Good Fibers

Spring is here, it’s time to get ready for summer and that means time at the beach or around the pool.  If you spend your time at the pool or know someone who does these would be the perfect towels.  If you are looking for a perfect gift for your sun lover, I am sure most would love the Nandina Future Fibers Pool Lounge Towels.  These bamboo towels are bamboo, blended with organic cotton and available in four jacquard patterns; Aragon is a flat loop towel. Akhara is a large sculpted pattern combined with textured stripes.  Sasa is a combination of a chevron textured strip along with a floral texture at the towels ends.  Savari is an all over basket weave.  The towels measure 61.5 X 75 inches and are available in a variety of colors.  These towels are the ultimate in comfort and sustainability made out of eco-friendly fibers.  These bamboo towels are dyed with low impact dyes and made with energy from the wind.  The bamboo and organic cotton fibers are eco-friendly, sustainable materials which are soft and luxurious.  An added benefit is that the towels retain the anti-microbial, mold and mildew resistance associated with bamboo fibers.   You will love the extra soft, luxurious comfort these towels provide.  Enjoy!

I receive questions each day about kitchen towels and which type are the best.  As with most towels, there is a lot of personal preference.  I think that there are towels that are better suited for different

purposes…..and then came bamboo towels.   There are several reasons that bamboo towels are particularrly suited for the kitchen.

1.)  Bamboo towels are very absorbant.  Depending on the weave bamboo towels are 2-3 times more absorbant than cotton.

2.)  Bamboo towels retain its natural antimicrobial properties.

3.)  Bamboo towels dry out quickly.

4.)  Bamboo towels are mold and mildew resistant.

5.)  Bamboo towels are soft,  stay soft wash after wash.

Good Fibers bamboo kitchen towels and dish cloths are available in seven great colors.   The bamboo kitchen towels are a pleasure to use.

Introducing one of the newest members to our bath towel collection.  Our organic cotton bath towels are available in five soft sophisticated colors with a plush soft pile that feels wonderful as you wrap yourself in luxury.  The colors include Branch, Seagrass, Petal Pink, Ivory and White. Our organic cotton towels are made with a wide ribbed detail on the end. You can be assured that you are doing your part to care for the environment with these 100% SKAL certified towels. These organic bath towels have been made using cotton grown in natural and sustainable conditions. Grown without pesticides, the 700 GSM towels have been dyed with low impact dyes. The hang-tag is printed on 100% recycled material too.  If you’re shopping for towels, make an earth friendly decision and enjoy the luxury of well made, sophisticated bath sheets, bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths.  These towels look great, feel great and are good for the planet.  Enjoy!

Everywhere I turn these days, the terms “green”, “eco-friendly”, “earth friendly”, “organic” are jumping out at me.  I wonder if I am just more aware now or if there really more products, news stories and advertisements.  It has to be some of both.  Since making the decision to start a business and being wrapped up in getting it off the ground, I have been submersed in finding and researching how and where products are made.  I have looked for the best products, that I can stand behind and products that have been made with the least amount of impact on our planet.  I ask myself, why did we choose a business based on bamboo, organic cotton, natural home products and bath accessories?  Why now?…..why green?

With so many “new” environmentally friendly products on the market today, are merchants going for the green or is this just one more way to go for the $green$.  For The Bertsch Company it is for the environmental green.  We felt that if we were going to sell anything that it should not be increasing our environmental footprint, we wanted to offer alternatives. Healthy alternatives for both people and the planet.

Since the inception of Good Fibers, the economy tanked, the stock market has plummeted, the unemployment rate has steadily been going up.  At times I wonder, “What were we thinking?”  I look back over the last 30 some years and the number of things that have been consumed.  I have felt that this just couldn’t and should not continue.  How could it if we have any regard for the planet and for future generations?  Much of our economy has been largely based on consumption.  Bigger houses, bigger cars, more rooms to fill, etc, etc.  So….How are we going to make the changes to get a healthy economy and also take care of our planet? Is the concern for our environment here to stay or is it fair weathered?

I believe that we are at a major turning point in history.  The last 200 years has had a huge amount of change and I believe that when we look back, this will be one more turning point.  If we think about all the major changes; industrial, transaportation, information, technological.  I think that this will be tagged - environmetal.  I do not believe that people are going to give up the luxuries that they have become accustomed to over the past 40 years, but I do believe that people will be more selective, making educated choices in where these products come from and how they have been made.  I believe that this will benefit the health of both the planet and individuals as we decrease the manufacturing and use of artifical materials.  I  find myself asking more questions about the products I purchase and weighing the value and the costs to both the environment and to my wallet.  How about your choices?  What questions are you asking and how are you making decisions?    Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday, February 28th, 2009 is the last effective date for the discount code good for 20% off any “Nandina” bamboo and organic cotton towel purchase.

