Can you tell if fabric is 100% cotton?
#1
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Can you tell if fabric is 100% cotton?
I bought a roll of white fabric at an estate sale today. It has no labels. After washing some of it, I think it may be a cotton/poly blend. Either that, or it's a really good cotton, as it's really smooth. Is there a way to tell?
bkay
bkay
#3
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There's a "burn test" although I don't know all the details--imagine you could google it. Basically a blend will burn/melt faster than a cotton.
#4
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Location: Michigan
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Yes, google 'fabric burn test' to get a chart. Basically, you burn a small piece of the fabric, extinguish the flame and you can usually determine the content.
The quick check is cut a small piece, set it alight, run it under water. If the burnt edge has lumps & bumps it's a manmade fiber, like polyester. The bumps are because it melted a bit. A clean smooth edge indicates a natural fiber, like cotton.
The quick check is cut a small piece, set it alight, run it under water. If the burnt edge has lumps & bumps it's a manmade fiber, like polyester. The bumps are because it melted a bit. A clean smooth edge indicates a natural fiber, like cotton.
#5
I can almost always tell when I have a poly cotton fabric by the way it smells when I iron it. Could be because I use a hot iron, and you are not suppose to use it that hot on blends. I bought a large box of scraps from an estate sale, and found quite a bit of blends in it.
#6
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It's possible that it was treated with resin. There have been report of some resin-treated cottons that stayed maintained their low wrinkle character through a few washes.
Here's the Burn Test that I use: http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/Burn-Test-Chart.html
If you suspect it may contain synthetic or manufactured fibers, be sure to conduct the test in a well-ventilated area as the fumes can be hazardous. I hold it with tweezers over Aluminum foil that I fold up like an open box.
Cotton also rips easier than synthetic and manufactured fabrics (or blends) but that's a lot less exact than the burn test.
If it's newer, it could be rayon or a cotton-rayon blend. I've been seeing more & more of those lately; rayon looks & behaves similarly to pre-washed commercial cotton fabric. To tell rayon apart from cotton, burn a scrap of fabric you know is cotton first, then burn the mystery fabric.
Here's the Burn Test that I use: http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/Burn-Test-Chart.html
If you suspect it may contain synthetic or manufactured fibers, be sure to conduct the test in a well-ventilated area as the fumes can be hazardous. I hold it with tweezers over Aluminum foil that I fold up like an open box.
Cotton also rips easier than synthetic and manufactured fabrics (or blends) but that's a lot less exact than the burn test.
If it's newer, it could be rayon or a cotton-rayon blend. I've been seeing more & more of those lately; rayon looks & behaves similarly to pre-washed commercial cotton fabric. To tell rayon apart from cotton, burn a scrap of fabric you know is cotton first, then burn the mystery fabric.
#7
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: in the heart of the awl
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When I volunteered at a store, we had to cut up clothing for rags and they had to be 100% cotton. If there wasn't a tag to prove otherwise, we poured a little water on the fabric and if it soaked in, it was cotton. It seemed to be an accurate test.
#8
I always take a match or lighter and burn a tiny edge of the fabric. If it curls up and leaves ANY lines it's not 100% cotton. Burnt cotton will just be like dust to touch. This method works every time.
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