What Is Egyptian Cotton?
Everyone has heard of it, posh hotels love it and people who enjoy everything luxurious swear by it so, what is Egyptian cotton? Well here I aim to fill in all the blanks about Egyptian cotton as to where it comes from, how its grown and how we get the luxuriously soft finish it is renowned for. For starters there is a range of finishes for products made from Egyptian cotton each with a different quality which is determined by the thread count. A thread count of 180-200 is classed as standard Egyptian cotton with anything having a thread count of over 200 is classed as luxury with the higher the thread count the softer the finish. Egyptian cotton makes a wonderful material for textiles and is perfect for making lavish high quality Egyptian cotton bedding among other things.
Origins of Egyptian Cotton
Cotton Plant
Egyptian cotton is grown traditionally in Egypt as the name suggests although America have created their own long staple cotton know as Supima cotton to rival the quality of Egyptian cotton. Along the banks of the river Nile is the traditional growing place for Egyptian cotton, as the humid conditions and the rich soil make the perfect conditions to grow long cotton fibers Egyptian cotton is classed as long fiber (or extra long staple) cotton and this is why its quality prevails over the more traditional standard cottons as longer fibers are traditionally softer when spun. Egyptian cotton is customarily picked by hand rather than machines meaning the fibers are not disturbed during harvest keeping them soft and undamaged. Once picked the cotton is spun onto fine yarns that are soft yet strong and durable and this is a property transferred to any finished Egyptian cotton product.
Uses for Egyptian Cotton
Egyptian Cotton Towels
Egyptian cotton can be used in almost anything from towels to clothes to table cloths. The trick to getting the best from Egyptian cotton products is to look for items that are made from 100% Egyptian cotton with a higher thread count as this will give you the softest most luxurious finish. Thread counts are measured buy the number of threads in a square inch so the higher the thread count the softer and better quality the material. So if you have a bed sheet with a 200 thread count and one with a 600 thread count you can expect the latter to have a better quality and softer finish. Egyptian cotton is generally hard wearing and will last for years getting even softer with every wash, making it more superior than cheaper cottons that will eventually start to fall apart. Egyptian cotton has a high absorbency which makes it the idealistic material for towels, as you don’t want to get out of the shower or bath and spend ages rubbing your skin to get dry. Although Egyptian cotton products can be pricier than standard cotton products the benefits easily out-way the price difference, and you are guaranteed to get a long lasting high quality product you just won’t see with standard cotton.
