Polar fleece
{{short description|Insulating knitted polyester napped or pile fabric}}
{{use MDY dates|date=January 2022}}
File:Antron Fleece.jpg made out of polar fleece]]
Polar fleece is a soft fabric made from polyester that is napped and insulating.
PolarFleece is a trademark registered by Malden Mills (now Polartec, LLC) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 6, 1981.Polarfleece; Registration Number 1297628; Malden Mills, Inc., 46 Stafford St. Lawrence, Massachusetts 01841; First use June 16, 1980; Filing Date October 6, 1981; Published for Opposition July 17, 1984; Registration Date September 25, 1984 Malden Mills developed polar fleece in 1979.
Uses
Polar fleece is used in jackets, hats, sweaters, sweatpants, cloth diapers (nappies), gym clothes, hoodies, pajamas, blankets, and high-performance outdoor clothing. The produced fleece can be used to create clothes that are very light, soft, and easy to wash. Polar fleece can stretch more easily in one direction than in others.[http://www.bookrags.com/research/polar-fleece-woi/ Polar Fleece history and the history of pile fabrics] Bookrags.com
History
Polar fleece originated in Massachusetts in 1979 when Malden Mills and Patagonia developed Synchilla (synthetic chinchilla).{{Cite news |title = The Evolution of Fleece, From Scratchy to Snuggie|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/fleece-scratchy-to-snuggie.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = November 25, 2011|access-date = August 3, 2015|issn = 0362-4331|first1 = Hilary|last1 = Greenbaum|first2 = Dana|last2 = Rubinstein}} It was a new, light, strong pile fabric meant to mimic, and in some ways surpass, wool. Malden Mills CEO Aaron Feuerstein intentionally declined to patent polar fleece, allowing the material to be produced cheaply and widely by many vendors, leading to the material's quick and wide acceptance.{{cite web |url=http://citizensforabetternorwood.blogspot.com/2009/03/xavier-hosting-aaron-feuerstein-on.html |title=Xavier hosting Aaron Feuerstein on March 30|date=June 29, 2009|publisher=Citizens For A Better Norwood}}{{cite news|url=http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48881397.html|title=Mr. Feuerstein is a legend in the corporate world, keeping his employees on the payroll until the plant could be rebuilt after a fire. His company went bankrupt, and was purchased out of bankruptcy, yet he doesn't regret a thing.|date=June 22, 2002 |author=Shafran, Avi}}{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YcWLXBXaD8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/9YcWLXBXaD8 |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Aaron Feuerstein |website=YouTube |date=July 7, 2006}}{{cbignore}} Malden Mills registered PolarFleece as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 6, 1981.Polarfleece; Registration Number 1297628; Malden Mills, Inc., 46 Stafford St. Lawrence, Massachusetts 01841; First use June 16, 1980; Filing Date October 6, 1981; Published for Opposition July 17, 1984; Registration Date September 25, 1984
Characteristics
= Variants =
A lightweight, warm and soft fabric, fleece has some of wool's good qualities. Polar fleece garments are traditionally available in the micro, 100, 200, and 300 variants, where the numbers represent the fleece's weight in grams per square meter (gsm). The heavier fleece are warmer.
Fleece can range from being high loft to tightly knit. High loft fleece is warmer because it traps tiny air pockets which holds body heat.{{Cite web |title=Backpackers Guide to Fleece Jackets 2021: Is it Warm and Breathable? |url=https://backpackers.com/outdoor-guides/backpackers-guide-to-fleece-jackets/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Backpackers.com |language=en-US}} Traditionally, polar fleece always had a two-sided pile (i.e., they were fluffy on both sides), but now clothes are often advertised as polar fleece even if they lack a two-sided pile.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-26 |title=Understanding the Different Types of Fleece Fabrics |url=https://www.fabricsgalore.co.uk/blogs/news/understanding-the-different-types-of-fleece-fabric |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Fabrics Galore |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Keefe |first=Ben |date=2022-01-07 |title=From Sherpa To Slub: The Types Of Fleece To Know |url=https://www.heddels.com/2022/01/from-sherpa-to-slub-the-types-of-fleece-to-know/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Heddels}} High pile fleece (which have a higher loft), will eventually lose some loft by becoming matted over time. High pile fleece are also more prone to collecting dirt than low pile fleece.
Fleece can also be made out of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, or even recycled fleece.
