WHAT IS COTTON? WHY IS COTTON

What is Cotton

The cotton that you are familiar with grows naturally in warmer climates around the globe. It belongs to the genus Gossypium, and as a natural material is primarily made from cellulose, the material which all plants are made from. 

Cotton is actually referring to part of the cotton plant which grows the fluffy cotton fibres - the boll. The boll is the seedpod of the cotton plant and grows to around the size of a golf ball. After the cotton plant flowers, the boll starts to grow. 

Each boll contains around 7 or 8 seeds inside, attached to each are the cotton fibres that look like seed hairs. Each seed may have as many as 20,000 fibres, which means as many as 150,000 in each boll. These bolls are harvested, cleaned and spun into the yarn before being woven into the soft durable fabric we recognise. 

CHARACTERISTICS AND PROPERTIES OF COTTON

Cotton has a number of characteristics and properties that make it suitable for fabric, these include:

• Comfortable: Cotton is incredibly comfortable to wear
• Soft: The cotton plant is naturally soft and fluffy and cotton fabric retains that soft feel
• Natural fibre: Cotton is made from cotton fibres, a natural plant based material
• Absorbent: The space between cotton fibres means cotton is absorbent and can wick moisture from the skin
• Breathable: The gaps in the fibre also makes cotton fabric breathable
• Drapes well: Cotton hangs from the body in a naturally fitting shape
• Durable: Cotton is strong, and actually gets stronger when wet. The secret to any sustainable wardrobe is helping your clothes last longer, which makes cotton perfect for fashion
• Machine washable: Cotton’s strength when wet means you can let the washing machine do the hard work and not have to worry about wear and tear
• Easy to colour/print: cotton fibres can absorb colour well, making it easy to dye
• No static: Cotton does not conduct electricity, therefore you won’t get a static shock like some synthetic fabric

• When we talk about the use of cotton, it can be categorized in two ways –
  

  1. Use of cotton Fibres
  2. Use of cotton seeds

  In this post, we will learn the use of cotton fibres.
  
  

  Use of cotton fibres

  Cotton fibre is widely used in clothing, home made-up, and in many other industries in various applications. The main use of cotton is in making woven and knitted fabrics. Cotton fabrics are later used in many ways based on the applications. To make it clear where the cotton fibre is used, read the following list.
  
  

  A. Raw materials for making Clothes and Garments

  1. Used in making cotton yarns. Cotton yarns are then used in different clothing items and fabrics. Cotton threads are used in stitching apparel items. A wide range of fabrics is made of cotton fibres.
  2. Used in making all types of garments from jackets to a t-shirt, sportswear, activewear, and yoga wear. Cotton t-shirts are more in demand than those made of other fibres.
  3. Used in Making denim items
  4. Used in making cotton Saree. Cotton Sarees are made of cotton yarn. Khadi fabrics and khadi items are primarily made of cotton.
  5. Used in making fine fabrics like Maslin
  6. Used in making ropes, thick yarns
  7. Used in making sewing thread
  8. Used in making face masks (inside layer – hot cotton).

  
  

  B. Raw Material for Making Made-ups and Home Furnishing

  1. Used in making bed sheets, curtains and other made-ups.
  2. Due to its softness properties cotton is used in making bed linens, pillow covers, and duvet covers. Cotton is used in making quilts.
  3. Making towels, bathroom rugs and bath robes
  4. Making cotton carpet
  5. Making foot mat, hall mat

  
  

  C. Making Medical and Health care kit

  1. Cotton rolls are used in hospitals and medical services as absorbent. 
  2. Used in making bandage tape for medical use. 
  3. Used in making medical cotton pad 
  4. Used in making wipes for cleaning wounds  
  5. Used in making Ear buds 
  
  

  D. Use in Miscellaneous Items

  1. Used in making cloth bags, and seed bags, and used as packaging material
  2. Earlier cotton was used in making mosquito nets.
  3. Used in making high-quality diapers for babies and baby wipes.
  4. Cotton is used in making canvases which are later used for making arts (painting).
  5. Cotton-made clothes is used in bookbinding
  6. Cotton slivers and cotton fibres is used in lighting Diya (for worshipping)
  7. Cotton is used in beauty and makeup parlours and saloons

  There are many uses of cotton. The above list will give you an overall idea of the use of cotton fibres.