Both bamboo bath towels and organic cotton towels are eco-friendly choices.  Good Fibers is dedicated to bringing the highest quality natural and earth friendly products to you.  There has definitely been an increase in marketing of eco-friendly, green and natural products.  Has this marketing made a difference in your choices?

• Do you think that people are making changes in their shopping choices?
• Have you made any changes to your decision making in regards to environmental issues?
• If you have a choice between two products of similar quality, what determines your choice?

I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.  For all who comment on this blog for the next two weeks, I will be drawing for a set of a bamboo dish towel and dish cloths.  Drawing will take place on March 14th, 2009.

The soft and luxurious feel of bamboo towels is incredible.  How can you keep your towels feeling this luxurious?  Here are 10 ways to keep bamboo towels at their best.

1. Before using bamboo towels, wash them without detergent in warm to hot water and dry them in the dryer on medium.
2. Do not wash your bamboo towels with any zippered item.
3. Use a mild detergent, such as LaBlanc’s Towel Wash.
4. Wash you bamboo towels on a gentle cycle.
5. The use of fabric softeners in not recommended.
6. The use of dryer sheets is not suggested.
7. The use of bleach is not suggested or recommended.
8. If a thread gets snagged, clip it off with scissors without pulling on it.
9. Dry your towels on gentle or hang to dry.
10. Keep you towels away from smoke.

Bamboo is naturally a very absorbent fiber.  Washing in warm water and drying before use can tighten up the weave and help decrease the chances of snagging.  By taking care of your bamboo towels you will be able to enjoy them for years to come.

When you go to get groceries, do you ask for paper or plastic bags?  I made it my new years resolution last year to start using reusable market bags rather than using either paper or plastic. I could not stand how quickly the plastic bags would accumulate…..I have 2 teenage boys that can go through too many groceries.  Since then, my favorite local market now only offers paper bags.  I appreciate that all stores are offering reusable market bags.  But there is not much information out on how and what those bags are made.

So how did it go for my resolution?  My biggest problem was remembering to take the bags into the store with me.  There were a couple of times that I forgot and would go out to the car and get the bags.   So the next trip I forgot I reloaded my cart with the groceries after checking out and took them to my car to bag in my reusable bags.  That helped me to remember the bags.  I also found some market bags that are more compact, fold up and fit easily into my purse.  I use a few different types of bags but my favorite is a crochet organic cotton market bag.  It is flexible and adjusts to the contents.  It is especially great for produce.

There are many debates which argue both sides of which is best…. paper vs. plastic.  Both have environmental impacts.  In my opinion the best bag is neither, a reuseable bag is the only best option.  I have dramatically reduced the number of bags that we take to recycle and each time I return from the market without using their bags I smile.  l am pleased with the number of bags our household does not use.  How are you doing?

In my last post I talked about finding the right towel.  In the process of researching towels to carry at Good Fibers, we researched and reviewed many different towels along with their manufactures.  It is important for us to find the right products, products we believed in,  that I would buy for and could feel good recommending to my friends and family.  Being a small family run business, we believe that it is important for our customers to trust that we believe in and stand behind our products.  Offering the best products along with providing great customer service is very important to us.   We are proud to feature the Nandina Future Fibers line as one of our towels.

When looking at these towels through the lens of choosing the right towel this is what we found.  These towels scored very high.

Fibers - The Nandina towels are made from fiber spun from combination of 75% bamboo and 25% organic cotton.   The fibers met or exceeded the highest standard for organic textiles by Switerland’s Oeko-Tex.

Texture - Nandina offers four textures from Aragon, an ultra soft, smooth terry.  Savari, a wonderful basket weave, and two jacquard patterns, Akhara and Sasa.  All of the towels are incredibly soft.  I never want to put them down.

Colors - Nandina offers a unique line of colors, for each style of towel, which are fresh and rich.  The dyes are all created using either low impact or organic dyes.

Weight - The Nandina towels run 600 GSM.  This weight is not considered heavy for a luxury towel, but the make up of the fibers feel luxurious.   The tub mats are  a heavier GSM.

Price - Nandina Towels run from $12 to $89 and they are available in wash cloths, hand towels, bath towels,  bath sheets and tub mats.

The Nandina towels are manufactures on the island of Imbari, Japan.  The bamboo is plantation grown and the pulp is broken down into fiber and woven with organic cotton in a plant powered by wind.  The towels are then dyed using low impact and organic dyes with the water then run through a stringent four step process to purify it for the least amount of environmental impact.  One of the company’s slogans is “Savng the planet, one incredibly soft towel at a time.”

