3 Easy Steps How Are Bamboo Sheets Made
Bamboo sheets? Is that even a thing? I mean, come on! Pandas eating bamboos: okay! Humans eating bamboos: Okay too! And most plausible is the use of bamboo in furniture or flooring. But believe it or not, bamboo sheets are the best choice you can make when looking for a soft and supple surface to have your dreams on. The manufacturers also claim them to be hypoallergenic, antibacterial, moisture wicking and thermo-regulating. So the questions that arise are, ‘ How are bamboo sheets made ?’ and ‘What are bamboo sheets made of?’ The answers to these questions, in addition to satisfying your curious mind, also explains why are bamboo sheets a quality product and how they ensure you spend 33% of your life luxuriously, yes, that is the amount of time you spend sleeping.
The making of bamboo sheets can be divided into three processes:
- Harvesting : Most textile harvesting is not earth-friendly but bamboo is usually grown on land that is not sustainable for forestry. Many forests are being cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years. The textiles are made from species of bamboos with the most similarity to timber (1400 species fall under the criteria). Bamboo timber must be matured for 4 years until they can be used for bamboo textiles. Careful tending and managing are required to harvest the bamboo at the very right time.
- Regenerating Fibers : After taken into mills or other facilities, the bamboo is shredded or crushed. Next, a strong solution of sodium hydroxide followed by carbon disulfide is used to submerge the bamboo cellulose. This is later drawn off, washed, bleached and dried to be left soft, long in staple and finer than other fibers.
- Making the Sheet : Three types of sheets are usually made from bamboo:
- Bamboo Rayon : Bamboo rayon, also called bamboo viscous, is the most common form of bamboo sheets in the market. Although strict monitoring is done, most manufacturing processes include the use of chemicals such as chlorine-containing bleach and zinc sulfate.
- Bamboo Lyocell : The lyocell process includes dissolving raw bamboo in a non-toxic solvent that produces non-hazardous effluent. The water and the solution are recycled and reused in a closed loop system. Therefore the residues of harmful chemical and use of water are reduced.
- Bamboo Blend with Cotton : It is usually 60 or 70 percent bamboo rayon and 30 or 40 percent cotton. It is stronger than 100% bamboo but not as soft as the cotton fiber usually ends half through the length of the sheet leaving behind the roughness.
- Bamboo Linen : The process that is used to make common linen fabric is as same as the one used to manufacture bamboo linen.
The weave of the fabric differs in bamboo sateen and bamboo twill. The manufacturing process affects your preferences while making a purchase. For example, carbon disulfide has been labeled as a nerve poison in the recent years leading to manufacturers opting for Enzymatic Hydrolysis. While bamboo tends to have an antibacterial characteristic, bamboo viscose has very little to no trace of such quality. Also, bamboo linen requires extra maintenance while bamboo-cotton blend is comparatively less sustainable. Whatever the case may be, a soft and supple sleep and equally lustrous dream are guaranteed with the soft sheet.
