Fiber Characteristics

1
Fiber Characteristics

• Natural and Man-Made

2
What are fibers?

• Fiber is a long, thin strand or thread of
  material.
• Fibers are spun into threads
• Fabric is a cloth material made by weaving or
  knitting threads together.

3
Protein Fibers

• Come from animal sources
• Examples
• Silk (from cocoon of silkworm)
• Wool (from sheep)

4
Silk

• Good Characteristics-
• Available in wide variety of weights and textures
  
• Luxurious, strong, drapable, soft, absorbent,
• Resists wrinkles, resists mildew
• Poor Characteristics
• Damaged by perspiration, deodorants, perfumes,
  hairspray, and bleached.
• Weak when wet, sensitive to light, may water spot
• Care of Fabric
• Dry cleaning is safest, some fabrics may be hand
  washed, however, color loss can occur.
• Rubbing surface can damage fibers.
• Iron wrong side, moderate temperature

5
Wool

• Good Characteristics
• Static resistant, strong, durable, resilient and
  elastic due to natural crimp
• Resists wrinkles, absorbent, dyes well, resistant
  to fading and perspiration, warm
• Poor Characteristics
• Absorbs odors, NOT moth resistant, not washable
  unless treated, weaker when wet, undesirable
  felting can occur
• Care
• Usually dry cleaned. May be machine washed if
  treated.

6
Cellulosic Fibers

• Comes from plant sources
• Examples
• Cotton (cotton plant)
• Linen (flax plant)
• Ramie (comes from plant similar to flax)

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Cotton

• Good Characteristics
• Strong, durable, versatile, comfortable,
  absorbent, static resistant.
• Poor Characteristics
• Mildews, does not spring back into shape,
  wrinkles easily without special finish, shrinks
  unless treated or preshrunk
• Care
• Machine washable if colorfast. May shrink if
  washed or dried at high temperatures. Usually
  ironed at high temperatures.

8
Linen

• Good Characteristics
• Cool, comfortable, absorbent, natural luster,
  withstands high temperatures, strong, durable,
  resilient, blends well with other fibers
• Poor Characteristics
• Wrinkles easily, does not dye well, shows wear in
  areas of abrasion, shrinks unless treated or
  preshrunk, mildews.
• Care
• May be machine washed and dried. Bleach weakens
  fibers- can yellow fabric. Check manufacturer's
  instruction due to shrinkage, can be dry cleaned,
  iron at high temperatures

9
Man-Made Fibers

• Regenerated Cellulosic
• Made to look like fibers that come from plant
  sources
• Cellulose is chemically treated to be a soluble
  compound and then converted or regenerated back
  into almost pure cellulose
• Examples are
• Acetate (Celanese, Chromspun, Estron)
• Rayon (Avril, Coloray, Fibro, Zantrel)
• Triacetate (Arnel)

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Acetate

• Good Characteristics
• Excellent drapability, dyes well, luxurious feel
  and appearance. Shrink, moth, and mildew
  resistant
• Poor Characteristics
• Poor resistance to abrasion, wrinkles easily,
  heat sensitive
• Care
• Dry Clean for best results, can machine wash but
  wrinkles difficult to remove, iron at low
  temperature

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Rayon

• Good Characteristics
• Cool, comfortable, highly absorbent, good sheen,
  soft drapability, dyes well, versatile
• Poor Characteristics
• Lacks strength, may stretch or shrink, heat
  sensitive, poor resistance to soil and abrasion,
  supports mildew growth, wrinkles unless treated
• Care
• Usually machine washable, retains appearance
  better if dry-cleaned.
• Check care label. Iron at low temperatures.

12
Synthetic

• Made from chemicals
• Usually stronger than either natural or
  regenerated fibers

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Acrylic

• Good Characteristics
• Soft, warm, wool-like, lightweight, resist
  wrinkles, resistant to sunlight, chemicals, oil.
• Dries quick, retains shape.
• Poor Characteristics
• Surface tends to pill, builds up static
  electricity, does not absorb moisture.
• Care
• Machine washable and dryable. Use fabric
  softener to reduce static.

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Nylon

• Good Characteristics
• Exceptionally strong, abrasion resistant, soft,
  lustrous, retains commercially heat-set pleats,
  resists stretching and shrinking, dyes well.
• Poor Characteristics
• Builds up static electricity, heat sensitive,
  does not absorb moisture, may pill, white fabric
  may gray or yellow.
• Care
• Machine washable. Use fabric softener to reduce
  static. Iron at low temperature.

15
Polyester

• Good Characteristics
• Durable. Resists wrinkling, versatile,
• Retains commercially heat-set pleats, resists
  stretching, abrasion, and shrinking. Resists
  heat, bacteria, most chemicals. Accepts dyes
  well.
• Poor Characteristics
• Builds up static electricity, heat sensitive,
  does not absorb moisture, absorbs oil and grease
  readily, may pill
• Care
• Usually machine washable, use fabric softener to
  reduce static, remove oily stains immediately
  with solvent or detergent solution

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Spandex

• Good Characteristics
• Elastic. Strong, lightweight, soft, resists
  abrasion, resists perspiration and body oils.
• Poor Characteristics
• Heat sensitive, chlorine bleach will cause loss
  of strength and yellowing
• Care
• Hand or machine wash and dry. Do not use
  chlorine bleach, iron at low temperatures.

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18
Laundry Techniques

• Any time you buy fabric, check the end of the
  bolt of fabric for care instructions!
• Check the tags for care instructions
• If you dont have the care information, care for
  the fabric based on the type of fiber it is made
  from.

19
What does Laundering mean?

• Wash/Dry
• Fold
• Iron
•  

20
What is the difference between soap and
detergent?

• Both soap and detergent clean clothes
• Soap does not wash out as easily and can build
  up, causing fabric to deteriorate and leaves
  smells
• Soaps are biodegradable
• Detergent washes out easier and creates less
  build up

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• When would you use soap?
•  
• Soaps are usually used on natural fibers
• When would you use detergents?
• With synthetic fibers

22
What groups do you need to separate your clothes
into when washing?

• Make separate piles for whites, darks, and bright
  colors- colors can bleed, or fade when not
  separated out properly
• You may also need to separate out delicate
  fabrics so they dont get damaged during the
  laundering process.

23
Explain how bleach can be used to clean clothes

• Bleach removes stains, loosens soil quickly,
  destroys bacteria, and helps white clothes stay
  white.
• Bleach should always be mixed with water.
• Always check the care of the fabric before using
  bleach because it can damage some fibers.

24
What are brighteners?

• They are like colorless dyes that are added to
  the water in which colored clothes are washed.
• Brighteners help to keep colors looking sharp and
  create an optical illusion- they cause colors to
  absorb more light making them look brighter than
  they really are.

25
What do clothes softeners do?

• Help reduce static and clinging.

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What are STARCHES used for?

• Starches give garments a slicker, stiffer finish
  after they are ironed or pressed

27
When would you dry clean clothes.

• When the label says Dry Clean or dry clean only
• Fill in the stain treatment for the rest of the
  assignment by using pg. 137 in the Guide to
  Clothing books