Cotton has been around for a very long time. It has been spun, woven, and dyed since the early ages. It also has been cultivated and used to make fabrics for a least 7000 years. It may have existed in Egypt as early as 12000 B.C. Fragments of cotton fabrics have been found by archeologists in Mexico (from 3500 B.C.), in India (3000 B.C.), in Peru (2500 B.C.), and in the southwestern United States (500 B.C.).

In this country, cotton is grown as a major crop in fourteen states. The Cotton Belt spans the southern half of the United States, stretching from Virginia to California. With the emergence of synthetic fibers starting in the 1890s, cotton crashed in production during the early 1990s. The Cotton Research & Promotion Program was organized by U.S. cotton producers in response to cotton’s steady decline in market share. Today, the success of this program has made cotton the best-selling fiber in the U.S. and one of the best-selling fibers in the world.

Natural fibers fall into two main groups: protein fibers, which come from animals, and vegetable fibers which come from plants. The main ingredient in all vegetable fibers is cellulose, a carbohydrate found in all plant life. Unlike synthetics, cotton has superior absorbency and a naturally textured surface that makes it an effective cleanser. Because the fiber can withstand high temperatures, it can also be sterilized.