Micro Modal Fabric: Fabric and Care Guide

If you want to buy micro modal fabric, you’d better read this micro modal fabric and care guide first.

A remarkably soft fabric called micro modal is created using fibers from tree pulp. Due to its high-quality material characteristics, including softness and durability, as well as its sustainability, it has grown in popularity. Micro modal fabrics have much finer fibers than regular modal, making them softer, better fitting, and more breathable.

Continue reading if you’ve ever wondered why micro modal is so in-demand right now, how it’s made, and whether it really is a sustainable alternative to cotton and other traditional materials. We’ll take you through everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

A unique variety of modal rayon known as micro modal is prized for its exceptional softness and shrinkage resistance. This type of rayon also has an excellent moisture-wicking profile, which makes it a popular choice for underwear and various types of sportswear.

Like other types of rayon, the primary constituent of the micro modal is cellulose from hardwood trees. This cellulose is taken out and put through a difficult chemical process that turns it into a yarn that can be woven into fabric. Based on the development of modal rayon that occurred in Japan in the early 1950s, this kind of fabric was first created in Austria in the 1990s.

The most common type of semi-synthetic fabric during the first few decades of the 20th century was viscose rayon, which was significantly outperformed by modal rayon. However, there were many wasteful practices used in the production of viscose rayon.

Micro Modal Fabric: Fabric and Care Guide

Although the process for producing modal rayon and viscose rayon is very similar, a number of time-consuming and wasteful steps were removed, and today, the majority of rayon manufacturers have switched from viscose rayon to modal rayon.

Still not sure why you should use clothes made with Micro Modal? Here are a few reasons why:

Softness: The softness of the Modal fabric is one of its main advantages. TENCEL™ Modal fibers have been shown to be twice as soft as cotton through numerous tests and experiments. In addition, Modal’s exquisite soft feel outlasts cotton even after numerous items of washing.
Lightweight: Apparel made from this fabric is so light and airy that you’ll forget you are wearing anything. This is possible because the fibers can be woven tightly despite being extremely thin. Because of its tight weave, Modal has a silky-smooth feel without being heavy.
Durability: Micro Modal is remarkably resilient despite being soft and light. Despite frequent use, clothing made of this material continues to look brand new. It also resists pilling (formation of lint/fuzz on clothes after wear).
Color Retention: TENCEL™ Modal fibers are dyed using spin-dying techniques to incorporate unique color pigments. Due to this, even after numerous items of washing, the fibers are less likely to fade and have more vibrant colors.
Amazing stretch: The fabric is known for its unmatched flexibility, making it a favorite for athletic wear. The body-responsive stretch fits your body like a second skin without causing you any discomfort.
Breathable: TENCEL™ Modal’s ability to regulate temperature is yet another incredible feature. The natural breathability and control over moisture absorption and evaporation of the Modal fibers are design features. By controlling moisture, you can avoid the discomfort that comes from perspiration and stay cool.
Shrink resistant: Modal doesn’t lose its shape or shrink over time as many other fabrics do. Therefore, whether you are wearing something made of Modal fibers for the first time or the hundredth time, it will feel and fit the same.
Does not crease: The fabric doesn’t wrinkle easily and maintains its smoothness with little to no ironing.
Biodegradable: The TENCEL™ Modal fibers are made from the cellulose of beechwood trees and are produced using sustainable methods; they have received certification for being both compostable and biodegradable. As a result, unlike a variety of other synthetic fibers, these fibers return to nature.

Micro modal fabrics are only available in one style. To help you distinguish between this type of rayon and similar fabrics, however, it’s important to provide further detail on other textiles within the rayon family tree:

Viscose Rayon

Due to its straightforward manufacturing process and high durability, this particular variety of rayon gained popularity quickly on a global scale. It was the most recent development in a line of rayon products that went back to the 1850s when it was created in the early 20th century.

While viscose rayon certainly isn’t perfect, it is significantly superior to forms of rayon that were produced before it. Due to the wasteful and laborious manufacturing processes required when making viscose rayon, however, most manufacturers have switched to making modal rayon instead, which is considered to be the direct evolution of viscose rayon.

This brand of rayon, which was developed in Japan in 1951, marks a significant advancement in the method used to make rayon. Making this type of rayon is comparatively quick and simple because it eliminates a number of steps necessary to make a viscose rayon.

