat. If you are buying cashmere on a deep sale, budget five minutes of care or you bought a disposable luxury item.

None of this requires a special lifestyle. It requires not treating clothes as content. Wear them, maintain them, replace them when the elbows go. The Journal is here for the buying decision; the rest is your laundry room.