Quite often you can find in stores bed sheets of inadequate quality, in other words, a fake. The packaging may indicate one fabric composition, for example, “100% cotton,” but in reality the bed linen will be made from cheap synthetic fabric. Sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers are cunning and do not indicate the composition of the fabric at all. Not all buyers, unfortunately, pay attention to this.

How to distinguish natural bedding from synthetics?

Bedding set weight

The first method is not very accurate, but it will allow you to avoid buying a low-quality fake already at the selection stage. Synthetic bed linen weighs 1.5-2 times lighter than a similar one natural cotton or flax. Just compare the weight of the package, and if the linen is suspiciously light, refrain from purchasing it.

Electrification of fabric

The second method is associated with the properties of synthetics to become highly electrified. If you rub synthetic fabric, it can crackle and glow in the dark - probably everyone has encountered such phenomena at some point in their lives. WITH natural fabric made of cotton, linen or bamboo this will never happen.

Crease test

The third method is to check for creaseability. Synthetic fabrics, as a rule, do not wrinkle at all and regain their shape very quickly. Natural bed linen fabric will definitely doubt it, to a greater or lesser extent, since this is a property of all natural fabrics.

Characteristic shine

The fourth method is to determine synthetics by the sheen of the fabric. Synthetic fabrics have a characteristic shine, which is why they often look more beautiful than natural ones. But you shouldn’t fall for this unnatural beauty. This method is not suitable for satin and silk, as these natural fabrics can also have a smooth, shiny surface.

The smell of textiles

The fifth method is very accurate, but it can only be applied after purchase. If you take the thread out of the fabric, from the wrong side, and set it on fire, it burns, smells like burnt paper and leaves ash. Synthetics either smolder or melt, leaving no ash and a completely different smell.

Peelability of the material

The sixth method is to check for fabric pilling. If during operation on bed linen If “pellets” appear, then most likely the fabric is artificial. Think about your old cotton items - even if they are very worn, they will never have the “pillings” characteristic of synthetics.

Drying speed

The seventh method is the drying speed of bed linen. Synthetics dry very quickly, sometimes even after spinning in washing machine it is already almost dry. Bed linen made from natural fabric will take much longer to dry.

We hope these methods will help you avoid a bad purchase. Although, of course, not all of them are applicable at the stage of choosing a bedding set.

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  Bed linen Poplin Palladio, T1205\2

  Material:

  Poplin

  2 bedroom

  Pillowcase:

  1 850 R

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100% COTTON


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Bed linen Poplin Botticelli, T1205/2

Material:

Poplin

2 bedroom

Pillowcase:

1 850 R

It is usually not difficult to distinguish synthetic fabric from natural fabric in a store. Just read the composition of the material on the price tag, or ask the seller. In addition, natural fabrics are often much more expensive than synthetics. However, there are quite a lot of situations where the composition of the tissue is unknown. How can you find out what the fabric is made of? Read under the cut.




Serious doubts regarding the composition of the fabric may arise if you buy a piece secondhand, or if you discover large deposits of fabric of unknown origin at home. :) Sometimes I doubt the composition of the fabric even in the store. For example, if the cotton feels too silky or stretchy. Or if it doesn't wrinkle at all.

But why so scrupulously find out the true composition of the material? Firstly, to understand the fabric you have chosen. And secondly, . I am one of them. I feel hot in synthetics, but the worst thing is allergic reactions. Of course there should be A complex approach, and food, as well as cosmetics, should also be as natural as possible. But clothing can be a big factor in combating unpleasant skin reactions.

In my opinion, with experience, many fabrics can be identified by touch. For example, natural wool has a very recognizable smell and is easy to recognize by touch. But, of course, you can always run into a very well-made synthetic fabric. How to determine the composition of the fabric? For this we need... Matches or a lighter. Yes, yes, we will check the composition of the fabric this old-fashioned way.

For my experiment I selected:








Viscose lining fabric.





Unnamed fabric, synthetic in my opinion.



Unnamed chiffon, similar to synthetics.







