What is cotton?

Cotton is one of the world's most appreciated and used natural fibres. Textiles in cotton are soft, hardwearing and can be washed at high temperatures. They are also good at breathing and absorbing moisture – making them pleasant to wear close to the body. Today at IKEA we use more and more recycled cotton and strive to make sure that all the new cotton we use has been grown and produced with less and less amounts of pesticides, fertilisers and water.

Cotton is a practical and hardwearing natural material. It comes from the seed capsule of the cotton plant, which forms small wads when it blooms. Cotton rugs are easy to care for, because you can wash them in an ordinary washing machine and they can stand high temperatures. Cotton is heavy when wet, so it's important to check that your machine has enough weight capacity. It's also good to know that cotton may shrink, so you may have to stretch the rug a bit after you've washed it.