Cotton and synthetic blends have been a constant staple of the fashion market for ages. The comfort of organic cotton fabrics and the durability of synthetic products are a great combination. Hence, no surprise that cotton-spandex fabrics are fast becoming the preferred choice amongst fashionistas.

Want to know more about cotton spandex fabric? Read on. Spandex is a synthetic fabric known best for its elasticity. This material is blended with the cotton fibres to create a cotton spandex fabric with an exceptionally high stretchability. Notably, this blend is manufactured with around 95% cotton and 5% Lycra or spandex.

Comfortable, easy to wear, soft, and stretchable are just some reasons why spandex is so popular. In addition, clothes made out of this blend are significantly cheaper than 100% cotton clothes, letting you can stylise your wardrobe cost-effectively.

What Are The Benefits Of Cotton Spandex?

There are several reasons to opt for clothes produced from this blend. Cotton spandex clothes are preferred in a warmer climate. As cotton constitutes a large component of spandex, this fibre blend comparatively allows more air circulation in comparison to other synthetic clothes. The moisture-wicking property of cotton allows blended clothes to absorb and expel perspiration-induced bodily fluids faster and effectively

Spandex also is easy to maintain and taking care of your spandex clothes is hassle-free. Clothes made of spandex fibres do not wrinkle quickly. As cotton fibres wrap the tiny synthetic spandex filaments to create this blend, the garments are exceptionally stretchy, yet not overly susceptible to wear and tear. This makes spandex easy to maintain and a natural choice for rough and tough wear. The high-tensile strength of cotton ensures that these garments do not get worn out due to repeated cleaning allowing you to put them through more washing cycles.

The degree of crystallinity of blended fibres increases when your clothes get wet. So, excessive exposure to water does not cause them severe damage. It is these attributes that make the cotton-spandex blend an ideal choice for casual clothing and athleisure wear.

Cotton spandex clothes also have reduced risks of surface defects like pilling or bobbling (fuzz or small balls of thread that clump together on the surface of your clothes, mostly after a wash). Bobbles can make your clothes look worn out and reduce the aesthetic look of your garments significantly. But with cotton-spandex clothing, you don’t have to worry about the shabby look of bunches of tangled fibres.

What Are The Care Instructions For Cotton Spandex Garments?

Despite their natural longevity, spandex can last longer if you follow some basic essentials of taking care of these apparel.

Always wash these garments with cold water. You can use natural detergent or additives to make certain there are no germs or odours in the fabric. A simple household baking soda can also be used to offer these clothes a refreshing smell. Adding baking soda can also help prevent rashes and skin irritations when you are sporting these attires.

Make sure you do not use hot water to wash your blended clothes. The spandex component of the blend is sensitive to overexposure to heat. So, this fabric’s sensitivity can lead to your clothes getting unevenly rolled or distorted when cleaned with warm water. For this very same reason, it is suggested that you should not use hot irons for cotton-spandex blend garments.

When cleaning your cotton-spandex attire, do not use chlorine bleach or soaps with chemical additives. The elastane component of this blend fibre can easily break down if it comes in close contact with chemicals, making your clothes lose their stretchiness.

Since heat is detrimental to these attires’ ability to sustain their original quality, do not put these garments in a dryer either. Over time, this constant calefaction can ruin your garments and they can also lose their colour and elasticity.

Let these garments dry on their own or use a drying rack. The presence of spandex helps them dry comparatively quicker.

Also read: Understanding GSM: The Key to choosing the right fabric

What Are The Characteristics Of Cotton Spandex Fabric Clothes?

Whether you are hitting the gym or partying with your friends, spandex attires can spruce up your looks. . These garments are especially adaptable to your changing requirements.

The cotton-spandex fabric blend can provide superior shape retention quality when used to design body-hugging clothes.
These clothes are able to offer you an enhanced level of ergonomic comfort.
The cotton-spandex outfits are able to provide reliable crease recovery and drape-ability.
Clothes made out of fabric have an improved sense of resplendence.
It is easy to remove stains from the attires made of the cotton-spandex blend.\
These clothes are lightweight in nature, so you feel snug and cosy while wearing them.
A synthetic polymer known as polyurethane plays a crucial role in offering the significant extension-and-protection ability of spandex fibre.

Can Cotton Spandex Be Used In Winter Also?

Although it is preferred the most as summer wear because of its non-clingy nature, products made of this blend can also be comfortable attire in winter. Manufacturers often use cotton blends to design winter-specific apparel like hoodies or sweatpants. Additionally, if you want to try layering as a fashion statement this chilly season, cotton-spandex clothes can be a great option.

This blended fabric is also able to function as a thermal insulator – blended cotton fabric is able to trap body heat as the temperature of your surroundings drops. Naturally, these come in handy when you hit the streets as the mercury falls.