1. Fibers and Their Characteristics A brief overview of today’s natural and manufactured fibers

2. Where do Fibers Come From?  Natural  Manufactured

3. The Natural Fibers  They come from Plants Cotton Flax

4. The Natural Fibers  They come from Animals Wool Silk

5. The Manufactured Fibers  They come from cellulose Acetate Rayon

6. More Manufactured Fibers  They come from Chemicals Polyester Nylon Acrylic

7. What is a blend?  Two or more fibers are mixed together  Natural fibers are often combined with manufactured fibers

8. Cotton: the fabric of our lives  Strong  Durable  Dries Quickly  Absorbent  Lacks elasticity  Wrinkles  Shrinks

9. Laundering Can be easily laundered. Cotton can withstand high temperatures. Washing: * Machine wash warm * Any good detergent can be used to wash cotton. * Chlorine bleach can be used safely on cotton whites. Use color-safe bleach on dyed cottons.  Drying: tumble dry low  * A higher heat setting is needed in the dryer.  Ironing: * Can be ironed with a hot iron, and does not scorch easily  * Since cotton fibers are fairly inelastic, they may wrinkle easily. Fabric may need frequent pressing.

10. Flax (Linen)  Strong  Dries Quickly  Absorbent  Wrinkles  Shrinks  Mildews

11. Laundering Washing: Any stains should be treated prior to washing. You can machine-wash linen as long as you wash it at less than 50°C to preserve the color and the natural fabric. Use non-chlorine washing powder/liquid for linen, and use a whitening product to stop it going yellow.  Drying: Don't dry linen in the sun or in a tumble-dryer to prevent it from shrinking. Ironing: Iron while still damp

12. Wool  Warm and Soft  Resilient  Breathes  Repels and absorbs moisture  Shrinks and Mats  Susceptible to moths  Heat Sensitive  Itchy

13. Laundering Washing: wool is very delicate and shouldn't be boiled or washed with chlorine- based products. Hand-washing is best, but you can machine-wash wool mixes. Always check the laundry label and set your machine to a short non-spin program. Hand-washing: Wash wool at a maximum temperature of 30° using special wool washing products and without soaking. Scrub gently and rinse in lukewarm water, gently squeezing the water out, then rinse in cold water. wool laundry label  Drying: Dry using a towel (without twisting) and then dry flat on a fresh towel.  Ironing: Use a damp cloth between iron and fabric. Iron on wrong side.

14. Silk  Luxurious  Wrinkle resistant  Absorbent  Dyes easily  Yellows  Weakened by Sunlight  Insect Damage

15. Laundering Washing: Silk is very delicate and should be hand-washed if possible, except if the laundry label says it can go in a machine. Hand-wash silk in lukewarm soapy water without soaking it. You can also add a few drops of vinegar or sugar to cold water to rinse. laundry label  Drying: Silk shouldn't be twisted or rough- dried. Spread it flat on a towel or sponge to dry. Shirts and blouses can be dried on a hanger.  Ironing: Iron while still damp  Press on wrong side. Use no steam.

16. Polyester  Strong  Wrinkle Resistant  Can be heat set  Stable  Holds oily stains  Non-absorbent (hot to wear)

17. Laundering * Most items made from polyester can be machine washed and dried. Washing: * Use warm water and add a fabric softener to the final rinse cycle. * Most items made from polyester can be dry-cleaned.  Drying: * Machine dry at low temperature setting and remove articles as soon as the tumbling cycle is complete.  Ironing: * If ironing is needed, use a moderately warm iron.

18. Nylon  Strong  Dries Quickly  High Wet Strength  Non-absorbent  Damaged by sunlight  Picks up stray dies

19. Laundering Washing: Most items made from nylon can be machined washed and tumbled dried at low temperatures. * Use warm water and add a fabric softener to the final rinse cycle.  Drying: * To minimize static electricity use a dryer sheet when machine drying.  * Remove articles from the dryer as soon as the tumbling cycle is completed.  Ironing: * If ironing is required, use a warm iron.

20. Acrylic  Strong  Elastic  Soft  Imitates wool  Pilling  Holds oily stains  Absorbency limited

21. Laundering Washing: May be machine washed or dry cleaned. * When machine washing, use warm water setting and add a fabric softener during the final rinse cycle. * Static electricity can be reduced by using fabric softener in every third or fourth washing * Gently squeeze out water, smooth or shake out garment and let dry on a non- rust hanger.  Drying: Machine dry at low temperature. Remove from dryer as soon as garments are dry.  Sweaters and circular knits should be dried flat.  Ironing: If ironing is required, use moderately warm iron.

22. Acetate  Absorbent  Colorfast  Luxurious feel  Resilient  Inexpensive  Poor wet strength  Heat sensitive  Dissolves in acetone (fingernail polish remover)  Gets static electricity

23. Laundering Washing: Most garments made from acetate do need to be professionally dry- cleaned,  Drying:  Ironing: Press on wrong side while damp.

24. Rayon: the first manufactured fiber  Inexpensive  Dyes and prints easily  Absorbent  Takes finishes well  Poor wet strength  Low resiliency  Wrinkles easily  Weakened by sunlight

25. Laundering Washing: * Use mild lukewarm or cool suds. Gently squeeze suds through the fabric and rinse in lukewarm water.  Drying: * Do not wring or twist the garment. * Smooth or shake out the article and place on a non-rust hanger to dry.  * Rayon sweaters should be laid flat to dry  Ironing: * Press the article while damp on the wrong side with the iron at a moderate setting.

26. Ironing Care  Linen: 230 °C (445 °F) Cotton: 204 °C (400 °F) Triacetate: 200 °C (390 °F) Viscose: 190 °C (375 °F) Wool: 148 °C (300 °F) Polyester: 148 °C (300 °F) Silk: 148 °C (300 °F) Acetate: 143 °C (290 °F) Acrylic: 135 °C (275 °F) Lycra/Spandex: 135 °C (275 °F) Nylon: 135 °C (275 °F)