Since the incident of "replacing down with silk" inferior down jackets was exposed, the topic of down jackets has recently become a hot topic. On November 28th, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice to supervise and rectify the production and sale of counterfeit and inferior down products in the three regions. Down jackets are a common tool for keeping warm in winter, but the public's understanding of them seems insufficient. False statements such as "white down is warmer than grey down", "down jackets are thicker and warmer", and "down jackets are most suitable for dry cleaning" have been circulating online, misleading consumers. Today, reporters from Science and Technology Daily will take stock of rumors related to down jackets one by one, helping you clear the fog and find the truth. Is the velvet content the same as the velvet content? Truth: This' velvet 'is not that' velvet '. Nowadays, in order to buy cost-effective down jackets, many consumers will carefully read the product instructions, especially paying attention to the velvet content or content. Some people believe that the velvet content is the velvet content. Is that really the case? The velvet content does not equal the velvet content. The content of down refers to the proportion of 'down' in down, that is, the proportion of down particles and fibers in down Lu Yehu, a member of the Standardization Working Committee of the China Textile Engineering Society and a professor at the School of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, said in an interview with Science and Technology Daily that velvet refers to the fluff that grows on the skin layer of poultry and is covered by hair flakes. It is generally in the shape of a flower and is a "sharp tool" for poultry and animals to resist cold and keep warm. It is also the main quality identification indicator for down jackets. Velvet usually refers to a single filament that falls off a pile or piece of hair. The current national standard applicable to down clothing is "Down Clothing" (GB/T 14272-2021), which will come into effect on April 1, 2022. According to Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this standard, down clothing refers to clothing filled with down, with a stated velvet content of not less than 50%. Compared with the old standard before 2022, the new standard changes the definition of down clothing from "velvet content" to "velvet content". Xu Jie, Secretary General of the Standardization Committee of the China Down Industry Association, pointed out that velvet fibers have an odor, are easy to drill, and have relatively poor warmth retention. Based on the above three issues, the new standard has removed down fibers from the definition of down clothing and made the above modifications. The new standard has a clearer direction and further regulates the production and sales of down clothing Lu Yehu said. Is white down warmer than grey down? Truth: Color has nothing to do with warmth. Down is mainly divided into duck down and goose down. The reporter found on the China Down Information Network that the cost price of white duck down and white goose down is usually slightly higher than that of similar gray duck down and gray goose down. Following the principle of 'you get what you pay for', many people believe that high priced white down is warmer than grey down. Is this really the case? Actually, it's not like that. Different colors of down only come from different species of poultry and animals, and their warmth cannot be judged based on this Lu Yehu explained that the reason why white down and its products (down jackets, down comforters, etc.) are priced higher than similar gray down and its products is not because they have better warmth retention, but because white down has a lighter color and can be used as a filling material for high-end light colored fabrics, while gray down has a darker color and relatively lower application value. Is a down jacket thicker and warmer? Truth: Overfilling has a counterproductive effect. Many consumers believe that the thicker the down jacket, the warmer it will be. Is this viewpoint scientific? The quality and fluffiness of down are the two major indicators for measuring the warmth of down jackets Lu Yehu explained that the quality of down is related to factors such as the content and type of down. For example, for the same duck down, the warmth retention of those with a velvet content of 90% is higher than those with a velvet content of 80%; The content of duck down is 90%, and the warmth retention of duck down is generally lower than that of goose down. Lu Yehu introduced that in general, the higher the fluffiness of the down jacket, the better the insulation of the down jacket. The fluffiness of down jackets is influenced by clothing style and filling structure. The larger the space between the lining and the fabric, the more static air is stored, and the better the insulation of the down jacket. But if the down jacket is filled with too much fluff, it will reduce the fluffiness of the fluff, decrease the storage capacity of static air, and affect the warmth retention. In 2007, researchers from the Hangzhou Xiaoshan National Down Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center published a paper titled "The Relationship between the Warmth of Down Products and Down Quality". The article points out that when the filling amount of down products reaches 200 grams per square meter, the insulation rates of 80% and 90% down tend to be consistent; When the filling amount exceeds 200 grams per square meter, both 80% and 90% insulation rates show a decreasing trend. The Lu Yehu team has also conducted relevant research, and the research results have been published in international journals, confirming the above conclusions. If the filling space is limited, when the filling amount exceeds a certain critical value, the fluffiness of a single fleece will decrease, resulting in the down jacket being thicker and less warm, "he said. Is down jacket the most suitable for dry cleaning? Truth: Dry cleaning agents can damage down jackets. The price of down jackets is generally high, and some people are afraid that the washing machine will damage them, so they think it's best to send them for dry cleaning. Is this approach correct? Qu Yi, a staff member of the Information Department of the China Down Industry Association, pointed out in a media interview that dry cleaning down jackets is not recommended because dry cleaning agents can damage down and affect the warmth of down jackets. Usually, clear washing instructions are attached to the labels on the inside of clothes. The reporter saw that many brands of down jackets are labeled with "not recommended for dry cleaning" or even "not allowed for dry cleaning". At present, the main component of commonly used dry cleaning agents, tetrachloroethylene, can damage the protein content of down, causing it to become flattened, stiff, and lose its fluffiness, thereby reducing its warmth retention. Many people dare not wash down jackets with water mainly because they are afraid of the down sticking and clumping. But in fact, washing with water does not damage down. As long as you pat down more during the drying process to fully 'puff' down, the warmth of down jackets will not be greatly reduced Lu Yehu said. Quyi reminds that when washing down jackets, it is best to use neutral detergent or professional cleaning agents, and washing should not be too frequent. Remember not to use vacuum compression bags to store down jackets, as this storage method can affect the quality of the down. (New Society)