I bought two pairs of denim shorts recently and after I washed them they became too stiff and scratchy to wear. I looked to see what materials were in them and noticed they contained a fabric called "ramie". So I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to soften them up a bit? Much appreciated.
By Emma from GA
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Ramie is cotton. Stick them in the wash a couple more times using cold water and use a softener. Dry them with a softener sheet but take them out when they are just a little bit damp. Like the original, hard as a board, Levi jeans they will soften up eventually. good luck!
Ramie is a plant fiber, but it is not cotton. It is a grass and I would be careful about using a hot iron
Ramie is not cotton. It is made from the fiber of the Chinese Nettle and is similar to linen.
Turn them inside out and iron them on a high setting with steam. You may have to do this for the first couple of times you wash them, but it will help break down and soften the fibers.
Hi here is the info on Ramie fabric. What is Ramie Fabric?
Ramie, also known as "China Grass", is a flowering plant native to eastern Asia. For centuries, ramie fiber has been used for making fabrics and clothing. In fact, ramie has been used for clothes since at least 5000 - 3000 BC in Egypt.
Ramie fibers are one of the strongest natural fibers. Ramie can be up to 8 times stronger than cotton, and is even stronger when wet.
Ramie Fabric
Ramie as a fabric, can be a great eco-friendly alternative to using synthetic fibers or non-organic fibers. It is also very comfortable to wear and is highly absorbent. This makes it a great choice for warmer climates or summer months. Ramie fabric also has good stain resistance. It's great in the wash too. It doesn't shrink, can withstand high water temperatures, and it's lustrous appearance actually improves with washing.
Ramie is low in elasticity and it does wrinkle easily. It is also quite costly to produce compared to other textile fibers, so this tends to raise the price of the end products.
Ramie can be used in a wide range of applications, including:
Dresses and skirts
Jackets
Pants
Shirts
Curtains
Upholstery
Bed sheets etc
Table cloths and table towels
Sewing threads
Handkerchiefs
Parachutes
Fire hoses
Canvas
Ramie is often blended with other fibers such as cotton and hemp to produce fabrics with different characteristics.
Companies selling products made with ramie include:
Australia's The Earth Collection (who also have a distributor in the UK and Ireland)
Chinas Sichuan JTC Garments Co.Ltd (a subsidiary of Sichuan Cotton and Ramie Group)
I also found some ramie apparel and ramie bedding at Amazon.com
Tags: eco-friendly clothes, fabric, ramie, Sustainability
From Patrival Boucherville Quebec Canada
Try soaking the denim shorts in a solution of vinegar & water (1:10), in a bucket. The solution should just cover the clothes, so no need to fill the bucket all the way to the top. This will help to breakdown the starch in the fibres all through.
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