What are your best methods to tell linen from cotton?

J

Jen S

Registered Guest
I often can distinguish between linen and cotton by feel, but sometimes a finer fabric or a tighter weave gives me trouble. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks to help me determine which is which. Thanks!
 
I can only tell by the burn smell. I will be totally convinced of one or the other - but the odor is different on the burn test. Also, linen feels different when hand washing. But, it is always better to determine the fiber before doing a hand wash. Sometimes I swear I know, and then I wash and, well, orlon is squishy and almost slimy when wet, and wool is not - so then after drying, I double check with the burn test. I think the 80s and 90s had such a popularity surge in linen that a lot of cottons were woven to mimic, and be much cheaper to manufacture.
 
Thank you, Maggie, the water drop test looks promising. It’s usually very hard to find any loose threads that one can burn on linen such as sheets and pillowcases, as opposed to garments.

Dollsntrolls: I actually have a tip for you! It’s easy to tell the difference between wool and a synthetic like Orlon by smell. You don’t even have to burn them. If you’re able to rub the fabric together very quickly for a minute or so, and then sniff it, will always smell like hair! Synthetics won’t smell like hair. It’s sort of similar to the burn test smell component, but you don’t have to burn it. I used to do this all the time in thrift stores to tell if sweaters were synthetic or wool. I’m sure people wondered what the heck I was doing. But it works! Wool also feel springier.
 
Jen S said:
Thank you, Maggie, the water drop test looks promising. It’s usually very hard to find any loose threads that one can burn on linen such as sheets and pillowcases, as opposed to garments.

Dollsntrolls: I actually have a tip for you! It’s easy to tell the difference between wool and a synthetic like Orlon by smell. You don’t even have to burn them. If you’re able to rub the fabric together very quickly for a minute or so, and then sniff it, will always smell like hair! Synthetics won’t smell like hair. It’s sort of similar to the burn test smell component, but you don’t have to burn it. I used to do this all the time in thrift stores to tell if sweaters were synthetic or wool. I’m sure people wondered what the heck I was doing. But it works! Wool also feel springier.
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Brilliant, Jen! I haven't tried that. But, honestly, a lot of things I pick come with odors and if they are wool or I think they are wool, they start off in the freezer. And, then straight to a sink wash. I have been surprised just a handful of times, when I expected wool, and then had to run every test in the book when one part didn't add up. And, because so many people are very wool-sensitive, I really try to be very diligent on testing. Especially potential blends.

I love your pre-buy smell test though - that's like me and potential bakelite!

I have noticed the texture of linen, when wet, is very different than how cotton acts. But, one time I had to do several hundred soaks to get all of the starch out to determine cotton-woven-like-linen, vs actual linen. Cause the starch was super obvious, once I got it into the water. And, then it turned out to be cotton. Lovely, but totally masked.

But, the detective work is really what keeps us going, right?
 
Thanks! That’s true, I forgot how linen feels so different when it’s wet, that’s a good tip. And yes, the mystery is part of what makes it fun!
 
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