100 cashmere or cashmere blend sweaters are probably the most difficult clothes to clean.
Taking it out to the dry cleaner every time is expensive and you won't be able to afford it in the long run. Wash it at home, and it will shrink into children's clothes if you are not careful. What the hell are we supposed to do with our woolen sweaters? Today, popular science about why cashmere v neck sweaters shrink, how to wash and maintain them.
Features of wool and cashmere
Before officially entering the topic, i want us to take a little time to understand the characteristics of wool and cashmere , so as to better help us extend the service life of oversized cashmere sweater.
Cashmere features
Thin, soft, and warm: Cashmere is the finest animal fiber. The fineness of cashmere is generally between 13um-15, and 5um. Its natural volume is high, closely arranged in spinning and weaving, and has strong cohesion. Therefore, the warmth retention is good, which is 1.5-2 times that of wool. The outer scales of cashmere fiber are small and smooth, and there is an air layer in the middle of the fiber, so it is light in weight and smooth to the touch. Therefore, whether it is a cashmere sweater for men, women, or a cashmere sweater for dogs, it is very warm
Natural and soft color: Cashmere fibers are uniform in fineness, and low in density, and the cross-section is regular primarily and circular. Strong hygroscopicity, can fully absorb dyes, not easy to fade. Compared with other fibers, cashmere has the advantages of natural luster, softness, purity, and luxuriance. Therefore, the common cream, apricot, and camel cashmere sweaters all give people an elegant feeling.
Flexible and elastic: Cashmere fibers are suitable for processing into knitwear with full hand feeling, softness, and good elasticity due to their large number of crimps, crimp rate, and crimp recovery rate. It is comfortable and natural to wear, and has good recovery properties, especially showing no shrinkage after washing and good shape retention.
Wool features
"Breathing": Human beings use wool fur as the best cooling tool. It has a history of thousands of years. Wool leather's unique warming, moisture-proof, breathable, and health-care functions make it enjoy the reputation of "Warm in winter and cool in summer, suitable for all seasons". So you can wear ragg wool sweaters in summer
Moisture absorption and moisture resistance: The hollow tubular structure of wool ensures its good moisture absorption and moisture resistance. Wool absorbs moisture from the oversized world air, leaving you feeling dry and comfortable. Experiments have proved that lambskin does not feel wet when it absorbs 33% of its own weight of water, while cotton already has a sense of movement when it absorbs 8% of its own weight of water. Therefore, wool is especially suitable for use in wet areas. If your area is very humid, then a extra fine merino wool sweater is one of your essential clothing
Warm in winter and cool in summer: The fine wool layer is recognized as the best insulation material in the world. At the same time, due to the unique moisture absorption and breathability of wool, it is not only comfortable to use in winter but also dry and comfortable to use in spring, autumn and summer. No heat, sticky, wet discomfort, no heat accumulation, avoid the burning and discomfort of leather seats after being exposed to the sun, especially suitable for car use. Therefore, in mature sheepskin regions such as the united states and australia, summer has always been the peak season for wool sweater dress sales.
Why does wool cashmere shrink?
The main reasons for the shrinkage of wool and cashmere are the material characteristics and washing methods. Let us take a closer look below.
Natural material properties determine
First of all, cashmere and wool are a kind of animal fiber. The surface of the fiber is scales like fish scales. Under the action of external force, the scales have different resistances, causing the fibers to move in one direction. The cashmere stretches and moves forward, and is gradually felted. Hand washing vigorously back and forth, fully automatic washing machine rubbing back and forth, makes the fibers entangled more tightly and shrinks. To put it simply, if you touch the scales directly, it will be smooth, but if you touch them against the scales, it will be rough. This phenomenon is called the directional friction effect.
The washing method is wrong
If the water temperature is too high during washing, the cashmere cable knit sweater is easy to shrink and deform, especially under the action of alkaline detergent, which destroys the sizing agent added to the cashmere raw material when it is set, and the original physical stretching during processing is weakened, and "Shrinkage" Will also appear. Phenomenon".
So how to prevent cashmere from "Shrinking"?
In life, we all avoid washing cashmere as much as possible. If there are small stains, we must try "Spot cleaning" To prolong the service life of clothing. Partial cleaning can also reduce the friction of the wool scale layer, effectively avoiding the pilling and deformation of the sweater. However, if it is a grey cashmere sweater that has been stored for a long time, then give it a good cleaning before wearing it. Generally, you only need to master the washing method to wash cashmere cropped sweaters at home.
Many people will ask: "Should cashmere sweaters be machine-washed or hand-washed?" For cashmere wool and other garments, the stirring and tumbling force of the ordinary washing machine is too strong, which will aggravate the entanglement of the wool scale layer and cause a large shrinkage. So the best way for brown cashmere or wool clothing is to choose hand washing.
The correct steps for hand washing cashmere sweaters
Before we start washing, let's check the care labels. Find here everything you need to know about keeping striped cashmere sweaters and accessories looking good, including the best water temperature and whether you can put items in the dryer. Knowing this information, we can officially start cleaning cashmere sweaters.
1. We can prepare a basin for washing boatneck cashmere sweaters and put it in warm water (30c). Remember to make sure the water is only lukewarm, it is important that the water is not hot. Because cashmere is a protein fiber, like our own hair, hot water temperatures can cause any knit to shrink.
2. Turn cashmere sweater inside out to prevent (extra) pilling and general wear and tear.
3. Soak the cashmere sweater wrap in warm water for at least 15 minutes, then shake gently and squeeze the sweater into the water. Be sure not to rub or twist the sweater.
4. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. We recommend using water at the same temperature as the wash water.
After correctly understanding the cleaning steps of washable wool or cashmere sweaters, it is also very important to know how to dry woolen sweaters, so as to effectively avoid deformation of woolen sweaters. To learn how to properly dry a ivory cashmere sweater, check out our more at the end of the article.
