In relation to previous article, let us now dive deeper into sisal and sute.
More about Jute
“Jute” is the plant or fiber used to make burlap, hessian or gunny cloth. In terms of cost, it is only second to cotton. Jute fibers are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose and lignin. Jute is also called the “golden fiber” for its color and high cash value.
The jute plant needs plain alluvial soil and standing water. The suitable climate for growing jute (warm and wet) is offered by the monsoon climate during the monsoon season.
Jute was used for making textiles in the Indus valley since the 3rd millennium BC.
There was a record that jute plants served as food in Ancient Egypt, and may have also been cultivated by the Jews in the Near East; which gives the plant its name.
Jute is in great demand due to its softness, length, luster, and uniformity of its fiber. It is also known at the ‘brown paper bag’; it is used as sacks to store rice, wheat, grains, etc. Making twine, rope, and matting are among their main uses. It is also called the “golden fiber” due to its versatile nature. Moreover, the fiber is biodegradable.
More about Sisal
Sisal native to southern Mexico and was widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It’s stiff fiber is ideal for making rope.
Sisal plants look like a rosette of sword-shaped leaves about 1.5–2 meters (4 ft 11 in–6 ft 7 in) tall. The young leaves may have a few teeth and get lost as the leaves mature. The sisal plant lives for about 7–10 years. During that span, it can produce 200–250 commercially usable leaves.
Sisal was used by the ancient Aztecs and the Mayan civilization in making crude fabrics and paper. It was later cultivated in Cuba by the 1880s.
The fiber is extracted by a process known as decortication, where leaves are crushed, beaten, and brushed away by a rotating wheel set with blunt knives, so that only fibres remain.
Traditionally, sisal has been mainly used for agricultural twine because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, an affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resistance to deterioration in saltwater.
Exfoliting by rug
What is common about these plants is that they have stiff and strong fiber. For their strength, these plants are favored as rug materials. Even though the fibers are strong, they are soft enough to be used as a skin exfoliator.
Depending on your skin sensitivity, you can use a regular cloth or even a loofah to exfoliate. But if your skin is exposed to heavy dirt, you may want to go heavy duty in mechanical exfoliation.
It would be wrong to cut your sisal or jute rug for a hand wide size part, and use it as an exfoliating scrub. The fibers are thick and keeping them steady by scrubbing your skin will be a challenge.
Thermalabs created a jute and sisal mitt for heavy exfoliation. You can slip your hand into the gloves and start scrubbing for clean and refreshed skin. We cant stretch enough the importance of exfoliation before applying the tanning lotion; removes oil, dirt, and dead skin.
Get your jute and sisal mitts here http://thermalabs.com/shop/trml-eco-glove-set-eu/
