Washable wool launched

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34127, 13 April 1976, Page 18

Washable wool launched

The first wool knitwear made machine-washable to world standards has just been launched in New Zealand, with conspicuous sales success, the general manager of the New Zealand :'Wot»l Board (Mr A. F. Cassie.) has announced. • “We’ve had machinewashable wool in*’ New Zealand for several years, but the new Superwash wool is -made to higher standards, and is available in much larger volume,” Mr Cassie said. Super wash wool has been designed by the International Wool Secretariat to make pure-wool knitwear safe in all washing machines at 40deg. C. on medium cycle. “This rnakes wool genuinely machine-washable, and more : easy-care than most high-bulk acrylics, which are only hand-wash or minimum machinewash,” he said.

Superwash woo! has been developed in part using New Zealand growers’ money, and the perfected technology has been installed in local mills with assistance from New Zealand Wool Board technical staff. “We’ve got 20 per cent of all our Woolmark knitwear in Superwash wool for this first: season — about' 140,000 garments,” Mr Cassie said.“The winter is only just starting, but already retailers are reporting on consumer reaction to the first Superwash garments.” Haywrights has already reported, in a letter to the chairman of the New' Zealand Wool Board (Mr John Clarke), that: “Superwash ‘wool has taken off with unprecedented record in sales. Both our large and small stores report immediate public reaction.