Organic cotton as a material - the care and properties of organic cotton
Organic cotton is popping up more and more, replacing traditional cotton in textiles. Organic cotton has a reputation as a sustainable and more ethical alternative to traditional cotton. You can find organic cotton widely in Gugguu’s products - all of our patterned jersey products, patterned cotton fleece products, knitted cotton accessories and patterned hats and caps are made with GOTS certified organic cotton.
In this article we will be discussing more about the properties of organic cotton and how it differs from traditional cotton. We’ll be talking a bit more in detail on where the cotton we use comes from and how it travels from the field to our warehouse as beautiful children’s wear. You’ll also get tips on how to treat your cotton clothes so that your garments last!
- About cotton
- What separates organic cotton and traditional cotton?
- How can I make sure it really is organic cotton?
- How to take care of organic cotton clothes?
About cotton
Cotton is a natural fibre that comes from cotton shrubs. The fibre comes from a boll that protects the seeds and it looks like a little, poofy flower. Cotton grows in warm conditions. The biggest cotton growers are the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Turkey. The most common cotton type is upland cotton, but tens of different types of cotton exist - all with their own unique properties that are good for specific products.
Cotton is one of the most commonly used materials in textiles. It’s properties make it perfect for a wide variety of uses. It’s a soft fibre, so it doesn’t feel itchy on the skin, so it works well for people who can’t use wool. It’s also non-allergic, so it’s a great material for clothing. Cotton is great for dyeing and it has great ability to hold dye. One other important factor is strength, which plays an important role both in home textiles and clothing. Even though cotton is more breathable than many synthetic fibres, it does hold onto moisture. This is why cotton is not a popular material in baselayer clothes that are meant to keep the wearer dry. Cotton has great thermal conductivity, which makes it feel cool in the summer heat and warm in the cold winter. Cotton can also handle a lot of washing, so it’s the perfect choice for children’s clothes.
How does organic cotton differ from regular cotton?
Cotton and organic cotton have the same physical features. The difference is purely in the farming and the handling, making organic cotton a more ethical and ecological option.
As usual in organic farming, the process is more natural. This is done by avoiding harsh chemicals that would erode the land. For watering, rain water is often utilised, cutting down the amount of fresh water needed for the farming. Crop rotation is used to keep the soil healthy. Usually these actions affect the workers at the farms too, as the chemical loads are smaller and the environment is healthier.
How do I know it’s really organic?
Certifications help you find the products that are truly made with organic cotton. We have written an article on the certificates in the fashion industry, which you can read here. Organic cotton has two common certificates, GOTS and OCS.
GOTS
GOTS aka Global Organic Textile Standard is the leading third party certification for organic materials. To get the GOTS certification, the product must have at least 70% of it’s materials produced organically. To get the certification, GOTS requires the production process to take into account certain ecological and ethical aspects, so the certification goes a bit deeper than just the organic materials in the product.
The organic cotton yarn used in Gugguu products has the GOTS certificate. In our specific case, at least 95% of the material in the yarn is organic and the production process is ecological and ethical. The cotton we use is farmed in Turkey and India.
OCS
OCS aka Organic Content Standard is an international third party certificate that proves that the product is either fully organic or partly organic.
OCS has two different certificates: OCS 100 and OCS Blended. OCS 100 is the stricter certificate: it requires that the product is 95% organic. OCS Blended approves products with at least 5% organic content, the rest can be either non-organic natural fibres or synthetic fibres.
Organic cotton in Gugguu products
We have systematically been growing the amount of organic cotton vs. regular cotton in our products. Our goal is to grow the amount of GOTS certified organic cotton to 90% in all of our products containing cotton. We’re well on our way - in the past couple of years we’ve grown the amount to á 30%.
Knitted accessories
Every spring we launch our organic cotton knitted accessories. They’re all designed and made in Finland with 100% organic cotton.
Washing instructions
Wash 60℃. Wash with similar colors. If the product has tufts, remove them before washing. Do not tumble dry. Don’t use bleach or products containing bleaching agents.
Print jersey
During the years 2020 and 2021 we switched our previous print jersey fabric that was made with traditional cotton, to a new one made with organic cotton. Now all of our patterned jersey products are made with a fabric that’s 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane.
Washing instructions
Wash 40℃. Wash with similar colors as the lightest color in the print. Wash turned inside out. Dry by hanging indoors. Do not tumble dry. Don’t use bleach or products containing bleaching agents. No dry cleaning. Iron on low or medium heat.
Print cotton fleece
Like our patterned jersey, we introduced a new version of our print cotton fleece to a version made with organic cotton. Now all of our patterned cotton fleece products, like sweatshirts, are made with a fabric that’s 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane.
Washing instructions
Wash 40℃. Wash with similar colors as the lightest color in the print. Wash turned inside out. Dry by hanging indoors. Do not tumble dry. Don’t use bleach or products containing bleaching agents. No dry cleaning. Iron on low or medium heat.
Patterned caps and hats
Our popular print caps and print brimmed sun hats are also made with organic cotton. This sturdy fabric is also featured in our 2022 new design, the soon to be launched Print Backpack. It’s 100% organic cotton.
Washing instructions
Wash by hand, no machine washing. Do not tumble dry. Don’t use bleach or products containing bleaching agents. Iron on low.
Summary
Organic cotton is an important material for us and increasing the amount of it in Gugguu products is an important part of Gugguu’s sustainability strategy. Thus far we’ve gained a lot of great feedback from our customers on how lovely and soft the new materials feel. We’re going to keep going on our journey to find organic cotton fabrics for the rest of our products that match the strong quality standards.