Let's start the experiment. General rule for all natural fabrics: the ashes should be ground into powder. The ashes of mixed fabrics cannot be ground into powder; lumps will still remain between your fingers.

How should wool behave?

The wool curls up into a ball and emits a burnt lint smell.













Result: I admit that wool was the most difficult for me. Since almost all wool was added, this slightly changed the reaction of the fabric to ignition. And, as you can see, the ashes were not ground into powder.




Cotton should burn like paper.





Result: a piece of fabric caught fire like paper, the ashes were perfectly ground into powder. Confirming the composition of cotton was very simple.

The burning silk should “jump” above the match and not emit any odor.





In the old days, there were only natural fabrics everywhere: they simply didn’t know how to make others. Then the world was rocked by discoveries such as the creation of polyester and other synthetic fibers. Then the scales tipped in the other direction again, and a whole trend for everything natural emerged. But while everyone around is talking about the dangers of “all chemicals,” let’s study the materiel a little. Should you give preference only to natural products?

Created by nature

So, let's start with the fact that natural fabrics are divided into four groups: cotton, linen, wool and silk.

There are a lot of cotton fabrics. Among them there are both thin ones - summer T-shirts, shirts, light trousers and jumpers are made from them, as well as dense and fleecy ones (for example, denim, flannel, corduroy), which provide good warmth. Cotton is good for many things: hypoallergenic, pleasant to the touch, durable, easy to wash and iron. But there is another side to the coin: it stretches when worn, sheds quickly, does not remove moisture well, gets wet and takes a long time to dry, so it is not suitable for sports.

Main advantage flax the fact that it is not hot even in extreme heat. After all, it not only protects the body from overheating, but is also able to give you a little extra coolness. This is a thin but durable fabric with a pleasant texture. But linen wrinkles very much and is difficult to iron, remember?

Wool indispensable in the cold season: it warms well and removes moisture, and is pleasant to wear. Therefore, classic suits made of fine wool, tweed jackets and cashmere scarves are always beyond competition. However, caring for fur is not so easy and it can cause allergies.

Silk items are superior to their counterparts in durability and beauty. Silk It is very pleasant to the touch, dries quickly, and is comfortable in the heat. But this is a delicate fabric, so silk ties, plastrons, scarves, shirts and suits require special care.

In a nutshell, natural fabrics are of plant or animal origin, so they are environmentally friendly, breathe well and have excellent thermoregulation, but can be fragile and require careful handling.



Man made

There is an opinion that synthetics may not be very beneficial for health. There is some truth in this, but not everything is so scary. Modern technologies make it possible to produce fabrics that are not inferior to natural ones in many respects, and even superior to them in others. Durable, practical materials are created from artificial fibers, which are used mainly for the production of sportswear and clothing for active recreation. These are very soft and warm fleece, practical Polartek, breathable membrane fabrics, durable nylon, etc. What fibers are they made from?

Acrylic conventionally called artificial wool. He looks like her too: soft and warm. Inexpensive sweaters, jumpers, scarves and hats made of acrylic are noticeably lighter than wool ones. But its ability to pass air is much lower and it quickly loses its original appearance.

Polyamides They are quite durable, they retain their shape for a long time, do not stretch or shrink. Fabrics made from such fibers are easy to clean and dry, but they do not provide heat, do not remove moisture from the body, and become electrified. They are used to make waterproof windbreakers, some sportswear, bags, backpacks.




GORE-TEX ® membrane under a microscope

Polyester- the fiber is ambiguous. You should not buy everyday clothes made from it: they are not very comfortable and can cause allergies. But it’s not for nothing that sports items are made of polyester - it is elastic, wicks away moisture well, dries quickly, is easy to wash, does not wrinkle, is strong and durable.

To obtain mixed materials, synthetic fibers are often combined with natural ones. This is something of a compromise between a natural product and synthetics. When mixed fibers are strengthened beneficial features and shortcomings are eliminated. For example, linen with the addition of polyamide or viscose wrinkles less, and cotton with a small polyamide content is elastic, durable, does not wrinkle and dries much faster.

Everything is in its place

You see, synthetics are not so scary. Sometimes artificial materials are irreplaceable: try skiing in a wool coat or swimming in a pool in silk swimming trunks.

