It was in England in 1941 that British scientists John Whinfield and James Dickson first invented poly fabric. However, it wasn’t until 1950 that an American manufacturer named Dupont began to produce polyester in the United States.
Since 1960 polyester material has become the most widely used fabric in the manufacturing of clothes. This is due, partly, to its ability to resist both fading and shrinkage. Polyester also became a frequent pick in the production of tablecloths, chair coverings, placemats, table skirts and aprons. As well accepted as it was for clothes and home decor, 100% polyester material was not the best pick for napkins. 100% polyester table napkins lacked both absorption and the feel of cotton fiber which, at the time, was associated with high-priced table linen.
Enter spun poly material. Initially, spun polyester was produced for industrial use and household furnishings. In an endeavor to produce a boat cover from spun poly, Johnston Industries unknowingly created a spun poly that, compared to its predecessor, was lighter in weight with an finer feeling to it. Perhaps more significantly, they noticed that the material got softer as it was dyed and thus could be used in the making of tablecloths.
This discovery was considered to be so important that Johnston Industries discontinued their development of boat coverings. In order to better the spun poly cloth that had been created, Johnston Industries decided to hire a textile expert by the name of Bob Pomeranz. Bob’s expert knowledge of spinning machines permitted him to spin a cloth free from pilling, the pesky fiber clusters that take away from a cloth’s appearance. At Long Last, Johnston Industries produced a tablecloth that was durable. It kept its colouring, released dirt and resisted shrinking.
Spun poly could now be utilized to produce table linens with the feel of cotton cloth. Best of all, unlike cotton, a spun poly table cloth would continue to be colorfast , even after being washed many a times. As a rule, the more you laundered a spun poly tablecloth the softer and better it would feel to the touch.
Over time textile manufacturers began to use spun polyester for aprons, chair coverings, place mats, table skirts and even table napkins. In fact, while table napkins produced of 100% poly cloth lacked absorption - spun polyester napkins did not.
Whether 100% polyester or spun polyester, both are essential, not just in the house, but in restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals and the party rental industry as well.
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