Viscose Fabric: Does it Burn, Fray, Fade, and Get Static?
Fabrics are not hazard-free. As much as everyone likes to think that their clothes are safe to wear, there are some hazards to watch out for. Fraying, fire, fading are just some of those hazards that are a part of wearing clothes.
Even though Viscose fabric is in its own fabric category it still possesses the same characteristics as other fabrics. It will burn, fray, and get static electricity. These issues are all avoidable if you are careful when you wear Viscose clothing.
To learn all about Viscose clothing and its negative characteristics just continue to read our article. It has the information you want so you can wear your Viscose clothing safely and without worry
Viscose Fabric 101
Does Viscose Burn or Melt?
Viscose fabric is made from wood chips and chemicals. Those are two key ingredients that help clothes burn. When your viscose fabric catches fire it will burn very quickly but not all of that type of fabric burns in the same way.
If the fabric is the simple made from cellulose type of material then the fabric will leave an ash residue and smell like burnt paper. If the viscose material is finished with resin then it should leave a skeleton-like shape behind once it has burned up.
The way to avoid having the fabric catch fire is to stay away from open flames. Even a candle flame can light up your blouse if it is loose-fitting. After the flame hits the fabric the blouse should burn up very quickly.
When wearing viscose clothing you should be extra careful of the details involved in the event you are attending. Erring on the side of safety is better than risking burns to your arms, legs, and torso.
Some melting may occur but that will depend on the style and quality of the viscose fabric. Non-flame heat may cause the melting to occur and be very painful.
Viscose Burn Test
The warp and the filling yarns burn differently so the fabric pieces you use for the burn test should be samples from each type of fabric you are using. Normally all you will need to conduct the burn test is a small 1 inch by 1-inch square.
What the burn tests do is help you identify which type of fabric you have. If the flame is a yellow color, catches fire easily, and has an afterglow then you are burning cotton, viscose, and linen.
Since there are natural fibers in all three, they will all burn the same. To narrow the field down, Viscose makes a big flame and either has a burnt paper smell or a burnt leaves odor. The ashes will have a powdery feel to them when you touch them with your fingers.
The best way to conduct these tests is to use a steel or aluminum pot and a pair of tweezers. The tweezers will protect your fingers from getting burnt and the pot will contain the flame for you.
These tests are not hard to do and make sure you have the extra fabric to conduct these tests.
How Does Viscose Burn?
This material burns very quickly. It also catches on fire very quickly. These two characteristics should be enough to help you decide when and where you wear your viscose clothing.
The yellow flame can be very hot and with the speed, the material burns at you may not have time to get the blouse or shirt off quickly enough to avoid any injury. One special note of interest, if the fabric is heated to 150 degrees C. it will melt
Don’t throw caution to the wind and just wear a viscose clothing item when you know there will be an open flame nearby. It is always best to be safe than sorry. There will be other times when you can wear those special blouses, shirts and so on.
Does Viscose Fade in The Sun?
We cannot find anything in our research that indicates that Viscose is a fabric that fades easily in the sun. Everything we have read tells us that it is a very hardy material when it comes to the issue of fading.
With that said, your experience may be different and over time you may have noticed some fading done by the sun. The UV rays are very powerful and they will have their effect on your Viscose fabric.
Two other characteristics that cause fading to take place in natural fibers are wear and tear and chemicals. With the chemical compounds used to create viscose fabric, you may see some fading if you use chemical detergents and fabric softeners.
Some Viscose materials do not hold their dye very well so you may see a lot of fading take place despite the lack of information talking about the sun’s interaction with the fabric.
How To Fade Viscose
The best way to help viscose clothing to fade is to wash it in your washing machine. Every wash should remove some of the dye the material had and cause your clothes to be a shade or two lighter when the washing cycle is over.
You may see the same results when you wash any rug made from this material. Viscose is one of the weakest materials on the market so do not expect it to hold its dye for a long time.
But be careful when you try to fade your rugs or clothing. Too much washing may have them bleeding out more dye than you want. It is very easy to ruin anything made from the Viscose fabric.
This is a material you have to handle with care and it may be best if you just went out and bought a blouse or a shirt in the shade of color you want than risking damaging what you already own.
