In terms of sustainability, hemp is the least harmful to the environment. The hemp crop requires little water to grow and replenishes soil nutrients to help improve soil health. It is also biodegradable and is one of the stronger textile fabrics.
Hemp has been used as clothing fiber for at least 10,000 years. Traditional methods for turning hemp fiber into fabric are eco-friendly, and today many companies still use those methods. Hemp is one of the strongest and most durable of all fibers; it holds its shape well, and it does not require herbicides or pesticides to produce. It is also antimicrobial to protect your skin better. Once the world’s most ubiquitous fiber crop, hemp has largely been replaced by cotton and other fibers, both natural and synthetic. However, renewed interest in the hemp industry is opening the possibility for new hemp textiles to be produced.
Ancient history has shown us that it has always been possible to make a variety of high-quality, durable fabrics from hemp, either alone or in combination with other natural fibers such as flax or silk. Although traditionally hemp fabric is rough and sort of scratchy, there are a variety of remarkable delicate textiles that can be produced from hemp. Linen is a lightweight textile that can be made from pure hemp. Although ‘linen’ refers strictly to cloth made from flax fibers, the standard linen weave is used with other fibers; the resulting textiles are all generally known as linens.
Cloth made from hemp is lightweight, durable and breathable, and is excellent in hot, humid conditions.Hemp is also widely used to make terry cloth, a towel like fabric primarily used as an absorbent. When used in combination with silk, hemp can be used to make taffeta fabric that’s used in ball-gowns and wedding dresses. It can also be made into a charmeuse, a lustrous satin that is fabulous for figure draping lingerie and flowing evening dresses. Hemp is often blended with cotton to make cloth diapers because of its superior absorption and durability qualities and the increase in the softness of the fabric. Because hemp is antibacterial and antimicrobial, it helps
prevent diaper rash and related skin conditions in babies. Basically most knitted fabrics, when blended with hemp, have improved softness.
Lab tests showed that hemp fabric helps kill the ‘staph’ bacteria (staphylococcus aureus). Researchers studied the growth of the bacteria on a textile made from a blend of 60% hemp fiber and 40% rayon, and discovered that 98.5% of the bacteria had died by the time of first testing. The same textile was also infected with Klebsiella pneumonia, and was 65.1% effective in killing the bacteria at first testing.
Fabrics made from hemp could be very beneficial for the healthcare industry. Scrubs made with hemp material could help keep bacteria from spreading from one patient to the next and protect the wearer from dangerous bacteria infection. Touching towels, sheets or clothing previously handled by an infected person often transmits staph infections. MRSA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) , a deadly bacteria people get in the hospital, is estimated to kill 19,000 people each year in the USA alone. Making fabrics from hemp for hospitals could help keep those nasty germs at bay.
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