Modal fabric: what is it, advantages and disadvantages, rules of care

Modal is a unique environmentally friendly material and is widely used in sewing clothes. It owes its growing popularity to its high performance characteristics and the optimal combination of properties of artificial and natural fibers.

Modal belongs to the category of semi-synthetic viscose fabrics and has been known since the 30s of the last century. However, at that time the material was used exclusively for industrial purposes and was not used for sewing clothes. But around the 50s, pragmatic Japan became interested in modal production, and in the late 60s Austria joined the production of modal. Today, many enterprises around the world are engaged in the manufacture of fabrics, supplying the market with high-quality and very practical material.

By its composition, modal is one of the varieties of viscose, for the production of which exclusively untreated chlorine cellulose of beech, eucalyptus or pine is used. The modal production process consists in processing wood chips by extracting cellulose fibers from it, followed by chemical treatment of the resulting substance.

The essence of such processing consists in passing cellulose through dies - perforated forms of high strength, followed by dipping in a special solution. As a result of this technology, it is possible to obtain strong fibers that are extraordinarily light and thin.Due to these features of production, modal can be attributed to artificial materials based on natural fibers.

At the next stage of production, thin threads go to weaving machines, where, in fact, the fabric is made. The weaving of fibers in the manufacture of modal can be done in two ways, giving two completely different types of fabric.

• First view the fabric is made using one-sided weaving and is a thin and smooth material that vaguely resembles silk.
• Second viewon the contrary, it has a terry, velvet-like surface and outwardly resembles soft knitwear. Such fabrics are made by means of double-sided weaving and have a wider scope than fabric with one-sided weaving.

In addition to the weaving technique, the modal can be classified according to two more characteristics: the composition and structure of the fibers. According to these criteria, micromodal and mixed fabrics are distinguished.

Micromodal is a sophisticated version of the traditional modal and is characterized by increased strength and an even longer service life than its prototype. The thickness of one strand of micromodal is almost 40 times thinner than a human hair, which makes the fabric extremely elastic and lightweight. So, a thread 10,000 meters long weighs only 1 gram.

This modification of the modal is widely used for sewing underwear., clothing for sports, as well as for the manufacture of women's tights and leggings.

In addition, such products are easy to wash and do not require ironing.

Blended fabrics are made by adding spandex, wool and cotton to cellulose fibers. This significantly reduces the cost of the material and endows it with additional qualities of its constituent fibers. The most popular combination is modal-cotton, where the proportion of the natural component can reach 50%. This ratio significantly improves the performance of the modal, makes it pleasant to the touch and improves air exchange.

Another popular blend is a blend of modal, viscose and wool. The result is a material that is warm and soft to the touch, perfect for winter jumpers and tights. For sewing home clothes, modal with the addition of spandex is often used: such things are washed well, absolutely do not wrinkle, and retain their original appearance for a long time.

High consumer demand for clothing made from modal, due to a number of important advantages of this material.

• An important operational property of the material is the absence of deformation and shrinkage during wear and after washing. Due to this quality, modal and micromodal are often used for sewing sports pants and tights and do not allow the knees to be pulled back.
• The material is highly wear-resistant, does not roll or rub.
• The fabric has a pronounced dirt-repellent property, and is also easy to wash and does not require soaking.
• The hypoallergenic nature of the material, due to the absence of toxic substances and harmful impurities in its composition, allows it to be used by people with especially sensitive and problem skin.

• Due to the special structure of cellulose threads and modern dyeing technologies, the dye penetrates deep enough into the fibers of the fabric and is not washed off after numerous washes.
• Modal has a pronounced hygroscopicity: the fibers quickly absorb sweat and evaporate it out just as quickly. In addition, the modal is very well ventilated and promotes full air exchange between the human body and the environment.
• The fabric has high decorative characteristics, which makes it possible to use it not only for home and sportswear, but also for everyday wear. Modal garments are soft and lightweight.

Along with many obvious advantages, the modal still has weaknesses:

• the disadvantages include the likelihood of skin irritation, which can be manifested by itching and redness;
• in addition, the cost of modal products is slightly higher than the cost of other synthetic materials with similar properties;
• the disadvantages include the rather high flammability of the fabric, which is why it is strictly forbidden to be in such clothes near an open fire.

By itself, a 100% modal is not used very often and is quite expensive. Basically, blended fabrics are used, which include, in addition to modal, other materials. Such fabrics are used for sewing bedding sets, home clothes, household textiles, including wipes for wet and dry cleaning, and underwear.

Modal is used to make socks and tights, as well as to sew skirts, blouses, robes, T-shirts, T-shirts, tracksuits, nightgowns and pajamas. Such widespread distribution of modal is due to its high hygienic properties and ability to thermoregulation.

Modal does not apply to capricious fabrics and does not require specialized care.

• You can wash the material both on your hands and in the car at a water temperature not exceeding 40 degrees. If an automatic wash is used, then the most optimal mode will be a delicate wash or any other mode with the same number of revolutions. As a detergent, you can use any type of powder, except for bleaching powder. The clothes should be wrung out at medium speed, and for hand washing, the clothes should be lightly squeezed out, blotted with a towel and hung on a hanger or rope.
• In no case should a wet thing be left in a crumpled state. The material dries quickly enough, and if the clothes dry in this form, then it will be problematic to smooth out the creases and folds. In order to correct the situation and bring the thing in a neat look, you will have to wet it again and dry it again. However, if the product is dried according to all the rules, then it does not need ironing. The fibers are capable of self-straightening and do not require additional measures to smooth them.

• If, nevertheless, clothes have to be ironed, then this should be done on medium heat, steaming the fabric through gauze. Can be ironed without gauze. For this, the product is turned inside out, the temperature is lowered to the "silk" mode, which corresponds to one point on the iron regulator, and gently smoothed. If other fibers are present in the modal, then their properties must be taken into account when ironing. Ironing recommendations are always indicated on the product label, so please read them carefully before using the iron.
• A number of manufacturers, in general, do not recommend washing modal products and allow extremely dry cleaning. This requirement must also be taken into account and in no case should it be neglected.

If we compare modal with other fabrics, then the following can be noted: the material is much superior to cotton in its ability to retain color and, unlike natural linen, practically does not wrinkle. In addition, it wicks away sweat much better and dries faster. Also, in comparison with cotton cloth, modal is more pleasant to the touch and is able to last much longer than cotton. In terms of the effect on the skin, it is noticeably inferior to cotton products and, unlike them, can cause local allergic reactions.

However, its elasticity indicators are slightly lower than that of viscose fabric, so viscose wins here. In addition, in terms of its strength and silkiness, modal is much superior to similar bamboo, and in terms of smoothness and shiny surface it can compete on an equal footing only with silk.

In general, consumers appreciate the working qualities of the modal. Among the advantages, they note good moisture absorption, which makes towels and bath sheets made of this material very convenient to use. Attention is also drawn to the fact that modal is often used in sewing clothes for pregnant women, which speaks of its harmlessness and environmental safety. The fact that the fabric practically does not need to be ironed, and things made from it can be put on immediately after drying, which, by the way, also happens quite quickly, has not been ignored.

However, several people who have left feedback on the modal are confused by its flammability. But for the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that this is perhaps the only drawback that consumers attribute to modal. In general, the modal is assessed as a comfortable, wearable and practical material that can be quickly and easily washed, does not stretch or roll, and also retains its original appearance throughout the entire wear period and pleases the owners with the brightness of the colors.

An overview of several types of modal is presented in the video below.