Today we will talk about a key topic: what is nettle fabric. We will be answering the most frequently asked questions, but we’ll be happy to address anything we have not covered here.
”Ray Harwood, professor of the textile engineering and materials research group at Leicester’s De Montfort University, believes that nettle fibres, yarns and clothes are the materials of the future. He is involved in the first contemporary British project to develop nettles as a fabric, which is aptly called STING – Sustainable Technologies in Nettle Growing.”
History of nettle tissue
Ramie, or Boemeria, is a genus of plants in the nettle family.
Spinning culture, known to people over six thousand years, originating mainly from the tropical and subtropical regions of East Asia.
In order to obtain fibers, usually in the tropics, white ramie or Chinese nettle and green ramie, or Indian nettle are cultivated.
Man has long been using nettle fiber. During excavations near Kiev, the burial sites of Scythians dated to the beginning of the III century, nettle fibers were found in the tissues.
Nettle tissue properties
Firstly, the fiber has a shine that is not lost, unlike silk, under the influence of sunlight.
Secondly, the material is very lightweight, which protects from fatigue and makes clothes extremely practical. And of course, comfortable sensations are provided with 100% naturalness, because the material “breathes”.
Nettle fabrics look decent, both in a steamed and not steamed form. After washing, the fabric acquires the effect of Crush fabric. Also, this effect can be achieved by twisting the product in one direction. Nettle fabrics are easy to dye. After drying, the plants become white. This allows for high-quality, without the use of additional chemicals, repainting. The material hygroscopicity, thermoregulation and permeability, therefore has high good air it perfectly removes sweat from the body.
The nettle fabric practically does not rot, which significantly extends its useful life. Such material does not shrink after washing, preserving its color for a long time.
Medical properties of nettle tissue
-wound healing and anti-inflammatory effect for the skin;
-antibacterial and helps to eliminate toxins from the body;
-due to the content of a huge amount of vitamins in the plant, nettle tissue improves immunity and improves, in general, the course of all energy processes with regular contact with the skin.
Сare recommendations: 100% nettle fiber
Products made entirely from nettle fiber should only be washed by hand. This method eliminates the formation of folds of material.
Water temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. For washing, you can use special powders and conditioners for silk. It is necessary to use products without bleaching components
It is better to pressing clothes out of such a cloth manually.
Drying is recommended so that the material does not undergo a sharp bend. In this case, the thing may deteriorate due to the formation of a tissue fracture. In addition, traces of clothespins that may be difficult to smooth out may remain on this material. Therefore, it is recommended to hang clothes from nettles freely on a wide crossbar.
Clothes made from natural fabrics are recommended to be steamed. Steam is more gentle than traditional ironing. Due to this, the fabric will not be over dried, which means things will last longer.