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Electric Fabric for Really Soft-Touch Controls

New Material Creates Clothes That Control Electronics

By PAUL ENG of ABC News

In the world of fashion, some outfits are destined to be sharp, “smart” or maybe even electrifying. But what if one day you can have an outfit that is literally all three?

For years, researchers have been working on the promise of so-called “smart fabrics.” Using nanotechnology, these advanced textiles would allow clothing makers to design outfits that would do much more than cover the human body.

A British company called Eleksen Ltd. may be delivering the latest stitch in the advanced fabric yarn by developing an innovative fabric called ElekTex. Like other man-made fibers, it is completely flexible and can be stretched, folded, tucked, washed and sewn onto other fabrics.

ElekTex Touchpads

A Fabric That Says, ‘Touch Me’

But unlike other textiles, ElekTex is “touch-sensitve,” allowing designers to incorporate electronic devices — mobile phones, digital music players — into clothes, remote controls into upholstery, or perhaps even light switches into drapes and curtains.

The secret, says Eleksen’s product design manager Miles Jordan, is that the “fabric” is actually made of five layers of thin proprietary materials. The two outer layers are similar to woven nylon to give the fabric durability. Meanwhile, the two inner layers are composed of a “carbon-loaded” knitted material that sandwiches another specially made, electrically conductive, knitted textile.

“It’s essentially a touchscreen made of fabric,” says Jordan. “When you press on the material, it conducts electricity through the layers from front to back. And when you make the connection, the harder you press, the more electrical current flows through … so the fabric can differentiate from a light to hard touches.”

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Oh! the messy Chewing Gum on Fabric

Children and chewing gum make a very nasty combination. Not only is the sugary content of chewing gum bad for the dental health of a child, but also has the habit of turning up in the most unexpected areas in your house and create a mess. Behind the sofa, under the table, on the wall, in the hair and on the clothes, these are some of the areas where you will mostly find chewing gum sticking on.

In case it is the last area i.e. clothes or fabrics that you are worried out, here’s the perfect solution for you. Follow the instructions below and get chewing gum out of your clothes in a jiffy.

How to Remove Gum from Fabric
Items Needed
  • Freezer
  • Ice Cubes
  • Blunt Knife
  • Toothbrush
  • Laundry Detergent
Instructions
  • Making use of your fingernails, try to remove as much gum from the fabric as possible.
  • After you feel that you cannot remove more gum with your nails, rub an ice cube over the area.
  • Alternatively, you can put the fabric in the freezer. This will make sure that the gum hardens quickly.
  • When you think that the gum has become hard and brittle to touch, remove it with the help of a blunt knife.
  • In case of delicate fabrics, you can make use of toothbrush instead of a knife.
  • Repeat the procedure of applying ice and scraping off the gum, till you feel that the fabric is totally devoid of it.
  • Making use of a laundry detergent, wash the fabric in your washing machine, as you usually do.
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How do I know if it is 100% wool?

To determine if fabric is 100 percent wool, soak a small swatch of it in chlorine bleach for about eight hours. If the swatch dissolves completely, is significantly smaller, or has clearly disintegrated, it’s all wool, not a blend. Some wool fabrics have finishes that inhibit the action of the bleach and may not disintegrate entirely — if in doubt, try washing a swatch thoroughly to remove any finishes, then perform the bleach test.

Test for Wool 1

– Laura Ziemer

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