= Maintenance =
To prevent high pile fleece from matting, they can be brushed regularly (which also removes dirt) and hung rather than folded.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-13 |title=Caring For Your Deep Pile Fleece |url=https://gorpgoods.com/blogs/digital-gorp/caring-for-your-deep-pile-fleece |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Gorp Goods |language=en}} To remove already existing matting, rinse it in cool water and while it is still damp, gently and unidirectionally brush the matting out (while optionally lightly spraying it with water), and then use a lint roller.{{Cite web |last=Higson |first=Alex |date=2021-09-28 |title=How To Fix Matted Sherpa? A Step-By-Step Guide |url=https://www.magicofclothes.com/fix-matted-sherpa/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Magic of Clothes |language=en-US}} Fleece is machine washable and dries quickly.
Fleece readily generates static electricity, which causes the accumulation of lint, dust, and pet hair. It is also susceptible to damage from high temperature washing, tumble drying, or ironing under unusual conditions. Lower-quality polyester fleece material is also prone to pilling (i.e., the jacket's fabrics break and reform into tiny balls on the jacket).
= Effectiveness =
It is hydrophobic, but it is not waterproof and can absorb water. When wet, it holds less than 1% of its weight in water, and depending on its weight takes 1–4 hours to dry (even on your body in cold temperatures).{{Cite web |title=Fleece Jacket Guide {{!}} Backcountry.com |url=https://www.backcountry.com/explore/all-about-fleece-jackets?srsltid=AfmBOoqgc7Tp-66tNkukvezOXJufDVsbHbz7EQ97N2IosNH9qduPY4NK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911233010/https://www.backcountry.com/explore/all-about-fleece-jackets?srsltid=AfmBOoqgc7Tp-66tNkukvezOXJufDVsbHbz7EQ97N2IosNH9qduPY4NK |url-status=live |archive-date=2024-09-11 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.backcountry.com |language=en}}[http://www.csiro.au/files/files/p50w.pdf Moisture Buffering] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025144058/http://www.csiro.au/files/files/p50w.pdf|date=October 25, 2007}}[http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_care/quarter_sheet.htm Choosing and Using a Quarter Sheet]. Discussion of characteristics of wool vs. fleece Fleece loses most of its insulating quality when wet.{{Cite web |last=Unknown |date=2012-11-28 |title=Wood Trekker: Fleece vs. Wool Insulation |url=http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2012/11/fleece-vs-wool-insulation.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522202924/https://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2012/11/fleece-vs-wool-insulation.html |url-status=live |archive-date=2024-05-22 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Wood Trekker}} Regular polar fleece is not windproof.[http://www.polartec.com/shelter/polartec-wind-pro/ Polartec Windpro web page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217143416/http://polartec.com/shelter/polartec-wind-pro/ |date=February 17, 2012}}[https://sewgadgets.com/brother-cs7000i-sewing-machine/ Polartec Windpro web page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217143416/http://polartec.com/shelter/polartec-wind-pro/ |date=February 17, 2012}}
Microfiber pollution
Washing synthetic textiles like fleece releases microfibers, a type of microplastic.{{Cite journal |last1=Pirc |first1=U. |last2=Vidmar |first2=M. |last3=Mozer |first3=A. |last4=Kržan |first4=A. |date=2016 |title=Emissions of microplastic fibers from microfiber fleece during domestic washing |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research International |volume=23 |issue=21 |pages=22206–22211 |doi=10.1007/s11356-016-7703-0 |issn=0944-1344 |pmc=5099352 |pmid=27658400|bibcode=2016ESPR...2322206P }} The release of these microfibers into the wastewater is proportional to the microplastic pollution in soil, marine, and freshwater habitats.{{Cite journal |last1=Šaravanja |first1=Ana |last2=Pušić |first2=Tanja |last3=Dekanić |first3=Tihana |date=April 2022 |title=Microplastics in Wastewater by Washing Polyester Fabrics |journal=Materials |volume=15 |issue=7 |pages=2683 |doi=10.3390/ma15072683|pmid=35408015 |pmc=9000408 |bibcode=2022Mate...15.2683S |doi-access=free }} Studies also show that tumble drying of polyester releases airborne microplastics.{{Cite web |last=Science |first=Public Library of Science |date=April 6, 2022 |title=Tumble dryers release microfibers into environment at levels comparable to washers |url=https://phys.org/news/2022-04-dryers-microfibers-environment-washers.html |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=phys.org |language=en}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.polartec.com Polartec, once Malden Mills, the original manufacturer of Polartec and Polarfleece]
{{Fabric}}