Why Choose Bamboo?

My family and I were shopping for new bedsheets today and I noticed that Target offers Organic Cotton and Bamboo! My husband looked at me cross eyed as I picked up the lime green queen size sheet set made from a Bamboo/cotton blend. I proceeded to explain to him why bamboo is a better choice. And It occured to me that you might appreciate a little insight as well
Bamboo Fabric is Healthful
Bamboo is said to possess a property called "Bamboo Kun" which means that it is naturally anti-microbial. Even through processing into fabric and after fifty washes, bamboo fabrics retain their anti-fungal, anti-bacterial nature, according to research by Japan Textile Inspection Association. This makes it suitable for those sensitive to allergens and also helps to reduce body odor, without the risk of allergic reaction sometimes associated with exposure to the chemicals used to give other materials similar properties. Bamboo fabric even has an inherant UV protection factor, though we've yet to run our own tests on this property.

Bamboo Fabric is Sustainable
Cotton is one of the most intensely sprayed crops in the world, and cotton pesticides are the greatest crop contributor to volatile organic compounds in the environment. Cotton requires wide spacing to grow, allowing bare soil to oxidize in the sun, releasing carbon into the atmosphere, allowing rain to wash soil and chemicals into stream, and decreasing soil fertility. Bamboo, on the other hand, takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases 35% more oxygen. It needs no replanting, pesticides or fertilizers, and its roots retain water in the watershed, sustaining riverbanks and reducing water pollution.

Bamboo Fabric is Practical
Bamboo fabrics can look and drape like silk, but are more practical because you can machine wash them on the gentle cycle and dry them in the drier or on the clothesline. They resist wrinkling without the addition of formaldehyde (a carcinogen) which is added to polyester/cotton blend fabrics to give them those qualities. It has many of the qualities sought in "performance" and "easy care" fabrics without the drawbacks of synthetic material and it has many of the fashionable qualities of silk, while being sturdy and vegan.

Bamboo Fabric is Comfortable
The fibers of the bamboo plant that are used to make our fabrics are naturally porous, so they absorb moisture, and wick it away from the skin, keeping you cooler and drier than synthetics or cotton. Diapers made from bamboo have superior absorbency to cotton ones, without being so bulky. The soft, smooth texture is exceptional for the comfort of all who wear it, and particularly well-suited to babies' tender skin.

(resource http://www.bamboofabricstore.com/)