Summertime is Time for Cotton!

The United States has been baking this summer.  What a great time for cotton!

If you live in a cotton-producing area, you know that hot summers are great for growing cotton. In the south, the cotton bolls are just starting to open.  As you drive the highways, the fields are turning from green to white.  Summertime is the time for cotton!

If you live in any area where it gets hot, you know that summer is the time for cotton to keep comfortable.

Cotton’s ability to absorb moisture makes it the perfect choice for sheets and other bedding items.  Nothing feels better than slipping into bed on freshly washed cotton sheets.  No matter the outside temperature, you feel cool at that moment!  Also, cotton’s moisture-absorbing qualities make it easy to clean.  Because moisture is quickly drawn into the fiber, water-based cleaning solutions are easily absorbed and thus surfactants can get right to work loosening soil.

Cotton is a great choice for blankets.  It can be woven easily into a waffle weave that can be used in almost all seasons.  Cotton blankets are also easily laundered at home and require no dry cleaning.  If you have allergies, you know the washability of anything on your bed is important.  Cotton stands up well to hot water washing (140 degrees is recommended) or you can use cooler temperatures and some good old De-Mite.

Some people are concerned about the chemicals used in the growing and processing of cotton.  Organic cotton is available but usually carries a premium price.  Because more of the crop is lost to pests and disease, the yield of organically-grown cotton will be lower.  This results in higher prices for the finished fabric.

Organic cotton products are almost never bleached.  We have had people return their organic cotton products for conventionally-grown cotton because they don’t like the color of natural cotton.  Also, the bleaching process softens the cotton fabric a bit.

Organic cotton bedding may initially not feel as soft as conventional cotton, but upon a wash or two, the fabrics should feel the same.  After years of washing and use, my natural cotton sheets are soft and white and will probably last for many more years to come.

Because cotton is weaker than polyester, you will find that all cotton dust mite covers will not be woven as tightly as all polyester or polyester blends.  As long as your mean (average) pore size is under 8 microns, you will be protected.

Both our certified organic cotton dust mite covers and our AllergyCare cotton have a pore size of 4.9 microns, which is plenty of protection against household allergens like dust mites, mold, pollens, and pet allergens.

Whether it’s terry cloth or waffle weave, cotton also makes great bathrobes.  That’s why they are so popular with fine hotels and spas.  Slip into one sometime at the Boca Raton Resort and Club and you will think you’ve died and gone to heaven!

So don’t let the summer heat get you down.  Get comfortable with cotton.  As the commercials say, it really is the fabric of our lives.

Til Next Time

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