“But how can that be? Synthetics are pure chemistry,” advocates of everything natural will be indignant. Do not get excited and reject everything that is not made of cotton, wool, linen or silk. Yes, most modern synthetic fibers are produced in factories from oil, gas, and coal products. This may sound a little scary, but modern technologies can significantly reduce or completely eliminate the harmful effects of fabrics. But you get things that dry in a matter of hours, do not wear out, do not get wet and do not absorb sweat, but remove it out.

Without synthetics, the production of ski and snowboard clothing, items for tourism and recreation is unthinkable. Almost all global brands use synthetic fibers in their production to one degree or another. casual wear. And they do this not at all to reduce the cost, but to make your jackets and thermal underwear practical and comfortable.




Cotton fabric under a microscope

The war between natural and artificial fabrics is in vain. Depending on the purpose of use, both are good. Natural materials or mixes are undoubtedly better for casual wear and classic items; synthetics are better for sports and outdoor activities. So it’s better not to rush to extremes, but to look soberly at things and what they are made of.

Natural and mixed: jumpers, turtlenecks and other warm knitwear, scarves, coats, shirts, suits.

Synthetic: raincoats, autumn and winter jackets, parkas, down jackets, sportswear, thermal underwear, shoes.

Why was it necessary to invent synthetic motor oil?

The conditions under which the engine operates may vary. The operating mode of the motor is constantly changing. We started the engine - it warms up, stopped it - it cools down. And during operation, the engine constantly changes its own mode - the speed, temperature, and so on change. For this reason, an impeccable motor oil can be an oil whose characteristics remain consistent under different engine operating conditions. But this is actually unrealistic.

Under various conditions, a mineral motor oil base cannot ensure the stability of the substance. Using the method of molecular synthesis, scientists were able to obtain a synthetic base. It is much less exposed to external causes. Its characteristics during long-term operation are more measured. For the first time, such synthetic motor oil was used in aviation. At low temperatures, when starting the engine, the mineral oil simply froze. At first, the costs of creating synthetic oil were very high, and this did not allow its mass use in car engines. Only over time has synthetic motor oil become cheaper. It was then that they began to use it in the auto industry.

So, we can summarize:

1. Synthetic motor oil is less susceptible to temperature changes.

2. Synthetic oil is able to retain its characteristics longer during use.

3. It is impossible to maintain such an oil parameter as viscosity at an appropriate level if a completely mineral base is used.

If the area where the vehicle is operated does not have temperatures within winter period below 15-20 degrees Celsius, there is no need to use synthetic motor oil.

When using mineral or semi-synthetic oil, you will simply have to change it more often.

There is also semi-synthetic motor oil. It is created from a mixed base. 30-50% of it is a synthetic base, and the rest is a mineral base. This oil has much better stability characteristics than mineral oil. But it is worse than synthetic motor oil.

Such semi-synthetic motor oil should be poured into a modern engine with high mileage. Typically, under such conditions, the waste of synthetic oil increases. Semi-synthetic oil is the best way out. Synthetics are contraindicated for such engines.

So is it possible to mix mineral, synthetic and semi-synthetic oils?

The question of mixing may arise when one engine oil is changed to another, when it is necessary to add oil to the engine. In principle, it is not worth combining different oils. But this is not worth doing because completely different additives are mixed, and it is not clear what kind of chemical reaction there will be. The purchased mixture will not meet the standards or requirements. Any mixing is the last resort. Although the very fact of the existence of semi-synthetic motor oil suggests the idea that it is possible to combine mineral and synthetic motor oils. True, under certain criteria:

1. Comparability of only the database of the 1st manufacturer can be guaranteed.

Different manufacturers use different technologies to obtain the base itself. The chemical composition is also different.

2. If it is necessary to add oil, then it is safer to add another oil, but from the same manufacturer.

3. When changing the oil, you need to keep in mind that some amount of it still remains in the engine. Mixing occurs with the newly filled oil. For this reason, the characteristics of the oil change somewhat. For this reason, in several service cycles you will have to change the oil more often than usual.

