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Organic Cotton — Better for You, Better for Farmers, and Better for the Environment

Organic Cotton — Better for You,
Better for Farmers, and Better for the Environment

Organic cotton is the purest form of cotton, grown without dangerous pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, harsh chemicals, fertilizers, defoliants, sewage sludge, and genetically engineered seeds.

Organic–certified farmers grow organic cotton with the help of natural fertilizers, beneficial insects, and innovative weeding techniques. These systems replenish and maintain soil fertility while enhancing biodiversity to protect air and water.

As you can see in the diagram below, the systems used in producing organic cotton is better for farmers, the soil, water supplies, and animals and insects.

Here are some other important things you need to know about organic cotton:

Its non-GE seeds haven’t been treated with fungicides or pesticides
No harsh chemicals or synthetic fertilizers are used
Reduces environmental footprint by using 71 percent less water and 62 percent less energy
Plants are 80 percent rain-fed, reducing reliance on local water sources
Reduces field emissions from fertilizer, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus deposits into water
Increased soil protection helps prevent erosion
Promotes safe work and better livelihoods for farmers

When you buy organic cotton, you are supporting cleaner air, water conservation efforts, improved soils, and a better life for farmers. You vote with your dollars!

Why There’s No Going Back Once You’ve Experienced Organic Cotton

Organic cotton provides many unique benefits

You can feel the difference with organic cotton. It:

Feels soft and comfortable next to your skin
Absorbs and controls moisture
Provides warmth and comfort
Keeps you cool by pulling heat away from your skin
Prevents moisture from building up between your skin and your clothes
Allows air to flow easily through fibers and, unlike synthetic fibers, permits your skin to “breathe”

When you choose organic cotton sheets and towels, you often get better value for your money. Organic cotton has high tensile strength which becomes 30 percent stronger when wet, allowing it to withstand repeated washings and everyday use.

GOTS — Your Seal of Organic Authenticity

GOTS provides third-party certification for organic cotton textiles

All cotton sold as organic in the United States must meet strict federal regulations regarding the type of seeds used and how the cotton is grown and processed.

So how can you be sure what you buy is really organic cotton?

Just as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets standards for organic food, Global Organic Textile Standards, or GOTS provides third-party certification for the organic textile industry.

GOTS oversees the growing, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading and distribution of all textiles made with at least 70 percent certified organic fiber.

Like organic food standards, a textile product carrying the GOTS Organic seal must contain a minimum of 95 percent certified organic fibers, while one with the “made with organic” label must contain a minimum of 70 percent certified organic fiber.

GOTS-certified textiles must be produced without conventional cotton’s pesticides, bioengineered ingredients, formaldehyde, chlorine bleaches, heavy metals or other harsh chemicals detrimental to humans and the environment.

When you buy certified organic cotton, you don’t need to wonder if it’s the "real deal." GOTS guarantees it!

Watch Out for Inflated Thread Counts When Buying Organic Sheets

If you’ve shopped for sheets lately, you’ve probably noticed a wide range of thread counts, some even as high as 1,000-plus. Is a higher thread-count sheet a better quality sheet?

Not necessarily... Some manufacturers have discovered that by manipulating the sheet production process with lower quality construction or thread, they can artificially inflate the thread count.

Just because a sheet has a high thread count, it doesn’t mean it’s a quality–made sheet. In certain cases, a high-quality 200–thread–count sheet can be a much better sheet than one that’s 1,000–thread count!

You need to look at other factors, like fiber length, weave, and type of fabric to get the true and complete picture.

A sheet made with organic cotton is typically a better quality sheet, regardless of thread-count. As we saw earlier, the higher tensile strength of organic cotton fiber allows it to hold up better with repeated washings and regular use.

The Stuff Sweet Dreams Are Made of...
Satiny Smooth, Certified Organic Cotton Sheets!

Mercola Organic Cotton Sheets are available in White, Off-White, and Gray

The ideal bed sheet, in my mind, is one that can give you years of comfortable, reliable use without excessive pilling that’s not only unsightly, but annoyingly nubby to the touch.

We paid attention to that detail when we created my Certified Organic Cotton Bedding. By using yarns that are ring spun (versus open end) compact yarns, there are fewer short fibers on the surface that can contribute to pilling.

These compact yarns use a special technique in spinning to remove the possibility of any short surface fibers. This helps yarns to have the smoothest, softest surface possible, which also adds more sheen to sateen fabric.

Sateen fabrics, like what we’ve used for my Certified Organic Cotton Bedding, are usually a little thicker and more tightly woven to create a luminous sheen and silky smooth surface.

Longer staple lengths of chosen organic cotton fibers make it possible for the spinner to spin better compact yarns. These compact yarns are more durable in terms of fabric strength and have a better pilling rating.

My GOTS–Certified Organic Cotton Sheets meet all the requirements for a high-quality sheet: certified organic cotton, a tight sateen weave, longer fibers, and a true 300-thread-count.

Organic Cotton — Better for You, Better for Farmers, and Better for the Environment