Egyptian Cotton

Send your freshman college student off to the university with her own sets of soft beddings. This will insure she will have comfortable and restful sleep that she used to having at home. Twin Egyptian cotton sheets are the best choices for covering a dorm room bed. Your daughter will love snuggling between these luxurious sheets.

Egyptian cotton sheets are made from 100% pure Egyptian cotton grown in the Nile Delta. These products are chemical free so you are assured that nothing harmful will touch the most sensitive skin. Send off at least two sets of twin sheets so you’ll have peace of mind knowing your daughter won’t be without these essential sleep items at night.

What does organic really mean anyway?

“Organic” when used to describe agricultural products and the goods made from them is more of a marketing term than a scientific one. The general expectation is that products marketed as “Organic” contain no toxic pesticides and that the crops have not been genetically altered.

Scientific evidence notwithstanding, some people cling to the view that all chemical (ie. synthetic) pesticides are bad and that only “natural” pesticides can be used safely.

There are also a variety of views on what “genetically altered” actually means. Farmers have been genetically altering crops for thousands of years so the argument really becomes what are acceptable and non-acceptable forms of genetic alteration.

In reality, organic certified simply means that a government authority says this crop meets it’s “organic” standards. Because these standards are set by politicians, not scientists, they are prone to change like other political issues. Before you pay a lot of extra money for those organic king sheet sets look at the labels a little closer. Do they specify who has certified that they are organic? Is it an agency you can trust?

Is there really a difference between “chemical free” and “organic”? You’ll need to make that final decision yourself. In either case, Egyptian Cotton is still your best (and safest) choice. See why in my next article.

How is “Chemical Free” related to Toxicity?

As we discussed in our last article, the term “organic” is not a very scientific way to determine if something is good or bad for you. Scientists determine how “good” or “bad” something is for you by measuring its toxicity. One standard method of doing this is measuring the LD50. In a series of experiments, groups of test subjects are given varying doses of the chemical in question and the researchers record how may subjects die as a result of that exposure. The dose required to kill 1/2 of the subjects is known as the LD50 (Lethal Dose for 50% of the subjects)

Although this test is the accepted standard, there are some problems. The only thing it tells you for sure is the LD50 for the test subjects you used in your experiment. If you were testing a new pesticide for boll weevils, you would want it to be very toxicto boll weevils. Repeating the same experiment using rats could give quite different results and using humans would be unthinkable.

Because we can’t (and should not) use humans as test subjects, we really don’t know for sure what effects low dosages of chemicals have on humans.  As a substitute, scientists determine levels that are known to be toxic to animals (usually mice) and then compute a safety factor of 1/10 , 1/100 or in some cases 1/1000 of that dose and define it as the “allowable level.” In some cases, government agencies add their own level of safety by only permitting levels 1/10 of those establish by the scientists resulting in a safety factor of 1/10,000 or more!

So “chemical free” products are really products that contain no chemicals that exceed “allowable” toxicity levels for that chemical. So go ahead… buy that set of chemical free twin size Egyptian cotton sheets  you’ve been looking at.

Still considering “organic” cotton sheets? Before you buy, see my next article to see what “organic” really means.

What Chemicals are “Chemicals?“ 

As we have discussed in previous articles, there really is no such thing as “chemical free.” Everything we see and touch is composed of one or more chemical compounds. So when someone says there product is “chemical free,” what they are really trying to say is that it contains “good chemicals” and no “bad chemicals.” Sometimes the term “organic” is thrown in the mix to emphasize the “good chemical” concept.

I terms of chemistry, ”organic” simply means any carbon containing compound. (Click Here if you don’t believe me) By this definition, the molecule of methane (shown to left) is an organic molecule and could legitimately be called “organic.” However, none of you would want your kids breathing this stuff because it is also known as natural gas… great for heating your house or BBQ but not at all healthy in your lungs. So in chemical terms… organic doesn’t tell you if a chemical is “good” or “bad” for you.

Still worried about chemical residues in that set of queen size Egyptian cotton sheets you’ve been thinking of buying? The real issue is not “chemicals” or “organic” it’s toxicity. Read my next article to find out how scientists determine toxicity and how it relates to those Egyptian cotton sheets you’re thinking of buying.

Hotels take pride in providing comfort to their guests at all times. They make sure that each guest will be satisfied with their service. They rely on guests, particularly loyal clients, to keep the hotel bustling.

