IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN BUYING EGYPTIAN COTTON
The rarity and qualities of Egyptian cotton has tempted many to disguise their inferior
merchandize. They have been following different approaches in doing so. Some might use a blend of fibers in weaving the fabric of which Egyptian cotton might be as little as 5%. They might use Short Staple fibers instead of Long and Extra Long Staple fiber.
While both grown in Egypt, there is still a considerable difference in quality though. This will be discussed in details in Grades of Egyptian Cotton. Others have gone as far as using seeds from Egypt while the plant has been grown somewhere else, which takes away the crucial factor of climate. At the end all of them use the generic deceptive phrase of “Egyptian Cotton”. Depending mainly on the lack of consumer experience.
Consumers need to be informed to ensure they are getting the best value for the money invested in their purchases.
So here are some tips for you if you are about to select some new valuable Egyptian cotton bed linens to dress up your bedroom:
- Before purchase, make sure that it is clearly stated by the retailer that it is Long or Extra Long Staple Egyptian cotton or Super fine Egyptian cotton.
- Make sure that it is written on the product tag that the product is 100% Pure Egyptian cotton or something that reflects that meaning.
- Ask for the country of origin. Countries known for weaving long and extra long staple Egyptian cotton include Italy, France, Egypt and Switzerland. Several countries in Asia are known for blending Egyptian cotton with lower quality short staple cotton fibres, and using chemicals to make the cotton seem softer, however, this spoils the yarn and weakens the fabric and the softness disappears after a few washes.
- Ask specifically about the grade of Egyptian cotton used in weaving the fabric. If the answer is not one of the LS or ELS grades – Giza 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93 or the famous Giza 70 and Giza 45 – then most probably the fabric is made from low quality short staple cotton, not LS or ELS, even if it the retailer claims that it is 100% Egyptian cotton.
- Check the softness and the quality of finishing of the linens, ask if there is any warranty against pilling, (Real Egyptian Cotton never pills).
- See if the price of the sheets is reasonable, as mentioned in the preceding blog, less than 0.7% of the Cotton grown in the entire world is Egyptian Cotton, so prices such as $60 or $70 per set means that cotton used is NOT pure authentic Long or Extra Long Staple Egyptian cotton.
Think of whether you want to invest in comfortable, long lasting bed linen that help you to indulge yourself in solid sleep. If so, invest a little more time in reading these blogs, which aim to raise awareness about the attributes of Egyptian cotton in order to avoid sales spin and marketing tactics.
In the next blog post, we will discuss in detail other aspects of judging the quality of bed linen to ensure you are getting the most for your money.