CCRC: A Holistic Approach to Home Clothing Care
When doctors take a holistic approach with patients, it means they study every aspect of their patients’ physical, mental and social situation to cure and prevent illness.
CCRC takes a holistic approach to improving home clothing care. We study the interaction of textiles, wash chemistries, equipment and apparel trends to solve and prevent problems before they reach the retailer and consumer. We call it Fabricology, a science that includes these elements:
- Textile Technologies, such as emerging high-performance textiles that provide special benefits to consumers and workers, such as stain protection, odor elimination and flame retardants.
- Fabric Care studies how detergents and other wash chemistries perform with various textile types.
- Clothes Care Equipment looks at new washer and dryer technologies that save both time and energy.
- Fashion and Color forecasts styles and trends on the horizon that provide new opportunities for innovative textile mills and apparel companies.
Want to test your Fabric Care knowledge? Try CCRC's True/False quiz below:
-
Hydrophobic textiles are fabrics that can not be washed in water.
False. Hydrophobic textiles are water repelling; having a low degree of moisture absorption or attraction. Learn more textile terminology here.
-
There is no performance difference between liquid and powder laundry detergents.
False. Liquid detergents are usually better at removing greasy stains, while powdered detergents are usually better at removing mud, dirt and other ground soils. Learn more laundry detergents here.
-
Most consumers check the care labels on their garments.
True. Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor™ reports that 37 percent of female consumers surveyed said that they always read care labels, an additional 20 percent said they usually check, and 29 percent said they sometimes check. Learn more here.
-
Drying a smaller load takes longer than larger loads.
True. Small loads reduce the tumbling effect, and prolong the drying period. GE recommends adding three or four dry clean white towels to speed up the drying time for small loads. Learn more washer and dryer performance tips here.
-
Flame resistant (FR) apparel prevents burn injuries.
False. FR garments will not provide significant protection from burn injury in the immediate area of contact with the ignition source. However, flame resistant garments do provide protection against clothing ignition and sustained flame spread. Learn more about FR fabrics here.
-
Stain release and stain repel are not the same thing when it comes to performance textiles.
True. Effective stain prevention for the apparel markets has moved beyond repel-only capabilities, according to the experts at Milliken. Learn more here.
-
Fashion trends are determined at top-secret meetings around the world.
False. There are no secret cabals meeting in undisclosed locations to dictate the colors and styles we will be wearing. Cotton Incorporated provides intelligence to the textile industries through its semi-annual Apparel Color and Fabric Trend Forecasting report. Learn how they determine trends here.
-
Frontload washers are better than topload washers.
False, although that perception exists. Many factors impact consumer satisfaction with washing machines and each style delivers different benefits. Learn more here.
-
For high-efficiency washers, you need to use half the amount of your regular detergent.
False. High efficiency (HE) washing machines do require less detergent because they use less water. Standard detergents can cause over-sudsing when less water is used. But since HE machines can handle large loads, using less of your standard detergent will not be sufficient to clean your clothes.
-
You can use your inkjet printer to make quilts.
True! Printed Treasures™ is soft cotton fabric that actually works with home inkjet printers to add a new dimension to quilting. Learn more here.
Your feedback will help us improve the CCRC website to better meet your needs.