When you shop for clothes for your child, you would want to buy a material as comfortable as possible for them. Children tend to have sensitive skin and it can be difficult to assess what might be causing them discomfort.
Cotton is a natural fibre, from a plant which has been spun into soft yarn and is best suited for your little one’s needs. At Plan B, we use 100% breathable cotton for all our clothes (even the leggings are 95% cotton!). In this blog, we have put together a list of reasons as to why cotton is such a child-friendly fabric!
- Low- fuss
Cotton is relatively low maintenance as it is a natural fibre. As opposed to synthetic or man-made fibres which can be tedious to look after, cotton is durable. The chances of cotton shrinking during a wash are less as compared to synthetic fabrics. It is recommended that cotton clothes are air-dried and can be simply hung up. They generally have a high-tensile strength as well. Stains on cotton can easily be gotten rid of with just warm water and some mild detergent. Cotton is therefore durable, easy to use, machine washable and easier to maintain for you.
- Hypoallergenic
Did you know that Cotton is less likely to cause any allergic reactions? These hypoallergenic properties of cotton render it usable even for medicinal purposes such as for gauze and bandages. This makes it ideal for clothing for children as it is the perfect choice for sensitive skin. It is possible that children may not always be able to communicate with us thus making it hard to know what is troubling them. The easier solution is to use cotton since it is best suited for those prone to allergic reactions or skin irritation. Babies tend to have soft and sensitive skin and the best way to protect it is by using cotton. Synthetic materials are treated with chemicals and this can cause your child to break out into rashes, making cotton even more beneficial to use.
- 100% Cotton is best for innerwear
Clothes made out of 100% cotton indicate that the garments are not blended with any other material. ‘Pure cotton’ can simply mean that the amount of fibre used in the garment is pure and not that the garment is made entirely out of cotton. Innerwear made from 100% cotton is ideal as it will not aggravate the skin and will last longer.
- Provides insulation and controls moisture
Cotton is known to be a breathable fabric. What this essentially means is that it has the ability to transfer moisture away from the skin. Children cannot be expected to sit still and are always running around, spilling on themselves. However, cotton absorbs moisture and removes liquid away from the skin. Cotton’s high absorbency also means that it can be used as a towel since it absorbs 1/5th of its weight before it starts to feel damp.
Since cotton is a light fabric, it serves to protect against the heat in the summer. It also provides thermal insulation as the cotton fibres trap air between them and protect children in the cold as well.
- Odor free
One of the unique properties of cotton is the fact that it retains odor much less than other synthetic materials. As a result, cotton can even be used more and washed less frequently.
- Cotton is 100% natural and biodegradable
Cotton crops are heat and drought-resistant, which means that they don’t need to be irrigated as regularly as some other crops and can survive solely on rainfall.
Fun fact: regular lawn grass requires more water to grow than cotton!
Moreover, there are uses for the whole cotton plant and not just the cotton boll. Cottonseed can be used as cow feed or pressed into oil. The seeds, leaves, stems and the hulls can be used for mulch and can be made into biodegradable packaging. The many qualities that make it so easy to use also make it absolutely apt for your children.