Fleece: description of the composition, the pros and cons

Modern selection of different fabrics allows for each case to choose a material that fits him perfectly. The same fleece today seems to be an integral attribute of human civilization, so many would be surprised to learn that this material has not even turned half a century. Nevertheless, already now he is so firmly established in everyday life that he deserves much more attention.

The very name of a fleece specifically indicates what effect its creators were trying to achieve - from English, fleece translates as pile or wool. However, the original matter was a natural product, but the fleece material is made from polyester and some other synthetic yarns. The beginning of the production of this matter was laid in 1979.

A brief description usually states that fleece is as warm material as wool, which does not interfere with the body “breathing”, which is a very useful addition.

Fleece looks somewhat unusual, its surface is dotted with small lumps, which additionally help to keep warm. High heat-saving properties determine the scope of this material, but its unusual appearance often forces manufacturers to use it more as a lining. However, the same sweatshirts are often made from the fleece itself, and it is the example of such clothes that makes it easier to imagine what it looks like.

Contrary to the abundant presence of cavities and gaps between synthetic fibers in the fabric structure, fleece never sits down and does not allow clothes to change their original shape, which greatly simplifies the sewing of various things from it. In addition, fleece fabric is well painted in any color and does not fade even under the influence of a large amount of moisture. In its pure form, this material stretches well, which additionally prevents the appearance of gaps.

If we talk about the positive features that have led to the rapid spread of fleece around the world in a matter of decades, it is impossible not to highlight a few points.

• Low weight. Such material involves sewing warm, but at the same time fairly light clothing, which is especially important in the case of children or people who find themselves in difficult conditions.
• Elasticity. Fleece clothing is well suited for activity of any kind, because it is often chosen by athletes and those who are not alien to daily exercises. If a piece of clothing involves strict adherence to the original form, then only a warming lining is made of fleece material, and because of its lightness and elasticity, it does not interfere with the regular use of this suit.

• Ease of care. Fleece allows machine washable, because all the advantages of modern technology can be used to simplify the care of him.
• High drying rate. Due to the abundance of cavities, the fleece material is not able to absorb too much water, because the products made of it dry very quickly after washing. This allows not to overload the wardrobe, using a small amount of things.
• Durability and wear resistance. For these two indicators, which determine the durability of clothing, fleece does not belong to unambiguous leaders - on the contrary, its indicators are rather average. It’s another matter that most analogs with comparable positive qualities turn out to be fragile and easily tearing against the background of fleece matter, so even medium strength can be considered an advantage.

• Ability to retain heat. What is interesting is that this parameter, for which fleece is usually praised, is also estimated by the average rating, since there are much warmer types of fabrics. Another thing is that for the conditions of a temperate climatic zone, the heat-saving abilities of fleece are just enough - in the cool season it can effectively protect against cold without causing overheating of the body. Warmer matters are also needed in certain conditions, but there are not so many people in the world who are constantly confronted with such low temperatures, but fleece is a certain golden mean.

• Biological resistance. A big problem of almost all tissues of natural origin is that they can be a comfortable environment for living and reproduction of various microorganisms. At best, this leads to rapid deterioration of clothing, at worst, it can be a problem for the host if uninvited guests provoke a disease. Fleece is made from such fibers that can be of no interest to bacteria, because they do not linger on its surface.
• Ability to retain heat even when wet. Drenching warm clothes always becomes a huge problem - as a rule, she, having taken in water with its high thermal conductivity, loses all her warming abilities. Fleece fabric, even when wet, copes with this task better than its competitors, and it dries very quickly.

• Hypoallergenic. Many natural materials can cause rejection in a certain group of people, due to which any contact with a provoking substance is fraught with an acute manifestation of the disease. As part of the fleece fibers collected only proven hypoallergenic materials, because of it often make clothes and blankets for children - the most allergic category of people.

With all the advantages among the characteristics of fleece, there was a place for flaws. They are relatively few, but it is necessary to know about them - perhaps they will be forced to abandon the use of this material.

• Flammability The original fleece, introduced in 1979, was still the fire hazardous material. By itself, it remains so today, however, manufacturers have long invented a processing method that eliminates this disadvantage. Another thing is that the buyer cannot know in advance whether his thing has passed such a treatment, and therefore the risk always remains.
• Electrification. Fleece things quite easily and quickly collect current on themselves, which in the modern world is increasingly considered to be a sign of low-quality clothing.
• Ability to collect dust. A static charge collected on fleece matter contributes to the attraction of dust, and a large number of cavities in the structure of the fabric only contributes to its accumulation. If a person is not particularly susceptible to it, then this will not be a big problem, but for some people it causes bright bouts of allergy.

Fleece is not so much a specific material, but a group of different types of fabrics, each of which has its own characteristics and can be more or less suitable for specific tasks. The classification criteria can be the texture (one-sided or two-sided) and many other parameters, we consider only two main ones.

Fleece matter does not imply some standard indicators, each manufacturer can change the same density at its own discretion.As a result of such manipulations, actually different tissues appear with a different degree of heat preservation, therefore it is possible to make things for fundamentally different needs from the same matter (judging by the name). This is best seen on the example of a specific classification.

• Thin fleece weighs only 100-200 grams per square meter. Tailoring from it is not entirely justified, since the material does not retain heat so well to be used on its own, without other clothing. The main scope of such a fabric is the manufacture of thermal underwear, as well as from it you can make a lining for light spring and autumn jackets.

