Cotton is one of the best materials for making clothes and home textiles. It allows air to pass through, absorbs moisture, warms well and does not cause allergies. It is also quite strong and durable. But, like any good product, people often try to fake it by mixing it with cheap synthetic fibers.

Fortunately, there are several ways to determine how pure the cotton material is. OBOZ.UA tells you how to do it.

How to identify pure cotton

The first step is to read the label. According to the law, manufacturers must fully decipher the composition of the material from which the product is made. Therefore, the inscription "100% cotton" should be a reliable indicator.

To the touch, cotton, even new cotton, is always a soft and smooth fiber without obvious inclusions. It should not "bite" or contain any crackling impurities and at the same time be sufficiently textured - individual threads should be clearly visible under the fingers.

You can also check the material for naturalness with a burning test. To do this, take a small piece of fabric and set it on fire. All natural fibers burn completely, leaving ash behind, while synthetics melt and curl. Also, cotton, unlike silk or wool, does not leave behind a heavy odor, similar to burnt hair. Burnt synthetics, on the other hand, have a chemical smell.

Why pure cotton is not always the best choice

Just like any natural fiber, cotton wears out quite quickly. In addition, it easily loses its shape - it shrinks after washing, stretches when stretched, and wrinkles. All these disadvantages are solved by adding synthetic fibers to cotton. If the percentage of such an impurity is small, the fabric as a whole does not lose its basic properties, but at the same time becomes more resistant to external influences.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you how to avoid stiffness after washing cotton towels.

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