What Is Combed Cotton Sateen?

Combed cotton sateen is the softest of cotton fabrics, most commonly used for bedding due to its luxurious feel. It is typically more expensive than regular cotton but can be worth the price if you like to sleep against very soft fabrics. Many of the top bedding designers offer a line made of combed cotton sateen.

Combed Cotton

Cotton fibers are harvested, ginned, cleaned and combed to prepare them for spinning into yarn. Combing removes the shortest, softest fibers from the rest of the cotton lint and spins them into softer yarn, known as combed cotton.

Mercerization

Combed cotton fiber is treated to take on a sateen finish. This starts with mercerization, in which the fiber is soaked in a solution of sodium hydroxide and neutralized with acid. The mercerization process occurs before the combed cotton is woven into fabric and makes the fibers stronger, shinier and more absorbent so the fabric can easily be dyed.

Sateen

Sateen describes the luster of the combed cotton fabric that results from the mercerization process. Sateen is soft to the touch and has a higher thread count than most other cotton fabrics. For example, most fabrics are woven in a one-over, one-under pattern. Sateen, however, uses a satin stitch, or four-over, one-under, giving the fabric a right side and a wrong side. Due to the high thread count and the fact that only the shortest cotton fibers are used, combed cotton sateen can be quite costly, though it is less expensive than silk satin.

Uses of Combed Cotton Sateen

Combed cotton sateen is most commonly used in bedding. Duvet covers, pillow covers and sheets in cotton sateen give a bedroom an elegant look and a luxurious feel. Combed cotton sateen may also be used for other household products, including napkins and drapes. Combed cotton sateen is not commonly used in clothing, though it may be used occasionally for specialty items such as kimonos.

Care of Combed Cotton Sateen

Wash your combed cotton sateen products in a machine on the gentle cycle. Though combed cotton sateen products can be machine-dried, remove them from the dryer immediately to prevent wrinkles. Also, beware of stains and hand-wash the sateen item immediately

References

• Kohl's Corporation: Product Guide Glossary
• Great Lakes Cotton: Combed Cotton
• Echo Design: Ask a Designer—Cotton Sateen Washing Instructions
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Mercerization