The dilemma of sweater

Sweater Stone

毛衣的軟柔觸感,就像人體的第二層皮膚,有時一穿上就捨不得脫下來了,是舒適感滿滿的服飾品項。這也難怪科技保暖物料推陳出新,但毛衣始終沒有被淘汰,仍然在人們的衣櫥裡佔有一席位。不過凡事總有兩面,要說毛衣有什麼缺點,許多人都會不假思索地答「起毛球!」,心想著明明領口沒有鬆垮,整件看起來新簇簇的,唯獨是因為起毛球,就像頭髮瞬間花白令人看上去像老了十年。

解決的辦法也不是沒有,有人用剪刀一撮撮逐小地剪,有人用電動除毛機,飛快地劃過毛衣表面除毛球,但一個不小心,很容易就會把毛衣剪壞掉。那,到底會不會有更好的辦法呢?眼前的這個「Sweater Stone」除毛球石,或許就是那個辦法。

Soft and comfortable sweater fits like a second skin on our body. At times, I’d get so cozy in my sweater that I don’t want to take it off at all. It’s no wonder sweaters can still maintain a prominent presence in the wardrobe despite so many new and improved thermal wears being introduced to the market. Nothing is perfect, of course, and there is something truly frustrating about sweaters — the pilling! Just like how grey hair can make a person look older, those little fuzz balls can ruin a sweater and make it look old and worn out.

It’s not like pilling is unfixable. Some swear by the tedious method of trimming off the fuzz with a pair of scissors. Some choose to comb over the sweater with a fabric shaver. But either way, wielding a sharp blade next to my favorite sweaters is far too nerve-wracking for me. As I wondered how I can better defuzz my sweaters, I came across the Sweater Stone.

來自美國的品牌「Sweater Stone」,自八十年代開始生產除毛球石這一項商品,以火山岩結晶製作,使用時先把毛衣攤平在桌子上,接著用除毛球石掃過毛衣表面上,那些起毛球的範圍,多劃過幾下就能輕鬆除掉煩人毛球。因為效果太過神奇,讓我對它的原理充滿好奇,而最後道理也很簡單,其實就是利用除毛球石本身的多孔隙,就那些坑坑巴巴的地方,物理性地起出、除掉毛球而已。不過使用時要注意一點,記得要用單邊,不要來回刷,同時力度放輕使用,不消一會毛衣就能脫胎換骨,像新的皮膚,重又變得軟柔和光潔如新。

Sweater Stone has been making pill removers in the USA since the 1980s. The remover, which looks like a piece of black stone, is made of natural pumice. Simply lay your sweater on a flat surface and gently brush the Sweater Stone across the pilly surface. The unsightly pill balls will be gone in no time. Stunned by its dazzling defuzzing abilities, I did a little research and found out that it’s the cracks and holes on the Sweater Stone that pick up and collect the fuzz. One thing to remember when using the Sweater Stone is that the brushing has to be light and gentle, and can only be done in one direction. With just a few brushes, your sweater will be brand new again.

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