When contemplating buying an expensive fabric, you have to consider different things. For example, you might want to consider how to wash the fabric, store it, and even get it repaired if needed.
Different fabrics are made of different fibers that are manufactured differently. In this article, I have answered many people’s questions about cashmere.
Is Cashmere Itchy?
When compared to other types of wool, cashmere is less itchy. This itchiness is caused by the protein fibers that make up cashmere fabric. Cashmere fabric is made from fur shaved from cashmere goats.
The scales on the fiber-making fabric can catch, and when that happens, especially as you move your body against the fiber, you feel that cashmere is itchy. At times, that movement can also irritate your skin.
How To Make Cashmere Garment Less Itchy?
If your cashmere clothing is itchy, you might be able to reduce the itchiness. Here is the process to make cashmere less itchy.
What you require
White vinegar
Wash basin
Hair conditioner
Cold water
Towel
Flat surface
Freezer
Ziplock Bag
Step 1: Put cold water in the washbasin and mix with white vinegar
Put cold water in the washbasin and mix it with white vinegar. You should use about two tablespoons of white vinegar.
Step 2: Submerge cashmere clothing in the mixture of white vinegar and water
Turn the cashmere garment inside out and put it in the washbasin with the mixture of vinegar and water. Make sure that cashmere cloth is fully immersed in the water so that the fibers will be well saturated.
Step 3: After 20 minutes, remove the cashmere garment from the washbasin
Once 20 minutes are over, remove the cashmere garment from the washbasin. You first have to drain the water and gently squeeze any water on the garment.
Step 3: Apply hair conditioner to the fabric
Lay the fabric on a flat surface and apply a hair conditioner to the fibers. When using a hair conditioner, make sure that you don’t stretch the fabric.
Cashmere is one of the specialty animal hair fibers and has characteristics similar to human hair. The hair conditioner will make cashmere fibers soft and protect them from damage.
Step 4: Leave the fabric with the hair conditioner for 30 minutes
After applying the hair conditioner, let the conditioner rest on the cashmere fabric for 30 minutes. You will then rinse the fabric with cold water.
Step 5: Dry the fabric on a flat surface
Once you have rinsed the cashmere garment, dry it on a flat surface.
Step 6: Fold the garment and place it on a zip lock bag
Once the fabric has dried, fold it and put it in a zip lock bag. Make sure that your zip lock bag is large enough so that the garment fits well.
Step 7: Put the zip lock bag with the cashmere garment in the freezer
You will now place the cashmere clothing in the zip lock bag inside the freezer. Leave the fabric in the freezer for at least 12 hrs.
After 12 hours, itchiness in the cashmere garment will be reduced, and you should feel comfortable wearing the garment.
If the clothing is still itchy, you can repeat the process. Alternatively, you can wear a cotton or silk layer underneath your cashmere garment.
Is Cashmere Itchy Like Wool?
When compared to wool, cashmere is less itchy. However, even if cashmere and wool are made from protein fibers with scales, wool comes from sheep, and cashmere comes from the cashmere goat.
When the two fibers are compared, cashmere fibers have smaller scales making up the fiber’s surface. Moreover, cashmere scales are smoother and less in number than wool. Thus, due to the structure of cashmere fiber, cashmere is less itchy than other types of wool.
If your cashmere is itchy, you should wear a cotton or silk layer underneath the cashmere garment.
Is Cashmere Cruel?
A fabric is considered cruel if there is an element of the cruelty involved in producing the fiber. For example, if workers are exploited, and human rights are abused during the production of a fabric, then the fabric would be said to be cruel. Likewise, if goals are killed or subjected to inhuman conditions, that would result in cashmere being classified as cruel.
Even if cashmere goats are not killed to be shaved, the fur used to make cashmere fabric; the fact that goats are shaved even during winter months when they need their fur the most makes the material cruel. Specifically, when shaved during the winter months, many cashmere goats die as they cannot insulate themselves well after being shaved.
Moreover, cashmere goats are mainly kept for their fur, and immediately they stop producing fur, they are slaughtered. Thus, cashmere is, to some extent, cruel as the goats producing the critical raw material of cashmere fabric are subjected to cruelty.
Is Cashmere Soft?
Yes, cashmere is a soft fabric. The softness of the cashmere fabric is one of the main reasons why the fabric is expensive. While compared to other types of wool, cashmere is the softest. Moreover, when cashmere is compared to other fabrics, it is also considered among the most delicate fabrics in the world.
The softness of cashmere is mainly due to the thin hairs, which makes it possible to weave incredibly soft, expensive clothing that can last a long time.
