Fibres, Fabrics and Their Care
What this domain tests
The Fibres, Fabrics and Their Care domain tests natural and man-made fibres, fabric properties, identification, and laundering and ironing. Questions link fibre behaviour to care labels, shrinkage, heat sensitivity, and stain removal.
Core rules
- Natural fibres: cotton and linen are cellulosic; wool and silk are protein. Cotton is absorbent and washable; linen is strong but creases; wool insulates and felts with heat and agitation; silk is lustrous and heat-sensitive.
- Regenerated fibres include viscose/rayon. Synthetics include polyester, nylon, and acrylic; they are strong, quick-drying, and can melt at high iron temperatures.
- Test an unknown fabric before washing: a small cutting burned safely outdoors smells like paper for cotton, hair for wool/silk, and forms a hard bead for polyester.
- Read the care label. Wash like colours together, use mild detergent for silk and wool, avoid chlorine bleach on protein fibres, and dry wool flat.
- Iron at the fibre's safe temperature; use a pressing cloth for silk, wool, and embellished fabrics.
Worked example
A cotton shirt is to be stitched for repeated home washing. Reasoning: pre-wash and dry the fabric before cutting, because cotton can shrink and the finished shirt may pucker at seams. Press it slightly damp with a medium-hot iron. Cut with the lengthwise grain, then wash the finished shirt inside out in warm water with similar colours and iron on the reverse. Do not assume "100% cotton" means boiling water is safe for a dark dyed fabric; test colourfastness first.
Traps
Hot iron on polyester; chlorine bleach on wool or silk; wringing wool; drying silk in strong sunlight; and cutting before pre-shrinking cotton.