Archive for the ‘ fibers ’ Category

What Chemicals Are in My Bedding?

What Chemicals Are in My Bedding? The public, not only in America, but in Europe and the rest of the world, has become keenly aware of the use of chemicals in commonly used items. One major industrial firm1 used the slogan, "Better Living Through Chemistry" until dropping it in response to public concerns over the effects of many chemical compounds on health and the environment. It has become fashionable to deride or hold in suspicion anything labeled "chemical" or "synthetic." But this...

Lyocell (Tencel)

Lyocell (Tencel®) Lyocell, better known by the brand name Tencel®, is a cellulosic fiber. This means that it is regenerated cellulose. Natural cellulose is dissolved from wood pulp and extruded into filaments which are spun into threads and yarns for textile production. Tencel® is the brand name used for lyocell produced by Lenzig AG, an Austrian company. Lenzig bought American Enka, the company that first produced lyocell, and it is now the only large scale producer. Lyocell is further...

Is it Bamboo or Rayon?

Is It Bamboo or Rayon? A November 2015 Beds.org review found that most of the top-selling pillows on Amazon featured bamboo. However, on reading the descriptions for individual pillows, some said the covers of the pillows contained "bamboo rayon" (or viscose) or "Rayon from bamboo," while others just said "bamboo." So, what is the distinction? What is the difference between bamboo and rayon from bamboo? And are the ones labeled "bamboo" really rayon? First, bamboo itself is a natural...

What Are You Sleeping On? The Ingredients List for Mattress Recipes

What Are You Sleeping on? The Ingredients List for Mattress Recipes What are you sleeping on? A few of the readers of this article may sleep in a sleeping bag or on folded blankets or quilts on a sleeping mat or an air mattress, especially if they are camping at the time and using a smart phone or tablet. Most of us, however, sleep on beds of one sort or another, also including sofas, futons, semi sleepers, and built-in beds. The most common configuration for a bed in North America is a...

Aloe Vera: The Succulent Ingredient

Aloe Vera: The Succulent Ingredient Aloe is a succulent plant which grows naturally in desert and semi-desert areas. Used for thousands of years as the source of medicinal and cosmetic products, this plant has been so widely cultivated that identifying its place of origin is a matter of educated guessing. It is also known by other Latin names, but the official one is Aloe vera. The three most active substances in Aloe vera are derived from hydroxyanthrone. Collectively they are called...

Coconut and Coir

Coconut and Coir Coconuts are not only something you can eat, but something you can sleep on. Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), a tree naturally found on tropical coasts. The coconut palm has spread by means of its bouyant seed floating on water, following ocean currents and tides. From beaches, it spreads to nearby low areas by dropped seeds. Coconuts are rather large and heavy for seeds, so coconut palms do not naturally range far from the shoreline. However,...

Horsehair: The Stuff of Early and Modern Luxury Mattresses

Horsehair: The Stuff of Early and Modern Luxury Mattresses With just a slip in pronunciation, "sleeping on air" becomes "sleeping on hair," and is not taken as a joke, because even today horsehair is the stuff (or stuffing) of several luxury mattresses. These include some of the most expensive mattresses in the world, made by high-class names such as ES Kluft and Aireloom, Hypnos, WJ Southard, Hastens, and others. Besides filling, horsehair is also used in the covers or quilting of a few...

Subscribe For News Letter

Get New Post Notification via Email: