Cashmere sweaters and sweaters are widely favored for their excellent warmth retention, but many people often cannot distinguish between wool and cashmere, and even believe that cashmere is fine wool. In fact, the difference between "velvet" and "wool" is significant in terms of performance.

Wool comes from sheep, and its products have a plump feel, good warmth retention, and comfortable wearing. Cashmere comes from goats and is a thin layer of fine wool that grows on the outer layer of the goat's skin and covers the root of the goat's coarse hair. It grows to resist wind and cold in winter, and falls off when it warms up in spring. It naturally adapts to the climate and is a rare special animal fiber.

The reason why cashmere is precious is not only because its production is scarce, accounting for only 0.2% of the world's total animal fiber production, but also because of its excellent quality and characteristics, it is known as "soft gold", "fiber queen", and so on. Cashmere comes in three colors: white, blue, and purple, with white cashmere being the most precious.

Due to the fact that cashmere and wool are both animal fibers with similar chemical properties, the main identification method currently relies on the characteristics of scales under a microscope. Sheep hair scales are thick and upturned outward, with serrated edges on the trunk; The edge of cashmere scales is smooth, similar to a circular coating on the hair shaft. The scales are thin, with large spacing between them, and the edge of the scales near the tip of the hair is serrated.

So, how to choose from the dazzling variety of cashmere products on the market? Let's take a look at the experiment conducted by the Textile Inspection Department of Ningbo Quality Inspection Institute.

Question 1: Which is warmer, wool or cashmere?

The experimenters tested the thermal insulation performance, weaving density, fiber fineness, and anti-static performance of cashmere and wool fabrics. The results show that cashmere fabric has better thermal insulation than wool fabric when the color, Linear density and knitting density coefficient are similar; And due to the finer fineness of cashmere fibers, their texture is more delicate and soft; But both have good anti-static performance.

Question 2: The higher the price of cashmere sweaters, the better?

At present, the prices of cashmere sweaters on the market vary greatly, usually ranging from a few hundred to several thousand yuan. The experimental personnel purchased 5 cashmere sweaters and 5 blended cashmere sweaters of different price ranges both online and offline, and tested their product quality. The main items were fiber content and pilling performance.

From the experiment, it can be seen that cashmere sweaters with higher prices may not necessarily have better quality. Offline products are more in line with explicit requirements and have more guaranteed quality than online ones.

The Ningbo Quality Inspection Institute reminds that when purchasing woolen sweaters and cashmere sweaters, they should be purchased through legitimate channels. Pay attention to the ingredient labeling of the product. Currently, the effective implementation standard for cashmere sweaters is FZ/T 70009-2021 "Cashmere Knitwear", which is suitable for blended knitwear with a cashmere content of 30% or more. Note that "cashmere" is not cashmere. At the same time, other identification contents should also be checked, including the manufacturer's name and address, maintenance symbols, safety categories, etc.

In addition, the method of observing and touching can also be adopted. The visual inspection mainly depends on whether the knitting of the sweater is smooth, whether the surface is even and soft, and whether the workmanship is meticulous. Hand touch refers to identifying the surface smoothness, softness, fullness, and elasticity of a sweater through actions such as touching, pinching, and grasping. Cashmere products have a natural and soft color, elasticity, and a silky touch.

The Ningbo Quality Inspection Institute also shared the "little tricks" for using and preserving cashmere sweaters. In terms of wearing, it is best to wear a smooth and not too rough outer garment lining when wearing it internally to avoid local friction and pilling. When wearing externally, try to minimize friction with harder objects (such as sleeves and tabletops, sleeves and sofa armrests, back and sofa, etc.) and forcefully pull hard hooks. Cashmere sweaters should not be worn continuously for a long time. After taking them off, they should be placed flat to maintain their shape and restore elasticity. It is normal for a cashmere sweater to have a small amount of pilling during wear. You can use scissors to cut it off. Do not forcefully pull off the pilling, as it can easily damage the wool.

In terms of washing, cashmere sweaters are suitable for dry cleaning or hand washing. It is recommended to soak them in cold water or wash them in warm water, choose a neutral detergent or a specialized silk wool detergent, and strictly prohibit the use of a washboard. Pay attention to cleaning according to the method marked on the product. In terms of air drying, cashmere sweaters can be spread flat on a clean dry towel, or use a mesh bag to dry in a cool and ventilated place. Do not hang it on a hanger to dry, to avoid deformation. Do not expose it to the scorching sun to avoid damaging the clothes. In terms of storage, it is necessary to wash and air dry before storing. Put camphor slices and mothproof and mold proof tablets around the wardrobe, and pay attention to avoiding light, ventilation, and dryness.