Cleaning/deodorizing cashmere scarf?

December 11, 2015 12:07 PM

Today, my partner left his new Muji scarf on the table for a couple of minutes. Of course, my cat Güero chose to sit on it. And now the scarf smells like cat anus.

We could only salvage the scarf's tag in Chinese. It says it should not be washed and identifies the fabric as half cashmere (羊绒). How the hell do I clean it?

I suspect I need to have Güero's anal glands expressed, because even though he's healthy, he's super smelly... but that's a different question.

posted by clearlydemon to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Hand wash in cool water with something like Woolite. I'd generally recommend a more mild cleaning agent, but cat anal gland is pretty powerful stink and you'll need the extra detergent power. You may have to do several rounds of wash. Don't scrub or excessively wring the fabric - be gentle so that you don't make the knit fuzzy. Roll in towels to get to damp dry and then dry flat.

Get the cat to a vet. Scarves are easy to wash, furniture isn't.
posted by quince at 12:22 PM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Pedantically, your scarf is 100% goat wool (=cashmere). "Goat" and "Half" look similar in Japanese. Practically, immediately soak it in cool water with a wool wash, as quince says. Handle it very gently, and it should be fine. I also have a Muji cashmere scarf and that's how I wash it.
posted by chocotaco at 12:27 PM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: That's what I get for using Google Translate. Of course it's goat and not half. Thanks!
Kitty is going to the vet tomorrow :)
posted by clearlydemon at 12:30 PM on December 11, 2015

If a soak and a very gentle hand wash don't get rid of the smell, leaving the scarf out to dry in the sun may deodorize it.
posted by muddgirl at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

You might need to use a bit of nature's miracle, ass gland stink is fucking intense and lingers and is in general the cruelest trick nature ever played upon the innocent fuzzy butts of our 4 footed friends.
posted by poffin boffin at 1:21 PM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

If the smell remains after washing, buy an enzyme spray from a pet-supplies store and apply it generously on the stinky area -- or saturate the whole scarf if need be. The enzymes work only when wet, so seal the scarf in a plastic bag at least overnight.
posted by wryly at 3:48 PM on December 11, 2015

Eucalan is great for hand washing cashmere and doesn't need rinsing. Mirazyme might help if the butt smell persists.
posted by bighappyhairydog at 7:39 PM on December 11, 2015