It is immediately necessary to warn that motor oils are counterfeited much more often than gasoline. In auto markets you can often come across “wrong” oil, although in spare parts stores you can also simply run into a fake. If you ever have to take oil from an unknown place, it is better to purchase a brand that is not very advertised. They're just less likely to be counterfeited. In any case, we recommend keeping the receipt and canister until the next replacement. Will be needed.

Symbols of motor oils.

Here, let's take 10W40 as an example. According to the SAE standard, this is a viscosity designation. The first digit (in our example it is 10) indicates the thickening index. You need to know that the lower the index, the lower the oil can withstand temperatures. Thickening indices range from 0 to 15. The 2nd digit (and in our example it is 40) indicates the viscosity at an engine temperature of 100 degrees. Thicker oil is indicated by a larger number. Oil with a viscosity of 60 is the thickest. But the letter between 2 numbers indicates the time of its use. The letter W from the word WINTER is for winter. In other words, the oil is “winter”.

What oil should I choose for my car?

You need to look at the annotation. It will certainly say what engine oil is recommended. 5W40 oil can be filled instead of the recommended 10W40 oil. But in the summer such a substitution will not lead to either bad or excellent. It is not recommended to use motor oil that has too high a viscosity. High viscosity promotes oil accumulation in the cylinder head.

According to the API standard, the property index is denoted by 2 large Latin characters. For example, SF signs. The 2nd letter indicates the quality of the oil. And the better the oil is considered, the further down the alphabet this letter is. SF oil will satisfy not only most VAZs, but also suit foreign cars produced in the 80s. But SG oil is suitable for most new imported cars recent years. Almost any oil, as it is officially starting to be created in Russia, has counterfeits.

The main difference between synthetic motor oil and mineral oil is the higher stability of its parameters at different temperatures and during long-term operation. This is what we talked about in our own article “How to distinguish synthetic oil from mineral oil.”

Car owners often have a question: which oil is better to choose: synthetic or semi-synthetic? When choosing, you must take into account the following characteristics of the car: make, age, mileage and technical condition. You should also know the basic differences between synthetics and semi-synthetics.

Synthetic motor oil is a product of artificial origin, obtained either by deep refining of oil or from natural gas by molecular synthesis. It is little affected by external factors and almost does not change its properties with prolonged use.
Semi-synthetic oil is obtained by mixing two different bases in the following proportions: 30-50% synthetic and 50-70% mineral oil. What synthetics are is described above, and mineral oil is a product natural origin, obtained from petroleum through distillation and subsequent purification.

Differences between synthetic and semi-synthetic oil

What does the concept of stability mean in relation to synthetic motor oil, and what does it mean for the average car owner? Synthetic motor oil contains molecules whose performance characteristics are carefully calculated. This means that this type of oil has high thermal and chemical stability. Therefore, synthetics are much less afraid of overheating than other oils and low temperatures. It ensures safe engine operation, both in summer and winter, because it maintains optimal viscosity even when operating at high speeds and heavy engine load. Chemical stability means there is no interaction when working with oil, so its properties do not change for a long time.
Semi-synthetic oil is more stable than mineral oil, but inferior to synthetic oil, but under certain conditions it should be preferred to synthetic oil. If the car has significant mileage, then it is necessary to fill the engine with semi-synthetic, since synthetics produce high carbon emissions. Semi-synthetics can be safely used even when the car is not operated at low temperatures (below twenty degrees Celsius), if the other characteristics of the oil are suitable for the car. Semi-synthetic oil will have to be changed somewhat more often than synthetic oil.

How to distinguish synthetics from semi-synthetics

Synthetics are less afraid of low temperatures and overheating compared to semi-synthetics.
Synthetic oil retains its performance properties longer, protects the engine well from wear, and it also needs to be changed less frequently than semi-synthetic oil.
Synthetics have greater fluidity and penetrating ability, so they can reduce power loss due to friction and reduce fuel consumption.
Semi-synthetics would be better suited for highly accelerated gasoline and diesel engines, as well as turbocharged engines. It is very effective when starting a cold engine.