ABOUT COTTON?

History:

Cotton’s exact age is unknown. Scientists have found pieces of cotton cloth in caves in Mexico that are at least 7.000 years old. Cotton was grown and made into cloth in the Indus River Valley in Pakistan as early as 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. Egyptians were also weaving cotton fabrics around the same time. Cotton arrived in Europe, through Arab merchants, in approximately 800 A.D. Cotton eventually replaced flax and wool as Europe’s leading choice for fabrics. Christopher Columbus found cotton in the Bahama Islands in 1492. Cotton was known all over the world by 1500.

The first use of machinery to spin cotton was in England in 1730. In 1793, Eli Whitney of Massachusetts patented his cotton gin, which was a vital factor in cotton’s popularity and use today. Whitney invented the gin after watching workers manually separate the fiber from the seed. He built the gin in ten days to do the work fifty times faster than separating by hand. The gin created a way to aid the already fast growing textile industry by supplying it with large quantities of cotton fiber. The U.S. cotton crop value increased from $150,000 to over $8 million within ten years.

Cotton’s Importance and Uses

Presently, cotton is the world’s most used fiber. Every part of the cotton plant is useful. The fiber is the most important part of the plant because it is used in making cotton cloth. Cotton is the number one fiber used for apparel in the United States. In 1994, 63 percent of cotton was used for apparel, 29 percent for home furnishings and 8 percent was used for industrial type products and exportation.

Examples of Items Made from Cotton:

• All types of apparel in 100% cotton and in blends with other fibers
• Bedding products
• Draperies and Curtains
• Upholstery fabrics
• Rugs
• Wall coverings
• Medical, surgical and sanitary supplies
• Industrial abrasives
• Book bindings
• Handbags and luggage
• Shoes
• Tobacco cloth
• Wiping cloths

The short fuzz on the seed, which is also called linters, supply the cellulose needed for making plastics, explosives, high quality paper products, batting for mattresses, and furniture and automobile cushions.

The cotton seed is also manufactured into various products. It is crushed to separate it for use in three different products – oil, meal and the hulls.

Cotton seed oil – shortening, cooking oil, salad dressing and a high-protein concentrate for use in food products

Meal and Hull – livestock, poultry and fish feed, fertilizer

The leaves and stalks of the cotton plant are also used for soil enrichment by plowing them into the soil.

Countries Where Cotton is Grown

Cotton is grown in warm climates and the United States grows the majority of the world’s cotton. The following states are the major cotton producers in the United States:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Mexico
• North

Types of Cotton

Low to Medium Grade Cotton: These types of cotton are found in mass produced goods and cotton blend goods.

Better Grades: Higher grades of cotton, which includes longer-staple cotton, are used in fine quality shirtings and bedding fabrics. Egyptian cotton, a high quality cotton, has been produced in the Nile River Valley for many centuries. This type of cotton has long been known for its soft luxurious hand and luster. Other types of high quality cotton include Pima, Supima, American Egyptian and Sea Island cotton.

Organic Cotton:

Organic cotton is grown without the use of commercial pesticides and fertilizers.

Characteristics of Cotton

Aesthetics

Cotton’s aesthetics vary depending on the applied treatments, the fiber blend (if blended) and the grade of the fiber. A typical 100% untreated cotton fabric has a pleasant matte luster, a soft drape and a smooth hand.

Comfort

Cotton fabrics are very comfortable to wear due to their soft hand and other characteristics. Cotton fabrics have excellent absorbing capabilities. Cotton garments absorb perspiration, thus keeping the person more comfortable.

Appearance Retention

Cotton wrinkles very easily. However, there are many cotton garments on the market that have been treated with wrinkle resistant finishes. These finishes reduce the need to iron cotton clothes. Consequently, our fast paced society can look good in cotton garments without investing a lot of time in preparing them.

Care

Always read the care label in the product. Cotton products can typically be machine washed and dried. Colored cotton garments retain their color longer if they are washed in warm or cool water. Cotton fabrics can be bleached but too much bleaching could weaken the fibers. Acids harm cotton fabrics; consequently, juice stains should be treated immediately with cold water. Sunlight does harm cotton by causing it to oxidize and turn yellow. Fabrics that are 100% cotton do shrink if they have not been treated with a durable-press or a shrinkage-resistant finish.

Effects of Weather on Cotton Crops

Obviously, the weather is a big factor in the success of cotton crops. Two prime examples of weather problems in 1999 were the drought and Hurricane Floyd. These two factors decreased the cotton output in the U.S. by more than one million bales.

New Technology

Dry Fibre, Inc. and The REHANCE Group developed TRANSPOR Cotton 2000. TRANSPOR Cotton 2000 was designed to take moisture away from the skin and allow it to evaporate in the air in seconds. The garment dries on the inside near the skin first instead of drying on the outside first.