These days, natural, organic fabrics are verypopular. There's a lot of talk about hemp fabric for its obvious properties.Not many know about bamboo.


We are all aware that bamboo is a plant, which is commonly grown in Asia. It is sometimes referred to as a grass, but it also has a hard, woody and hollow stemwhich is very strong and durable.


Bamboo is most commonly used as a food source around the world. Most of us knowby now that the giant panda enjoys bamboo, they live almost completely onbamboo plants. Not many in the western world use bamboo in cooking, but it isused all over Asia. Bamboo has a crisp texture and light, sweet flavor. Itgenerally assumes the flavor of ingredients it is combined with, so bambooshoots are often used as fillers in Asian cuisine. While some bamboo can beeaten raw, some varieties must be cooked to remove some toxic elements.

It is also used as a material in construction. Because of its hard surface, andits ability to grow quickly, it is considered to be one of the best renewableresources on this planet. Unfortunately, most bamboo used in construction ischemically treated to ward off rot, and insects. This affects its ability to belabeled a 'green' product. Nearly anything made of wood can be made frombamboo. Depending on the type of wood, some woods are quite soft, bamboo isoften better than wood for its great strength.


Bamboo fabric is made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. It is a sustainablefiber because the bamboo plant is very quick growing and does not usually needpesticides or herbicides to thrive. It will degrade in soil and it ispollution-free to the environment after decomposing. Plantations can be easilykept organic, and replenished yearly. Bamboo fiber has only beenon the market since the latter years of the 20th century. It was developed byChinese corporations to counter the all too popular cotton fabrics. The fiberis similar to the cotton fiber, in its unspun form. To make the fiber, it isheavily pulped until it separates into thin fibrous threads. It is then spunand dyed like other fibers such as wool and silks, and woven into cloth. Thefabric is very soft and can be used close to the skin. In fact, the bamboofiber works similarly to Gortex in its ability to wick moisture away from the skin.Many people, who have allergic reactions to fibers, are not affected by thisnon chemically treated fiber. It is naturally smooth unlike some fibers such ashemp and wool which have spurs in the fiber leading to reactions. In a woven ortextile form, bamboo is known as an antibacterial fabric. This antibacterialeffect is retained even after several washings. It kills odor causing bacteriathat usually thrives on clothing causing unpleasant odors. It can also killodor causing bacteria that lives on skin, leaving the wearer and their clothessmelling sweeter. It has insulating properties, keeping the wearer cool in thesummer and warm in the winter. It is also creates a ultra-violet protectionfrom the sun. It can be blended with most other fabrics, such as cotton, hemp,silk, and Dacron.


Source: www.articlesbase.com