The Nandina Future Fiber towels are a luxury to experience.   Please take a look and check the towels out.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  If you make a decision that these are the right towels for you,  use the code BLOGFEB20 when checking out at www.goodfibers.com for a twenty percent discount.  This code will be valid through February 28th, 2009.

The right bath towel? In who’s opinion?

Basket of Bamboo and Organic Cotton Towels

There are many ways to look at this and in our world today we each need to choose the products that we invest in wisely. The least expensive item can have far greater costs on our environment and our planet. Bath towels are an item that most people use each day and purchasing new towels is an investment. Good towels feel good, they look good and they should last for years while continuing to be enjoyable to use. So consider your options, your preferences, the impacts. Make an educated choice to get the most out of this investment.

1. Fibers
2. Texture
3. Color
4. Weight
5. Price

Fibers – There are several options for the fibers available to choose for bath towels. The most common fiber for bath towels is cotton. Cotton is absorbent, soft and cotton towels are easy to find. Cotton is not environmentally friendly unless the choice is organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown without all the chemicals insecticides, pesticides and defoliants that are traditionally used to grow cotton. When organic cotton is used along with a low impact dye process the towels are much more environmentally friendly. Bamboo is another option that is becoming much more popular. Bamboo is a member of the grass family and is grown without the insecticides, pesticides and defoliants. Bamboo is a sustainable resource and can grow 1 – 4 feet per day depending on the area and water available. Bamboo fiber is then made from the bamboo and is often labeled as bamboo, bamboo rayon or bamboo viscose. Bamboo is softer than cotton and more absorbent. Bamboo is often combined with cotton for towels. The most eco-friendly option is that of bamboo and organic cotton such as that found in the “Nandina” towels. Another, not so common fiber option is Legna which is made out of wood fiber. Legna towels have been compared to silk, although you can machine wash and dry these towels. Legna towels are also more environmentally friendly.

Texture – Texture is more personal preference than anything. From the European waffle weave towels to terry and jaquard, there are many choices to consider.   There are many textures in terry towels. The larger the loops, the more texture the towels will have and the smaller the loops the smoother the texture. Softness can also be created with combed cotton in which the shorter cotton fibers have been removed through a combing process or with zero twist or low twist in which the cotton fibers have less twist to them and feel softer. There are towels with patterns woven into them that can add another dimension. From a basket weave to many wonderful jacquard patterns, these towels provide additional texture as well as creating dynamic accent pieces to your bath room areas. It may be important to check with house hold members to determine which texture is preferred from a terry, to velour or a jacquard. Find the right texture for you. Have fun with your towel styles.

Jacquard and Basketweave

Color – It is a good idea to look at the bathroom to choose towel colors and to decide if the preference is for towels that will softly blend and coordinate or if the towels are to be accent pieces. Another factor to consider on color is the process used to dye the towels. The dye process first includes chlorine bleaching or the more eco-friendly peroxide bleaching process. Then to add color there is a choice between low impact dyes and more traditional dyes. Low impact dyes have a lower environmental impact. To decrease the impact, choose towels that are peroxide bleached and that use low impact dyes. Whether the preferred color choice is a classic white, bright or the warm rich colors available, there are towels today that are functional, earth friendly along with having great style. A couple of choices are to blend a couple coordinating towel colors, or to choose a color and to mix textures to add dimension. While color choice is a personal preference, it is a good idea to consider the room and the look that you are after, before shopping for towels.

Weight – Towel weight is measured by grams per square meter or GSM. What does this mean? Grams per square meter refer to the volume of fibers used to make a towel. The weight range is usually from 250 GSM up to 1000 GSM. Generally speaking weight and quality go hand in hand, the higher the quality, the higher the GSM. High quality towels are usually 600 GSM and above. The weight can also affect the length of time that the towels will take to dry. Bamboo fiber is denser and a bamboo towel may feel somewhat thinner with the same GSM as a cotton towel. Since bamboo is more absorbent than cotton, a thinner bamboo towel will absorb more than the same weight in a cotton towel, making it equal to a higher weight cotton towel. The weight of the towel also affects the feel of the towel and it is important to have towels that feel great.

Price – When choosing your towels, price will be affected by each of the factors above. When considering fibers, Legna will be the most expensive and traditional cotton the least. Bamboo and organic cotton will fall in between. The texture may have some affect depending on the complexity of the weaving process. The price will also be affected by the weight of the towel. The heavier the towel, the more material it has in it. So, I would encourage each of us to view the factors, the impacts and to purchase the towel that meets your preferences while having the least amount of environmental impact that you can afford.