That is why hotels try to outdo themselves to attract more and more guests. They may entice them with full size Egyptian cotton sheets or fluffy terry cloth robes. Others may even offer money-saving promotions once in awhile.

Why Do Cotton Growers Use Chemicals?

Technically, anything and everything we see, touch or feel is a chemical of some sort. However, when people use this term in daily conversation, they are usually referring to man-made (synthetic) chemicals.

Cotton crops are frequently plagued by numerous pests, the Cotton Boll Weevil being the most well known. Boll Weevil larvae feed on the growing cotton bolls and make the cotton unusable. A infestation can wipe out an entire cotton crop and bankrupt the grower. To protect their livelihood, cotton growers have become increasingly dependant on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Some experts estimate that the cotton industry is responsible for approximately 1/4 the world wide use of these products.

Due to the well documented harm caused by DDT and other early synthetic pesticides, the public has become quite fearful about any “chemical” used in agriculture. Some consumers worry that the cotton fibers in the Cal King sheet sets they just purchased might still be coated with toxic chemical residues.

Is this worry justified? What options do consumers have available? Read the following articles and find out.

What is the difference between Organic and Chemical Free sheets?

When reviewing product descriptions for sheet sets and other cotton products, two terms are frequently mentioned: “Organic” and “Chemical Free.” What do these terms mean and how do they relate to sheets?

If you were to talk to a chemist, he would tell you that in scientific terms, “Organic” refers to any chemical compound composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Oxygen, Nitrogen and other atoms are often combined with hydrogen and carbon to form a mind boggling array of molecules that are the building blocks of life as we know it on this planet. The term “Chemical Free” has no basis in science since everything we see, touch and feel is actually a chemical of some kind. The only “thing” that is truly “Chemical Free” is a complete vacuum.

So why do advertisers use these terms? MARKETING!

The public perception is that Organic is more “Eco-friendly” or “Green” than other products. Retailers know that a growing number of customers look for organic labeled products and are willing to pay premium prices for them. Before you pay extra for those twin sheet sets you’ve been looking at… you may want to know the real difference.

Read my next few blogs to find the difference between regular, “Chemical Free” and “Organic” cotton products.

As we have discussed in previous posts, cotton fiber length is determined by genetics and growing conditions. Ideal conditions produce long fluffy fibers that are used to create men’s dress shirts, 800 thread count sheets,  or a variety of other luxury products.

Although Egyptian Cotton consistently produces long fibers, the same can be said for cotton grown elsewhere. In the mechanized age we live in, almost all cotton is picked by machines. Unfortunately, these machines tend to cut and break the fibers.

Egyptian Cotton farmers pick each cotton boll by hand. While it is obviously more expensive to pick cotton this way, Egyptian farmers take great pride in their work. They realize that discriminating buyers all over the world will be willing to pay a premium for products made from their exceptional crop.

Scientists who research textiles have concluded that ideal growing conditions include nutrient rich soil and very warm weather both of which can be found in Egypt’s Nile Delta. Natural cotton fibers vary from 3/8″ to 2″ in length depending on species, soil, moisture and climate conditions. Shorter varieties are called “short staple” and longer varieties are called “long staple.” Egyptian Cotton is almost exclusively “long staple” with fiber lengths usually exceeding 1.5″

Scientists have also concluded that there is a direct correlation between fiber length and the strength of the resulting fabric from which it is made. Because each fiber is so long, they can be woven into finer threads. These finer threads can then be tightly woven into luxury bedding products such as 1200 thread count sheets, pillowcases, or duvet covers.

Although synthetic fibers might be ideal for tents and outdoor clothing, they are not always the best choice for other applications. Cordura sheets (coated nylon pack-cloth) would be waterproof and last forever but they wouldn’t be very comfortable. Yes, synthetics continue to improve, but cotton fibers have several characteristics that make them ideal for bedding, towels and clothing.

Cotton fibers are naturally hydrophilic (a scientific term for substances that like to soak up lots of water) This is a desirable trait for clothing because it allows sweat to wick away from the body and promote natural cooling. This ability becomes even more important for towels and wash cloths. (Try wiping a spill off the kitchen floor with some rayon or nylon and you’ll see what I mean.) Cotton fibers are also fine enough to create a fabric with a soft feel which makes them an excellent choice for fabric with direct skin contact such as tee shirts, underwear or king sheet sets.