How Long Does Cashmere Last?
As a natural fiber, cashmere is durable. Cashmere garments made from fragile cashmere fabrics can last anything up to thirty years. Classic cashmere sweaters and jumpers can last up to ten years.
How To Ensure That Your Cashmere Lasts Longer
You can do things to ensure that cashmere lasts a long time. So let’s look as simple care measures that can be taken to extend the lifetime of a cashmere garment.
Don’t Wash Cashmere On Regular Basis.
The agitation of clothes in the washing machine wears down the fabrics even if you might not necessarily notice that. So when you wear your cashmere garments, and they are free of stains, spills, or even sweating, you should not wash them.
You need to air them rather than wash them regularly. If possible, wear your cashmere garments 2 to 3 times before washing.
Shave The Garment On Regular Basis
Natural fibers that are knitted, such as cashmere, are known to pill. When your cashmere is new, you are likely to notice pilling, characterized by fuzz balls. Shave the fuzz balls with a new razor blade or lint tape whenever you spot them.
Do Not Use Fabric Softener
Sometimes, and mainly when your cashmere is new, you might to tempted to use a fabric softener to soften the fabric. However, it would help if you never used a softener since it will ruin your fabric. Instead, be patient with the fabric as it will soften with time.
If you have to soften your cashmere, use hair shampoo, baking soda, or white vinegar.
Avoid dry cleaning
Even if your cashmere clothing care tag might indicate that cashmere can be dry cleaned, I advise that you don’t dry clean the fabric. Cashmere is very delicate and, to a great extent, similar to human hair hence the reason it is classified as animal hair fabric.
When dry cleaned, the fabric can become fluffier and shiny, which won’t be appealing. Just hand wash your cashmere fabric using a mild detergent and leave it on a dry surface for it to dry.
Are Goats Killed For Cashmere?
No goat is killed when shaving cashmere goats to obtain fur from the goats. However, when the goats are shaved off their fur during the winter season, they are stressed as they cannot cope with the winter cold. Eventually, many goats end up dying due to the cold.
Due to the cruelty that cashmere goats are subjected to, animal rights activists have labeled cashmere as a cruel fabric.
What Is The Highest Quality Cashmere?
Cashmere is graded from A to B grades. These grades stand for different cashmere quality as each grade is sold at a different price. In addition, cashmere’s grade is affected by various factors. These factors are; the age of cashmere goat shaved, the region where cashmere is sourced from, and the time of the year that cashmere was produced.
Grade A Cashmere
This is the highest and best quality of cashmere. The fibers of grade A cashmere are the longest and the finest. The diameter of the fibers can be anything from 14 – 15.5 microns, while the length can be anything from 34 – 36mm.
Grade B Cashmere
Grade B cashmere is thicker and less soft when compared to Grade A cashmere. Its diameter usually is 5 microns more than Grade A cashmere. As a result, it is cheaper than Grade A even though it is still perceived as top-grade cashmere.
Grade C Cashmere
Grade C is the lowest quality of cashmere. Fibers of Grade C Cashmere are thicker and have a diameter of about 30 microns. Grade C cashmere is also not as soft as Grade B and A cashmere. However, it is the cheapest cashmere grade due to its poor quality.
To tell the grade of cashmere, you can read the label on the fabric. If the grade is not indicated on the label, the price of the cashmere should be an indicator of the grade as a low-grade cashmere will be cheaper, while a high-grade cashmere will be highly-priced.
Likewise, you can feel cashmere on your skin (inner arm or chin). The softer the cashmere, the higher the grade.
Do Moths East Cashmere?
Cashmere can be explained as a persnickety fiber that can lose its shape quickly or become prey to moths that love feasting on the protein fibers that make up the fabric.
Since cashmere garments are mainly donned on a seasonal basis, the seasonal element of cashmere clothing makes the garments susceptible to moths common in cloths.
Thus, when you put your cashmere fabric in the closet, you should make sure that you regularly take the fabric out of the closet for airing. In addition, you also need to make sure that your cashmere fabric is stored on a surface where there is good airflow since moths cannot survive in such conditions.
Concluding Remarks
Cashmere is an expensive fabric that conveys the message of success. You pay top dollar for the fabric as it is rare and has other properties that other fabrics don’t have.
If your cashmere is itchy, you can use the method I have outlined and make it less itchy. However, if you are patient, cashmere fabric will soften with time on its own. To ensure that moths do not damage your cashmere, make sure that you keep it in an area with good fresh air circulation.
