What exactly is Tencel? Read all about it here

If you are looking for comfortable and durable clothing, you may well have already seen Tencel fabric pass by. Tencel material is light and feels soft, but also very firm and comfortable. A fabric with special properties. Tencel is also one of the more sustainable choices when you are looking for new clothing. Tencel fabric consists of 100% natural material that is produced in a sustainable way. That's why sustainable clothing designers love it. Are you already familiar with Tencel? We tell you all about it!

What kind of fabric is Tencel?

Maybe you've considered buying clothes made of Tencel fabric and wondered, "What exactly is Tencel?" Let us explain. The sustainable fibre is officially called Lyocell, but is marketed under the name Tencel by the manufacturer Lenzing. So Tencel and Lyocell are actually the same thing. So now you ask yourself, "what is Lyocell for fabric then?". Lyocell or Tencel fabric is simply put, a 'natural man-made fibre'. It is made from wood pulp from eucalyptus trees. From this tree, pulp is extracted and processed into a smooth fibre that is very soft to the touch and therefore ideal for Tencel clothing, for example.

Tencel and sustainable fashion

Tencel is made from the wood pulp of the Eucalyptus tree. For this sustainable fabric, only trees are felled in sustainably managed forests with the fsc quality mark. These are forests where new trees are planted in time. Unlike other plants, Eucalyptus trees require relatively few additives. Far fewer fertilisers and pesticides are used in their production. In addition, the Eucalyptus tree is known not to be a huge drinker. For example, in contrast to its other materials used for clothing, the tree uses only a fraction of the water. This is why the tree thrives in places where the soil quality is low and agriculture is not an option. In addition, Tencel fabric is fully biodegradable. Because of the lack of additives in the production process, the Tencel material that ends up in your clothing is a sustainable solution!

What are the advantages of Tencel fabric?

Tencel therefore scores high on sustainability, but also in terms of wearing comfort this fabric performs very well. Tencel breathes well, making you comfortable at any time of the day. In addition, Tencel fabric is strong, so it can take a beating, but at the same time it is as soft as linen. Comfort guaranteed! Because we are such big fans of Tencel, we have listed the advantages of this wonderful fabric for you:

Disadvantages of Tencel material, are there any?

Despite the advantages over other materials that can be used in clothing, there are unfortunately also some disadvantages to Tencel fabric. This list is much more compact than the advantages, but we will mention them anyway. The well-known disadvantages of Tencel are:

• Tencel fabric (like linen) can wrinkle after washing
• Stains are more difficult to remove
• The production process from wood to fibre requires a lot of water and energy
• Logging for Tencel is unfortunately faster than the growth of sustainable forestry

Whether these disadvantages should deter you from wearing it? Certainly not! The wood is only sourced from sustainably managed forests. This means that wood is obtained in an ecologically responsible yet economically profitable manner. This means that the flora and fauna of the forests are taken into account, but also environmental factors such as soil and water management in the area.

Closed loop production

Furthermore, the production process of Tencel uses a so-called "closed loop production process". This closed loop system is a way of processing in which the materials used in the production are collected and reused or even recycled into a new product. As a result, almost nothing is lost. No less than 99.5% of the water remains in the processing process!   

Just straighten up, that Tencel shirt  

Wrinkles are annoying of course, but let's face it, they can happen to any fabric when you take your clothes off the clothesline or wait too long to fold them. So do you want to minimise the risk of wrinkles in your Tencel clothes? Hang the garment on a drying rack (we are not fans of the dryer) to dry and straighten the garment. Fold the garment and don't let it lie crumpled in a pile of clothes for too long. We'll tell you more about washing Tencel in a minute!

Can you easily wash Tencel (and how)?

Yes, it is very simple. In principle, you can treat Tencel just like cotton. You just have to be a bit more delicate with it. Just to be sure, always check the label to see if your Tencel clothes are machine washable or hand washable. Of course we want you to enjoy your Tencel shirt for as long as possible, so here are some useful laundry instructions for Tencel clothing:

1. Gather your piles of laundry and sort them by colour and material. Tencel fabric should preferably be washed separately and per colour type.
2. Turn your Tencel clothes inside out
3. Put your Tencel clothes in the washing machine (ideally in a laundry bag) and not too full.
4. If required, a small dash of detergent
5. Choose a short wash cycle, which is more durable and produces the same result.
6. Wash at around 30-40 degrees, not warmer as the fabric may shrink
7. After the washing machine is done, hang your Tencel clothes on the clothes rack (no dryer)
8. Hang inside out and pull the bottom of the Tencel shirt apart so that the garment hangs straight . This prevents wrinkles
9. Just let it dry and voilà, you can wear your silky Tencel shirt again!

Also curious about Tencel clothing?

Have you also become curious about Tencel clothing? You are not the only one! It is of course a fine fabric that has sustainability high on its agenda. In the assortment of Slaterstore you can buy the most beautiful Basic T-shirts of Tencel fabric. With different fits and colours, there is always a model that seamlessly fits your needs. Check out the collection and shop your sustainable Tencel clothing easily online.