About Acetate
A comfortable, smooth fibre to wear and is usually made into lightweight items or garments.
Click here to down load a printable PDF File so you can print this information with the accompanying Easy Care Chart
Common Acetate Fabrics
Acetate and acetate blends (most fibres can be blended with acetate, and usually are, for
durability and strength. Cotton, wool and silk are common blends).
Dress materials often use acetate, such as satins, taffetas and brocades.
Recommended Uses
Used for linings, lightweight women's dresses, shirts/blouses, lingerie, knitting yarn,
wadding, curtaining household linen and sheets, and cigarette filter tips.
Properties
Acetate has a soft handle (texture, or feel), and has in fact the softest handle of all the fibres
in normal use. Because of this softness, it is a weak fibre, losing up to 35% of its strength
when wet.
Acetate can absorb up to 12% of its weight before feeling wet. It is quick drying, but can
feel clammy if worn damp for prolonged periods when damp.
Acetates elasticity (stretch) is reasonable (a little better when wet), but it can wrinkle a
little.
The drapeability of acetate is good, but in dry conditions, acetate tends to become static.
Acetate is a poor conductor of heat (does not let air flow freely away from the body),
therefore making it a good insulator.
Even though acetate has an initial cool touch, once the fibre warms up to air or body
temperature, it becomes more insulating.
Care
Separate colours and wash in cold to warm water, being careful not to pull or distort the
fabric excessively when wet.
Dry acetate flat in the shade, line dry, or put into a dryer on a medium temperature.
Use a warm iron with a press cloth on the reverse side of the fabric.
You can dryclean acetate, but avoid bleaching.