In addition, modal rayon is significantly softer than viscose rayon, which makes it a reasonable substitute for silk. Modal rayon’s main use today is in sportswear, but it’s also used in various home textiles, undergarments, and other clothing.

Lyocell

Lyocell is primarily produced by Lenzing AG on a global scale, but unlike micro modal, lyocell is also produced by other businesses. It is distinctive in that it is the only kind of rayon that can be considered to be fully organic, and it is branded as Tencel when it is made by Lenzing.

Lyocell, in contrast to other varieties of rayon, is produced without undergoing any chemical modifications, so the fabric’s fibers are identical to those found in unprocessed wood cellulose. Lyocell is extremely soft, but it isn’t quite as soft or as richly textured as modal or micro modal rayon; as a result, it is typically seen as more of a cotton alternative than a silk one.

The main component of this material is derived from sustainably grown beechwood trees. Beechwood trees are cut down and turned into rough postage stamp-sized wood chips. Then, from these chips, cellulose is removed. This cellulose pulp is then transformed into highly sought-after Modal fibers with the aid of a few patented technologies.

Lightweightness and breathability are this fabric’s main advantages. Unlike other semi-synthetic fabrics, Micro Modal rayon, due to its finer, yarn-woven material, also provides more elasticity. As a result, it is ideal for swimwear and underwear.

This is the best material for athletes and gym buffs as its moisture-wicking abilities keep sweat at bay. This material has recently been used for other products like lingerie, loungewear, and even bedspreads.

The micro modal fabric typically costs significantly more than modal rayon at the wholesale level. This opulent rayon could cost 20–30% more per volume than regular rayon. This increased price often puts micro modal rayon in the same price bracket as Egyptian cotton or other semi-luxurious textile options.

Many businesses that choose to use micro modal fabric to create products already produce high-end goods, so their offerings made from this textile may end up costing the same as their organic or fully synthetic goods. In some cases, this price disparity is eliminated by the time this fabric is turned into textile products for consumer use.

Beech trees, which self-seed and are typically found in the Northern Hemisphere, provide the pulp used to make micro modal. This indicates that the raw materials have the capacity to renew themselves naturally.

Micro modal is a natural fabric that is also biodegradable, and model-based fabrics require ten to twenty times less water to dye than cotton-based fabrics do.

The addition of petroleum-based fibers like elastane and spandex, which decrease the modal’s biodegradability, is a crucial point to make. However, a small amount of elastane extends the life of clothing by preventing bagging and sagging. Additionally, doing so might ultimately be more sustainable.

Polyester is not the most sustainable fiber but for the time being, from a longevity viewpoint, until we have a better option, it is a necessary evil.

It is simple to maintain micro modal fabrics. The resilient, strong fibers can withstand temperatures as high as 60 degrees Celsius without shrinking or pilling. Caring for each garment depends on the garment itself. Bras and other delicate items, for instance, should be hand-washed or machine-washed on a gentle cycle. This will help your clothing items last much longer.

Instead of using the tumble dryer, we advise air drying to lessen your carbon footprint. In addition to wasting energy, drying clothes can also make the colors fade and parts break much more quickly. Both the environment and your clothing benefit from air drying.

To recap, micro modal is a soft, lightweight, and breathable fabric that is also durable, biodegradable, and requires less water than cotton to dye. Owing to their comfortable fit and silky-smooth feel, clothes made from Micro Modal are the best of the best available in the market.

FAQs

Is Micro Modal Better Than Cotton?

Micromodal is 50 percent more water-absorbent than cotton. Given its supreme comfort, softness, and superior ability to wick moisture over cotton, micro modal is a better option for opulent underwear. Unless it is organic or a particular variety, like Pima or Egyptian cotton, cotton is typically very inexpensive to purchase.

Is Micro Modal Good for Skin?

This incredibly soft fabric is supportive, breathable, and kind to your skin. Furthermore, because it resists shrinking and pilling, products will last a lot longer. That’s why it is ideal for items like underwear that need to be washed after every wear.

Is Micro Modal Breathable Like Cotton?

The beech tree is the source of the renowned softness of Micro modal, a fiber. The material is very light and has a very silky feel to it. Additionally, because Micro modal is a thinner fabric, it’s quite breathable as well as wicking moisture away from the skin.

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