• Medium density fleece is already heavier - 200-300 g / m2. It is this material that is usually used for sewing children's clothes, since with a relatively small weight of things they provide decent protection from the cold in combination with other clothes. The same material is most often used for sewing gloves and hats.

• Dense fleece weighing up to 400 grams per square meter is designed to solve serious problems with low temperatures, since it has a considerable thickness and heat-saving ability. Winter outerwear is often sewn from this type of fabric, and it is most suitable for sewing warm rugs - you can sleep naked under them even in a relatively cold apartment.

• Fleece material is called dense, whose density exceeded 400 grams per square meter. (600 grams are considered to be the maximum value). In our area, such matter is not met everywhere - it is designed for fairly harsh conditions, because the clothes are sewn from it either for a very harsh climate, or for a long stay in the cold. In the conditions of the middle lane, the main consumers of such products are usually tourists who go to the mountains or to winter outings with an overnight stay in a tent.

For the same significant differences in density, we can conclude that the fleece production technology is described only in general terms - each manufacturer can incorporate its own features into the procedure in order to achieve an optimal result. Many companies have done this over the past four decades, as a result of which they began to identify several specific types of fleece fabrics, whose names are often known far more widely than the term “fleece” itself. It is difficult to list them all, because the problem even consists in simply counting them; therefore, we single out only the most famous ones and emphasize their principal characteristics.

• Microfiber, or velsoft - a type of fleece with increased strength and softness, the density is usually in the range of 250-310 g / m2. The key feature of microfiber is the elongated pile, thanks to which it can absorb significant amounts of water, while it dries very quickly. These characteristics allow it to be used for the production of various travel towels and cloths for wiping glasses.

• Mahra, also known as frote, consists predominantly of cotton or flax, and although their percentage may vary as a percentage, this material is often considered natural rather than synthetic. The pile is double-sided here, it is formed due to small loops of separate threads. The density of the mat is 160-180 g / m2, and although it does not have outstanding thermal insulation properties, it is often used for sewing light blankets because of its pleasantness to the touch.

• Footer It is produced with a certain amount of cotton added, so that manufacturers get more durable material with an increased ability to absorb water. The laying of the footer is observed only on one side, which reduces its thickness, practically without affecting the ability to retain heat.

• Velours among all the above described fabrics it is the most dense and, accordingly, the warmest.The density of this material varies greatly - from 220 to 420 g / m2, which affects the width of the villus layer (3-7 mm). Velor is valued for the fact that it is not prone to creasing and wrinkling, while it is characterized by high resistance to wear.

The positive properties of fleece in general, as well as the abundance of varieties that are more or less suitable for diverse tasks, leads to the widespread use of this fabric in the modern clothing industry. Practically there is no such category of consumers that would have absolutely no relation to fleece things, and in all countries of the world, distinguished by the presence of a cool season, fleece fabric is very much in demand.

Hunters and fishermen highly value this material, which can save it from the fierce winter frosts. Thanks to the latter, it is also in demand in the sector of casual wear, and of a completely different type - from thermal underwear and socks through dressing gowns to “weekend” sweatshirts and vests.

Fleece fabric also gained great popularity in the field of children's clothing, although here it is valued mainly for other reasons. The main factor is the impressive softness of things sewn from fleece, which children like very much, as well as the complete hypoallergenic nature of such material, which completely deprives parents of the need to find out the reasons for a sudden cold. If the child is well dressed in several layers of clothing, fleece overalls in combination with a hat and gloves from the same material will complete the baby's weatherization. With all the carelessness of children, fleece clothing for them is also a safety criterion, because bacteria do not like to settle in it, which prevents the risk of various diseases.

If we are talking about products for children, it should be noted that soft toys are also produced using fleece. The advantages of using it are the same - softness, hypoallergenicity and antibacterial environment, but these advantages also add the ability to paint fleece things in any bright colors, and the product will be unwilling to molt.

At the same time, the unpretentiousness of fleece matter and its ability to pass moisture without absorption leads to the active use of the same fabric as upholstery for upholstered furniture - sofas and armchairs. It is also possible to manufacture upholstery for mattresses and pillows from the same fleece.

The positive side of using fleece things is the possibility of washing them in a washing machine, but not everything is so simple. First of all, synthetic fibers do not like high temperature, therefore they should not be washed at temperatures above 40 degrees, nor is it recommended to iron them - after that you should not be surprised if the fabric has sat down or has begun to show any other negative signs that were not peculiar to it . Often the matter sits down after washing and because the temperature was maintained during washing, but then the owner “guessed” to hang the product for drying on a hot heater.

All the useful characteristics of the fleece fabric are relevant only as long as all the components individually remain intact, so it is very important not to use anything that could harm delicate fabric during washing. For this reason, fleece is usually washed in a gentle wash mode, the use of various chemical softeners and bleaches is strictly prohibited.

After washing, fleece products are not recommended to be twisted - they dry quickly without it. Drying and storing them is usually recommended on ordinary hangers for clothes, if there are none, or there is nowhere to hang them, clothes can even be folded neatly.

Toys in fleece upholstery can not be washed, but if they are small in size, it is possible to make their effective cleaning by the dry method. To do this, put the toy into a rather thick plastic bag, after which about a quarter cup of ordinary kitchen soda is added. Then the bag is tightly tied and they begin to shake vigorously - it takes at least a minute, it is assumed that the soda should come into contact with the surface of the product everywhere, and sometimes even get inside. In contact with dirt, the soda should bind the latter and pull it to the surface, therefore, the product extracted from the bag at the end of the procedure is carefully rubbed with a dry brush.

For details on how to care for fleece clothing, see the video below.