The Mongolian Cashmere is the King

 It’s hard to believe that the scraggy goats you see in the countryside are the source of Mongolia’s fabulous cashmere products, but it’s true. Somehow, the tough conditions of Mongolia lead to incredible, wearable softness. Mongolia is the second largest producer of raw cashmere, after China. Estimates vary, but Mongolia produces about 20 percent of global supply.  In spite of this, Mongolia hasn’t succeeded—at least not yet—in branding its top-quality cashmere. It’s amazing to watch the clean, de-haired cashmere coming out of the combing machine. It looks like puffed-up spider webs. It’s so soft that you can hardly tell you’re touching something physical. These cashmere clouds are dyed into brilliant colors, spun into yarns and thread, and finally knitted or woven into well-designed, stylish garments.

Cashmere Care Tips

We recommend to hand wash or professionally dry clean all of your cashmere sweaters, due to the fine nature of the fibre. Turn your garments inside out and hand wash using warm water (no more than 40 degrees) and a delicate detergent.

1. Spot Clean

I once bought a white cashmere top (a bad idea, considering what a messy eater I am), and on the very first wear, I got specks of chocolate on it. I forced myself not to touch them all day; when I got home, I used cold water, the tiniest bit of mild detergent, and a Q-tip to gently rub out the stains. It worked like a charm.

Usually, spot cleaning will do the trick, but if a stain looks more severe, play it safe and go to the dry cleaner. Be sure to tell the cleaner what caused the stain—it’ll help them figure out how to attack it.

2. More sweater spray, less washing

My most important advice for wool and cashmere is to not wash it so frequently. I usually try to wear mine 4-5 times between washes or dry cleaning visits. After each wear (especially if I’ve gone to a restaurant that serves stinky but delicious food), I lightly spritz the sweater with Wool & Cashmere Spray from The Laundress, and then let the yarns rest a bit before I fold it and put it away. The spray has a great cedar smell, removes odors, and has a nontoxic formula with anti-bacterial properties.

3. Use cold water

When it is time to wash your sweater, always use cold water. Hot water + friction = felting/shrinking, which you obviously want to avoid.

MM’s merino wool is specially coated to minimize shrinking during the machine-washing process, but be sure to still use cold water.

For cashmere, hand-wash in cold water with a little bit of mild detergent, like the Laundress’s Wool & Cashmere shampoo. Gently squeeze the suds through the fabric without rubbing, and then rinse the garment in cool, clean water—avoid twisting or wringing. To dry, lay it smoothly on a flat rack or a towel away from direct sunlight. And please, do not ever put your cashmere in the dryer!

4. The sweater comb is wool’s best friend

Look, all wool and cashmere are going to pill at some point. At MM, we work hard to find the most advanced techniques to reduce pilling, but there’s no way to eradicate it entirely—merino and cashmere are made of natural fibers that slough off during normal wear. And when they do, don’t stress: Just use a handy sweater comb to brush them away. Avoid being rough, but do use a bit of pressure on the garment when combing.

As you continue to remove pills between wearings, you’ll find that your sweaters actually grow softer. Like all the best things in life, wool improves over time if cared for properly.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.