Cotton:

Cotton is the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the world. Its production provides
income for more than 250 million people worldwide and employs almost 7% of all labor in
developing countries. Approximately half of all textiles are made of cotton.

Cotton is actually referring to part of the cotton plant which grows the fluffy cotton
fibres - the boll. The boll is the seedpod of the cotton plant and grows to around the size of a
golf ball. After the cotton plant flowers, the boll starts to grow.

Where Did Cotton Originate?

The word cotton comes from the Arabic word “quton.” This was the usual word for
cotton in medieval Arabic.

Geographical favourable condition for cotton cultivation:

Cotton Fibric Production in The world:
India and China are frequently tied as the largest cotton producers in the world. According to Statista,
India overtook its East Asian competitor between 2017 and 2018 by producing 6,205,000 metric tons of
cotton. For comparison, China produced 5,987,000 metric tons of cotton fiber during this same period.
At 4,555,000 metric tons, the USA is the next-largest producer of cotton. While these three nations
produce the vast majority of the world’s cotton, other nations, such as Brazil, Pakistan, and Australia
consistently produce more than 1 million metric tons of this fiber per year.

Characteristics of cotton

Cotton has a number of characteristics and properties that make it suitable for fabric, these include:

 Comfortable: Cotton is incredibly comfortable to wear

 Soft: The cotton plant is naturally soft and fluffy and cotton fabric retains that soft feel

 Natural fibre: Cotton is made from cotton fibres, a natural plant based material

 Absorbent: The space between cotton fibres means cotton is absorbent and can wick moisture
from the skin

 Breathable: The gaps in the fibre also makes cotton fabric breathable

 Drapes well: Cotton hangs from the body in a naturally fitting shape

 Durable: Cotton is strong, and actually gets stronger when wet. The secret to any sustainable
wardrobe is helping your clothes last longer, which makes cotton perfect for fashion

 Machine washable: Cotton’s strength when wet means you can let the washing machine do the
hard work and not have to worry about wear and tear

 Easy to colour/print: cotton fibres can absorb colour well, making it easy to dye

 No static: Cotton does not conduct electricity, therefore you won’t get a static shock like some
synthetic fabrics

These characteristics make cotton a popular fibre within the textile industry.

USES OF COTTON

1. Textiles and fabrics: Cotton has been used for thousands of years to make a variety of woven
fabrics, including clothes, denim, canvas, flannel and more

2. Clothing: The properties of cotton make it perfect for clothing. It’s soft, durable, breathable and
easy to mass produce, making it great for T-shirts, jeans, dresses, hoodies and any other piece of
clothing you can think of

3. Home textiles: Cotton is often seen in bed sheets and towels since it is so soft and absorbent
 4. Home decor: Cotton is also seen around the house in upholstery, curtains, rugs, table clothes,
napkins etc.

5. Cotton seed oil: A byproduct of the cotton production process, cotton seed oil is used for human
consumption in salad dressings or margarines, as well as in makeup, soap, candles or biofuels

6. Money: Cotton is also a core component of some money, such as the US dollar

So far, cotton sounds like a wonder material that is suitable for almost everything.

DISADVANTAGES OF COTTON:

1. It wrinkles easily

2. It’s slow to dry

3. Can shrink unless treated

4. Can be damaged by mildew and prolonged light exposure

5. Regular cotton is often not sustainable or eco friendly