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DEFINITION OF COTTON
Cotton is a natural plant fiber and consists of about 91 percent cellulose, which is extracted from the fruit capsules of the cotton plant.

ORIGIN: WHO PRODUCES COTTON?
Cotton was originally cultivated in Mexico and India. Egypt and the USA have also been important producers since the 18th century. However, China is the leader in cotton cultivation. India is in second place, followed by the USA, Pakistan and Brazil. In Europe, cotton is partly processed industrially. Cotton is a mallow plant and grows to one to one and a half meters tall; in tropical regions, cotton plants can even reach the height of a tree.

COTTON QUALITIES: HOW DO I RECOGNIZE HIGH-QUALITY COTTON?
To check the quality of the cotton, you can grind the fiber and carry out a burn test. The cotton should burn with a bright flame, smell like burnt paper and produce loose fly ash. The end of a broken thread should have the shape of a brush tip. The quality of the cotton fiber also depends on the length of the fiber - the longer the fiber, the higher the quality of the cotton. Mako and Sea Island cotton are considered the highest quality types of cotton.

Mako cotton
Mako cotton traditionally comes from Egypt and has long, fine fibers. Only cotton from Egypt can be called "Mako."

Sea Island cotton
This type of cotton has fine, long fibers. It is grown in America.

Organic cotton
Organic cotton is produced according to the guidelines of organic farming. In contrast to conventional cotton cultivation, the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers is prohibited. This makes organic cotton fabric ideal for sustainable natural textiles.

HOW IS COTTON MADE? The cotton plant is frost-resistant, needs constant temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, sufficient rainfall during the growth period and absolute dryness during the harvest period. Sandy, calcareous and humus-rich soil is particularly suitable. Large river basins meet the requirements for promising cultivation. The plant bears a fruit, which in turn contains several compartments containing seeds. When the cotton fruit is ripe, the seeds burst and the typical cotton-like appearance of the ripe cotton plant appears. The cotton capsules are either traditionally harvested by hand or, nowadays, by machine. However, in most varieties the fruits do not ripen at the same time, so that a high level of waste can be expected when machines are used.

Processing the cotton plant
The fruit of the mallow plant is harvested, the contents of which must be separated from the remains of the fruit capsule, the remaining seeds and leaves. The combed-out seeds are processed into oil or replanted and the seed pods are used for animal feed or chicken bedding. In the next step, the cotton fibers are pressed into bales, sent to cotton spinning mills and sorted there according to quality characteristics, purity and staple length. The spinning mills are usually located near the growing areas in Asia and India. The cotton fibers are shaped and twisted into yarn by a spinning machine. The chemical impregnation liquid added prevents the thread from breaking during weaving, but is subsequently washed out again. In the process of "mercerization", a finishing process with caustic soda, the structure of the cotton fabric changes. This causes the cell wall of the fiber to swell, the surface is smoothed and the cotton is easier to dye and wash. Finally, the yarn obtained is used to weave products.

HOW DO I CARE FOR COTTON?

White cotton items are hygienic due to their boil-proof properties. In addition, high ironing temperatures kill the bacteria and thus further improve the hygienic properties. Cotton fabrics can be washed and ironed at high temperatures without any problems. You can use a conventional laundry detergent, or a color detergent for colored cotton clothing. To be on the safe side, always read the care label on the clothing.

WHAT ARE THE SPECIAL PROPERTIES OF COTTON?

Cotton is not only a pleasantly soft and light material, it is also particularly robust, very tear-resistant, abrasion-resistant and insensitive to acids. It is breathable, does not insulate and releases excess heat to the outside. Cotton is particularly absorbent: the fabric can store large amounts of liquid without feeling wet. Due to its fineness, cotton is skin-friendly, cuddly and has a pleasant feel. Cotton is very tear-resistant even when wet and is therefore well suited for clothing and bed linen that is washed frequently. It can be dyed easily and is durable.

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