Is Your Cotton Fabric Really 100% Pure? Heres How to Tell

It isn’t always easy to know whether it’s pure cotton. Sometimes, labels indicate the fabric is 100 percent pure cotton, but it may not be. The material could be combined with other fabrics, including polyester. So, can you tell if your cotton really is pure? Here are some clues that may help you figure this out.

Step One Read the Label on the Apparel/Fabric 

The first step is to read the label on your clothing or fabric. “Even if you see that it says 100% pure cotton polyester fabric, that’s a good thing to look for, but you should verify,” Dr. Phillips said. Occasionally, makers blend in various materials to save money or improve the fabric. Understanding what to look for on labels ensures that you will get what you pay for.

To recognize real cotton, touch the material. 

Unmixed cotton is soft and breathes well. It should be silky to the touch and feel good to wear. The other way to check is to do a burn test on a small piece. Cotton is flammable, and when burned, the result is a fine, soft, gray ash. If it melts, or if you wind up with a hard, plastic-like piece, it’s definitely not pure cotton polyester material. You are able to use these tips to know if your cotton is authentically pure.

It’s very important to know what your fabric is made of. 

Fabrics behave in various ways and require different kinds of care. For instance, cotton is natural and fine for hot climates. But if your fabric is a blend with synthetics, it might not breathe as well, or need special hand-washing care. By learning what your fabric is composed of, you care for your clothes better.

Seeking advice from fabric experts is always a smart idea. 

If you aren’t sure, let an expert look at your cotton. They can assist you in looking at the fabric and they can offer you their opinion on whether it is pure. Chatting with experts provides you with useful information about your fabric and how to make better choices while shopping for clothes.