Can Viscose Fray?
Viscose may fray. Since it is a very weak fabric made up of very weak fibers fraying should be expected. If there are loose threads then those may be caught on a sharp edge and pull the thread out leaving a spot that can get worse.
Viscose rugs are known to lose threads through vacuuming and wear and tear. When those two activities get going they take their toll and help the rug fray quicker than it should.
If the clothing is made from a Viscose knit then it will not fray as much as an article of clothing made from a Viscose weave. A lot will depend on the quality of the viscose fabric, how it was made and put together.
All fabrics are not the same so it is difficult to say how much Viscose will fray once it gets started.
Does Viscose Fray When Cut?
Almost all fabrics will fray at some point. When you cut Viscose you should expect some fraying especially if it is a loose weave. A lot will depend on how you cut the material and if you take any stop fraying action to keep the fraying to a minimum.
If the material you are using is a viscose knit then you should not expect too much fraying to take place even when you cut it. The knit may run but fraying is not something you should see right away or even after some time has passed.
Again, the quality of the fabric you are working with will have some influence on the material and cause it to fray. Viscose is not that strong so fraying is not out of the question even when the quality of the material is quite good.
How to Stop Viscose From Fraying
There are several ways to stop viscose from fraying. The first method you can use involves scotch tape or even fabric tape. Place some over the loose fibers to hold them in place.
Another method you can use is fabric glue. Just apply the glue to the frayed area and let it bind the threads together and hold them in place. Most glues dry clear so there should not be any clashing of colors.
Then you can use pinking shears to cut a new edge. The angled cuts from the teeth of the shears help prevent fraying because the fabric is not cut straight. Finally, you can sew a stitch through the fabric and continue it across the width of the garment. The stitches should hold the fabric in place and keep any loose threads from fraying.
The one method you cannot use is a match. Flames help seal up loose threads but with viscose’s flame vulnerability, this is something you do not want to try.
Viscose And Static Electricity
What helps viscose create static is its natural construction materials. Wood pulp does create the right atmosphere and seems to encourage static electricity to gather in the cloth. When that happens you may see your dress cling to you more tightly or cause you to experience some electric shocks.
There are steps you can take to minimize this or prevent static from attaching itself to a viscose dress, etc. One way is to wear a slip underneath the dress. Another way is to use talcum powder. Spread it over your body so the dress doesn’t stick to you as the evening goes on.
You can try fabric softener but not all fabric softeners are viscose friendly. It is possible to use a natural alternative to help you cut down on the static cling. With the weak fibers in viscose clothing, you need to watch what types of chemicals you use to prevent static electricity,
Does Viscose Get Static?
Yes, it does and one way to cut that problem down is to make sure the cloth does not rub against you or other people very often. It can be a very long and annoying date night when you keep shocking yourself time after time.
One solution, as mentioned previously, is to use talcum powder. This product should stop the dress from rubbing up against you and creating more static electricity. Another way to avoid static build-up is to wear some good undergarments. These clothing items create a non-friction barrier and should help stop static build-up.
They should also hinder any static cling that may prove embarrassing at times. If you forget to use those methods be prepared to be stung when you touch the wrong object or person. Viscose is not immune to static
Does Viscose Cause Static?
Maybe technically you could say that viscose causes static but the real story is that friction and the wood chip construction materials are the real culprits. If you are doing a lot of sitting and standing then the friction creates the static which can be absorbed by the fabric.
The wood chips used in the construction of this material creates a dry atmosphere which is a nice place for static to begin. So you can say that Viscose causes static but that would only be half the story. You just need to watch your activities when you are wearing that nicely colored viscose dress, blouse, or shirt.
There are not that many ways to stop the fabric from getting static electricity. The best methods only help you protect yourself from being shocked when it does.
Some Final Words
Viscose is a very weak fabric that has more vulnerabilities than most other fabrics you can wear. It is very flammable and the material burns very quickly. That means you have to be very careful where you wear your favorite viscose garments.
Also, Viscose should fray on you depending on the quality of the fabric. There are ways to keep the fraying from getting worse and those options take only a few minutes to apply.
The best that can b said when you opt to use viscose fabric is be careful.
