Cotton, wool – it’s all the same, right? Not really. Anyone who has ever accidentally put a wool sweater in the regular wash knows that's not a good thing. Wool cannot withstand high temperatures – it shrinks quickly and felts. Cotton is harvested from the cotton bush and then processed into T-shirts, for example, whereas wool is of animal origin. One should make sure to separate these textiles when washing. This experiment shows yet another difference between wool and cotton.
Cotton and wool
You will need
- Threads or pieces of fabric made of white cotton and natural colored wool
- Red colored lemonade (with artificial food coloring)
Let’s get started!
1. Preparation
Cut out two pieces of fabric approximately 10 x 10 cm – one from a cotton fabric and one from a wool fabric. Also cut out two 10-cm threads so that you also have a cotton thread and a wool thread. Put the cotton and wool samples into separate jars.
2. Dyeing
Fill the glasses halfway with lemonade. Stir both glasses continuously for 10 minutes.
3. Comparison
After 10 minutes, take everything out of the jars and briefly rinse the pieces under the tap. Pat the threads and fabric pieces dry with a paper towel. Place them next to each other and compare them. What differences can you notice? Which piece of fabric has taken on more color?
