History:
Cotton’s exact age is unknown. Scientists have found pieces of cotton cloth in
caves in Mexico that are at least 7.000 years old. Cotton was grown and made into cloth in
the Indus River Valley in Pakistan as early as 3,000 years before the birth of Christ.
Egyptians were also weaving cotton fabrics around the same time. Cotton arrived in Europe,
through Arab merchants, in approximately 800 A.D. Cotton eventually replaced flax and wool
as Europe’s leading choice for fabrics. Christopher Columbus found cotton in the
Bahama Islands in 1492. Cotton was known all over the world by 1500.
The first use of machinery to spin cotton was in England in 1730. In 1793, Eli Whitney
of Massachusetts patented his cotton gin, which was a vital factor in cotton’s
popularity and use today. Whitney invented the gin after watching workers manually
separate the fiber from the seed. He built the gin in ten days to do the work fifty times
faster than separating by hand. The gin created a way to aid the already fast growing
textile industry by supplying it with large quantities of cotton fiber. The U.S. cotton
crop value increased from $150,000 to over $8 million within ten years.
Cotton’s Importance and Uses
Presently, cotton is the world’s most used fiber. Every part of the cotton plant
is useful. The fiber is the most important part of the plant because it is used in making
cotton cloth. Cotton is the number one fiber used for apparel in the United States. In
1994, 63 percent of cotton was used for apparel, 29 percent for home furnishings and 8
percent was used for industrial type products and exportation.
Examples of Items Made from Cotton:
- All types of apparel in 100% cotton and in blends with other fibers
- Bedding products
- Draperies and Curtains
- Upholstery fabrics
- Rugs
- Wall coverings
- Medical, surgical and sanitary supplies
- Industrial abrasives
- Book bindings
- Handbags and luggage
- Shoes
- Tobacco cloth
- Wiping cloths
The short fuzz on the seed, which is also called linters, supply the cellulose needed
for making plastics, explosives, high quality paper products, batting for mattresses, and
furniture and automobile cushions.
The cotton seed is also manufactured into various products. It is crushed to separate
it for use in three different products – oil, meal and the hulls.
Cotton seed oil – shortening, cooking oil, salad dressing and a high-protein
concentrate for use in food products
Meal and Hull – livestock, poultry and fish feed, fertilizer
The leaves and stalks of the cotton plant are also used for soil enrichment by plowing
them into the soil.
Countries Where Cotton is Grown
Cotton is grown in warm climates and the United States grows the majority of the
world’s cotton. The following states are the major cotton producers in the United
States:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- North
Types of Cotton
Low to Medium Grade Cotton: These types of cotton are found in mass produced goods and
cotton blend goods.
Better Grades: Higher grades of cotton, which includes longer-staple cotton, are used
in fine quality shirtings and bedding fabrics. Egyptian cotton, a high quality cotton, has
been produced in the Nile River Valley for many centuries. This type of cotton has long
been known for its soft luxurious hand and luster. Other types of high quality cotton
include Pima, Supima, American Egyptian and Sea Island cotton.
Organic Cotton:
Organic cotton is grown without the use of commercial pesticides and fertilizers.
Characteristics of Cotton
Aesthetics
Cotton’s aesthetics vary depending on the applied treatments, the fiber blend (if
blended) and the grade of the fiber. A typical 100% untreated cotton fabric has a pleasant
matte luster, a soft drape and a smooth hand.
Comfort
Cotton fabrics are very comfortable to wear due to their soft hand and other
characteristics. Cotton fabrics have excellent absorbing capabilities. Cotton garments
absorb perspiration, thus keeping the person more comfortable.
Appearance Retention
Cotton wrinkles very easily. However, there are many cotton garments on the market that
have been treated with wrinkle resistant finishes. These finishes reduce the need to iron
cotton clothes. Consequently, our fast paced society can look good in cotton garments
without investing a lot of time in preparing them.
Care
Always read the care label in the product. Cotton products can typically be machine
washed and dried. Colored cotton garments retain their color longer if they are washed in
warm or cool water. Cotton fabrics can be bleached but too much bleaching could weaken the
fibers. Acids harm cotton fabrics; consequently, juice stains should be treated
immediately with cold water. Sunlight does harm cotton by causing it to oxidize and turn
yellow. Fabrics that are 100% cotton do shrink if they have not been treated with a
durable-press or a shrinkage-resistant finish.
Effects of Weather on Cotton Crops
Obviously, the weather is a big factor in the success of cotton crops. Two prime
examples of weather problems in 1999 were the drought and Hurricane Floyd. These two
factors decreased the cotton output in the U.S. by more than one million bales.
New Technology
Dry Fibre, Inc. and The REHANCE Group developed TRANSPOR Cotton 2000. TRANSPOR Cotton
2000 was designed to take moisture away from the skin and allow it to evaporate in the air
in seconds. The garment dries on the inside near the skin first instead of drying on the
outside first.
Sources:
Sara J. Kadolph, Anna L. Langford, Textiles/...{et al} (8th ed. Prentice-Hall,
Inc. Simon & Schuster/A Viacom Company) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 07458, pages
33-42.
Kathryn Hatch, Textile Science (West Publishing Company) St. Paul, MN, 55164,
page 169.
"The Story of Cotton", National Cotton Council of America, PO Box 12285,
Memphis, TN 38182. pp. 1-12.
"Drought, Storm Shrink Soy, Cotton Crops", Charles Abbott. From the news site
of www.go.com
"Two Amazing Apparel Technologies Combine to Keep You Comfortable and
Colorful". (business wire Sept. 7, 1999 from the news site of www.go.com. )
Kenneth Pomeranz, "Fiber of Fortune". World Trade August 1997 p. 94.
