Recently, cashmere has become “trendy”. Looking at more and more cashmere items on major shopping platforms, are you also tempted to own one? However, cashmere items are so expensive, and the price gap is huge. They are both genuine and fake, making it hard to decide.
Let’s take a look at the relevant knowledge of cashmere.
Is cashmere just fine wool?
People often confuse “cashmere” and “wool”, mistakenly thinking that cashmere is fine wool. Cashmere fiber is indeed finer than the finest wool fiber, but the difference between the words “cashmere” and “hair” is essentially different.
Cashmere and wool grow on different species of sheep.
Wool: It comes from sheep, no matter how fine it is, it is technically called wool.
Cashmere: A thin layer of fine velvet that grows at the roots of goat’s coarse hair. It grows when winter is cold to resist wind and cold, and falls off when spring warms up.
Attention required! Some clothing ingredients are labeled as cashmere, but that is not real cashmere. It is just a confusion among merchants.
Why is cashmere expensive?
Due to the scarcity of production, cashmere has almost become a “luxury product”. Cashmere only grows every winter and falls off naturally after spring. The production period is extremely short and the output is very rare. Each sheep can produce several kilograms of wool per year, while each goat can only produce about 30 grams of cashmere.
Not only is the output of cashmere small, but the production process is also complicated. Collecting wool is like getting a haircut or taking off your clothes. You use scissors to shave everything off and “take it off” completely. This is called shearing.
Cashmere grows at the root of the goat’s coarse hair, so shaving it like sheep won’t work. You can only use a special comb to remove hair bit by bit when you are shedding hair in spring. Due to the scarcity of output and complicated preparation, cashmere is priced by the gram in transactions, and is known as “soft gold”.
How is cashmere better than wool?
Because it grows in winter to keep out the cold, cashmere has excellent warmth retention, eight times that of wool, while its weight is only one-fifth of wool.
Cashmere is more hygroscopic than wool. First of all, in terms of color, cashmere does not fade after dyeing, and its luster is richer and softer; secondly, in terms of dressing experience, cashmere is breathable and comfortable.
Wool fiber is solid, while cashmere fiber is marrowless and hollow, so when you hold the double-sided cashmere coat with your hands, you will feel quite elastic. Cashmere does not wrinkle easily and basically does not shrink after washing, while woolen sweaters tend to shrink.
How to care for cashmere sweaters?
Cashmere sweaters are best dry cleaned, but can also be hand washed. Put the special detergent into 35℃ water and mix well, put the cashmere sweater in and soak it for 15 to 30 minutes, then wash it by gently patting it.
After dehydration, lay it flat on a table covered with a towel, arrange it by hand into its original shape, and dry it in the shade. Use a ruler to measure the original size. Lay it flat and dry it in the shade. Do not hang it to expose it to the sun.
Use a medium-temperature (around 140°C) steam iron to iron, and keep a distance of 0.5 to 1cm between the iron and the cashmere sweater. If you use other irons, you must put a damp cloth on them, wash and dry them before storing them to avoid mildew and insect infestation. Do not hang them for storage. Avoid deformation and holes.
How to deal with cashmere sweaters after they “shrink”?
Good-quality cashmere sweaters have been pre-shrunk. Generally, ready-made garments will not shrink. If you wash them improperly at home and cause shrinkage, there are several recovery methods.
Steam machine ironing method
Heat the steam iron and iron it at low temperature 1.5-2cm away from the cashmere clothes. You can first check the maximum ironing temperature written on the inside of the cashmere coat to avoid excessive scalding of the coat. When ironing, pull the cashmere coat while it’s hot to elongate its fibers.
Steamer+steam machine ironing
Wrap the cashmere clothes in clean white cloth, be careful not to compact them, and try to keep them in a fluffy state; then put them in a steamer for 15-20 minutes, shake them while they are hot and pull them back to their original shape, let them cool and use an iron at low temperature (80-80°C) 100 degrees Celsius) can be ironed.
Thick cardboard shaping method
Use thick cardboard to cut to the size and shape of the original garment. It is best to smooth the cuts with sandpaper. Put the coat on the cardboard, secure it with a few more clothespins at the bottom, and then use an electric iron to repeatedly steam iron all parts of the coat. Remove it after it has completely cooled down.
Take it to the dry cleaners
The above treatment methods all have certain risks and may not restore your cashmere sweater to its original state. The safest way is to send it to a dry cleaner for professional restoration.
In particular, severely deformed cashmere sweaters are difficult to restore. It is recommended to send them to a dry cleaner to be handled by professionals.