The first time I posted about rayon/viscose in 2021, some rando showed up to mansplain “chemicals” to me. You know, the classic “You know so little about science that you’re probably freaked out by dihydrogen monoxide …but it’s just water” nonsense. I have a little bit more of a science education than the average fashion industry employee; my studies went as far as organic chemistry. But wow! Some of these chemical processes for making fabrics are overwhelming! Like all the things we discuss around here, I tried my hardest to simplify a complicated issue into a one post. If you want to learn more about the specific science of rayon production, I recommend starting with Wikipedia.

Rayon is often blended with cotton and/or polyester, so it ends up in a lot of different types of clothing at many different prices.

Another thing I did not touch on in this post are the implications of using trees/bamboo to make fabric for an industry that relies on selling us as much new clothing as possible as often as possible: deforestation and land/water impacts. I’ll be discussing that more in future posts

It’s easy to read a post like this and GET SO FREAKED OUT! Or super overwhelmed! I know this experience all too well because I’ve been living it for a few years now! At first I was simply distraught beyond logic, next I considered swearing off all clothing to become a nudist, then I wanted to toss out all of my clothing and start over. After that, I went through a brief phase of wanting to give up, then I was filled with rage…and now I’m like “okay, this stuff is here, let’s make it last so we don’t have to make more of it.” Furthermore, I’m basically a “never nude,” so the nudist strategy was never going to work out 🙃

Knowledge is always accompanied by empowerment (once you get past the panic/nudist/rage stages). And it feels good to know that we can make smarter decisions and help others make them, too!

In the next part of this series, we’ll get into some of the other semi-synthetic fabrics like cupro and modal. I’ll also be doing a post focused on bamboo, so sit tight for that!

What are rayon and viscose?

• First things first: these fabrics are considered “semi-synthetic” because while they are technically made of plant material, they are manufactured using some pretty serious chemicals and processes. They are also called “man-made cellulosic.”

• Secondly: rayon and viscose are often used interchangeably, but it’s more accurate to say that viscose is the most common type of rayon.

• Rayon is frequently blended with cotton and/or polyester to make it stronger and less prone to wrinkling.

How is rayon made?

• Rayon was initially developed in the late 1800s as an artificial silk alternative.

• Rayon begins as a surprising raw material: tree pulp and bamboo.

• Surprise, surprise: trees and bamboo aren’t soft, so turning them into drapey, appealing fabric involves a lot of chemicals and resources!

• In this post I am going to focus on the “viscose method” of producing rayon. About 80% of rayon production utilizes this process.

Get ready for some science!

• First, the plant material (trees or bamboo) is mechanically pulped. Sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide help turn it into a viscous solution. Yes, that’s where the name “viscose” originated! It’s actually a series of processes, including pressing, shredding, crumbing, mixing, exposure to oxygen, and aging.

• The viscous liquid is filtered, degassed, and extruded through a spinneret into in a bath of sulfuric acid.

• The resulting rayon is spun, drawn, washed, and cut. Now it can be woven or knit into fabric.

Nice things about rayon…

• It’s the most absorbent of all plant-based fabrics (including cotton).

• Breathable, soft, and smooth…ideal for hot and humid climates.

• Technically biodegradable, but it is often treated with unsavory dyes/chemicals, which may cause the release of toxic chemicals during decomposition. The use of harmful dyes and washes often happens with natural fabrics, too.

Now the bad stuff about rayon…

• Obviously all of that mashing, spinning, shredding, and crumbing consumes a lot of energy, but the chemicals involved in turning cellulosic material into fabric using the “viscose method” are a major problem. Yet it is still used for 80% of rayon produced each year. Why? It’s cheap!

• The production of rayon/viscose is so toxic that none of it is produced in the United States. Why? Because while the fabric is safe by the time it reaches consumers, the process cannot comply with EPA standards.

Rayon is also an environmental justice issue.

• Carbon sulfide is highly toxic. There are many documented cases of serious harm to the workers making it, including neurophysiological effects, blindness, liver/kidney damage, and stroke. Even here in the US, 30% of rayon workers in the 1930s experienced major health issues.

• Furthermore, carbon sulfide emissions are harmful to people and animals living in the areas surrounding rayon factories. While the Global North is overconsuming rayon, the Global South deals with the repercussions of its production.

• There are documented instances in India, China, and Indonesia of factories dumping the waste chemicals from rayon into waterways and/or washing raw rayon in rivers, poisoning all of the living things in the area.

“Good” rayon is hard to find…

• 75% of rayon/viscose is made by 10 companies. So no matter what a brand is telling you about its viscose, it probably has no idea if the fabric it is using comes from a bad factory that is being irresponsible with its chemicals and worker safety.

• LENZING Ecovero viscose is a safer bet, but you have to read the label to know if that’s what you are getting! Lenzing maintains that 99% of the chemical solvent is recovered in a closed chemical loop and then fed back into the production process. It also claims to have made the production process more energy efficient.

Okay, well, now what?

There are “better” versions of these cellulosic fabrics (including those made with the “lyocell method.”) We will talk about those more in future posts in this series.

In the mean time: READ LABELS. And read more about rayon:

“Rayon unravelled: fashion’s most confusing fibre has a dark past but hopeful future,” Lucianne Tonti, The Guardian.

“Dirty Fashion,” Changing Markets Foundation.

Amanda, why do you always share bad news?

You might be feeling kinda freaked out/stressed out after reading this. And that’s normal, because you care about the world around you!

I don’t tell you these things because I want to make you sad or panicked. Rather, I want you to recognize that nothing we buy comes without an environmental and social impact. Recognizing that is step one in truly understanding that nothing is disposable! That’s why we buy less new stuff, shop secondhand first, mend what we have, and launder with care.

Launder with care!

• Unlike polyester, rayon doesn’t make you stinky! So you don’t need to wash a garment after each wear.

• All rayon clothing should be treated delicately. In many cases, dry cleaning is the best option (and I say this is a person who avoids dry cleaning at al costs).

• Handwashing in cool water is the best approach, but if you must machine wash, use a mesh bag and wash in COLD water.

• SKIP THE DRYER. Air dry instead.

• If you need to iron (rayon does get pretty wrinkly), iron on medium high on the back side of the fabric.