Facts about Cotton for Homemakers "Cotton is strong, absorbent, and washable. Mercerized cotton has been treated with caustic soda to make it even stronger." John Mercer was a chemist who lived in England in the 1800's. He never went to school but was very interested in dyeing fabrics. He read books on the dyeing process and experimented on his own. He eventually created the Mercerization process. By treating cotton with sodium hydroxide, the material shrinks, becomes stronger, and overall changes cotton on a chemical level. This process is still used today! ... Not in today's almanac post, we are supposed to learn about how to take care of cotton. So here you go: 1. Cotton can shrink. So follow the cleaning rules. 2. Cotton can easily grow mildew and be eaten by silverfish. So store in a clean and dry place. 3. Dirty cotton fabrics should be washed ASAP! Don't put in a hamper and wait until the next laun...