For clothes to last longer, they must be washed properly and for this it is necessary to know what fabric it is made of. But it is not always an easy task if the label has been removed, lost or deteriorated over time. Don't worry, it's not impossible. We give you some simple keys to distinguish some fabrics from others.
The thread does not deceive
The first thing you have to do is get a sample. Take a thread from the fabric of a hem or a seam - to avoid damaging the garment - and burn it carefully. Each fabric burns in a different way and it can tell you what type of fabric it is.
- The wool burns little by little and squeaks.
- The cotton does quickly and releases a fine ash.
- The silk burns slowly and leaves a burning horn smell.
- If it is rayon or viscose, the thread burns quickly and leaves a burnt paper smell. And if the garment is made with a synthetic fabric, the thread, when burned, hardens and looks like a black ball of glue.
Other infallible tests
In addition, each tissue responds differently to handling, touch and smell.
- Wrinkles Linen garments wrinkle more easily than cotton garments. To check this, you can gather a part of the fabric with your fist for about 5 seconds or so, and then release it. If the wrinkle remains, it will probably be linen.
- Elasticity. Most natural fabrics are not very elastic. You can only "stretch" what the fabric of the fabric gives of itself. If a “rubber” effect is observed when stretching the garment, it is probably that it is a synthetic fabric or that it contains it.
- Touch and smell. Natural leather differs from natural leather because it is softer than synthetic leather, it is not elastic and it has a very peculiar smell. The synthetic, on the other hand, is rougher, has more elasticity and smells like an industrial product.
