Pinkcoke
Alumni
If I may muse through this with you.
I am new to burn testing, but I just didn't get what this fabric and it needs washing was so had to try it.
From the outside the fabric has a linen look to the weave, is 'hard' feeling (though that could also be because it's not been washed for a while!) when I rub two pieces together it sounds like sand. The weight is similar to dressmaking cotton. It is printed with green dye. I originally thought it was a textured weave rayon.
The burn test; I couldn't take a swatch but the nature of the fabric is to fray and pull out in long strands so I had a good sample of threads. I lit them with a gas flame. The long strands all self-extinguished unless they were balled up and thus in the path of the sample's flame. It was a decent flame from such a small sample, couple of inches high perhaps? The burning gave off a strong woody smell with an acrid note. (I wondered if the latter was the dye? there was a brownish liquid residue left under parts of the burnt sample) The strands charred, not melted, and if anything remained it was black/brown.
My quandry is that I thought it did self extinguish if not held in the path of it's own flame (unlike a match, as it were, which burns along) (although now I'm wondering if it stopped where the tweezers held it?!)
but it did not give final residues like any of the materials under the self extinguishing/charred route. I would also say nothing turned to ash as such, I have black burnt strands which suggests cotton or linen on the chart.
Based on these results what are your thoughts please? what cleaning method would you suggest I start with (its just generally grubby, esp. roudn the collar and feels like it's 'holding' dirt in it's stiffness) so I would like to soak probably. I have garment handwash liquid, washing up liquid, oxycleaner etc. at my disposal.
I am new to burn testing, but I just didn't get what this fabric and it needs washing was so had to try it.
From the outside the fabric has a linen look to the weave, is 'hard' feeling (though that could also be because it's not been washed for a while!) when I rub two pieces together it sounds like sand. The weight is similar to dressmaking cotton. It is printed with green dye. I originally thought it was a textured weave rayon.
The burn test; I couldn't take a swatch but the nature of the fabric is to fray and pull out in long strands so I had a good sample of threads. I lit them with a gas flame. The long strands all self-extinguished unless they were balled up and thus in the path of the sample's flame. It was a decent flame from such a small sample, couple of inches high perhaps? The burning gave off a strong woody smell with an acrid note. (I wondered if the latter was the dye? there was a brownish liquid residue left under parts of the burnt sample) The strands charred, not melted, and if anything remained it was black/brown.
My quandry is that I thought it did self extinguish if not held in the path of it's own flame (unlike a match, as it were, which burns along) (although now I'm wondering if it stopped where the tweezers held it?!)
but it did not give final residues like any of the materials under the self extinguishing/charred route. I would also say nothing turned to ash as such, I have black burnt strands which suggests cotton or linen on the chart.
Based on these results what are your thoughts please? what cleaning method would you suggest I start with (its just generally grubby, esp. roudn the collar and feels like it's 'holding' dirt in it's stiffness) so I would like to soak probably. I have garment handwash liquid, washing up liquid, oxycleaner etc. at my disposal.
then ironed to damp as it's that thicker fabric that holds a wet crease well! Now that I think of it the fabric does most remind me of the old tablecloths.
