When you walk into a professional kitchen, you don’t see a bunch of polyester outfits. Moreover, you will almost always see chefs in white or black cotton jackets. This is no coincidence. Why is that? Does cotton have some unique property that makes it better to wear in the kitchen? The answer may surprise you.
Why should we wear cotton clothes in the kitchen? We should wear cotton clothes in the kitchen for safety. Not only is cotton a poor heat conductor, but it also doesn’t melt the way synthetics can. Plus, cotton doesn’t conduct electricity well either, making it safer around electric stoves and devices. Additionally, cotton is relatively easy to remove stains from, which makes it ideal for kitchen use.
After years of working in kitchens, I can assure you that there are plenty of good reasons to choose cotton for kitchen use. Professionals know that cotton is not only comfortable but also necessary when you’re sweating over a hot stove all day. I will explain why so that you can choose the right cotton clothing for your kitchen. Don’t get burned. Skip all these ridiculous synthetics and stick to this breathable, natural fiber when you’re cooking. It’s vital to consider your clothing choices carefully, and always look at the benefits or shortcomings of your fabric options before you get dressed to work with heat.
Why Wear Cotton In the Kitchen for Safety
We wear cotton in the kitchen for safety, but why is it necessary? If you’ve never (or rarely) been burnt or injured inside a kitchen, it’s only natural to think little of it. For example, if your only kitchen injuries were a couple of cuts from mishandling a knife when you were younger, then kitchen safety doesn’t seem like such a big deal.
Similarly, if you never learned about food cross-contamination, then it probably never occurred to you that you could make yourself sick. When you have felt ill, you may not have even considered that it came from improper food handling. Not everyone is an expert in the kitchen, after all.
You don’t need to be an expert to wear a high-quality Dalstrong Professional Chef’s Kitchen Apron from Amazon. Not only is this denim apron a hundred percent cotton, but it also has a waterproof coating. Moreover, it’s long enough to cover more of your body. See the outstanding reviews right here.
However, especially in a survival situation, proper self-protection in the kitchen is essential. If you don’t have access to a hospital because society is breaking down, or your bug out location is far from any city, you could be in serious trouble. A small burn can get infected and even potentially kill you. Avoiding injury in your kitchen is more important than it looks.
Before modern medicine, a person could scratch themselves and end up with a deadly infection. Likewise, even if you’re well supplied, when the world breaks down around you, every bandaid counts. It may not always be an option to run into town for more burn creme or hand sanitizer. Resultantly, taking simple steps to minimize the danger, like wearing cotton clothing in a kitchen, is a seriously underrated survival technique.
Cotton is an Insulator in the Kitchen
Cotton is an insulator. That means it provides a sound barrier between two things. In this case, we’re talking about your body and heat, electricity, or cold.
According to HomeAdvisor, “Insulation made from cotton has a general R-value of 3-4 per inch.” While home insulation isn’t quite the same as clothing, you can see that versatile and renewable cotton has what you need to avoid kitchen accidents.
Because cotton is made of intertwined threads, there’s space between those threads. The natural fiber has a texture to it that synthetic fibers lack, and as a result, it doesn’t fit together quite so tightly when woven. Thus, there’s more space inside your fabric for air. Air is a terrible conductor, so it helps the material keep a barrier between you and danger.
Interestingly, when your cotton gets wet, it changes these properties. Since you need water in the kitchen, this is bound to come up at some point. If you’re handling hot food or grease, the wet fabric is a benefit since that water will repel the oil and evaporate before the heat can damage the fabric.
Sadly the same is not true of electricity. Change or dry off before working with any appliances in your kitchen. Dry cotton will help insulate your skin from electricity.
Never Wear Synthetic Fibers in the Kitchen
Staying safe in the kitchen by wearing cotton makes sense. Synthetic fibers are made from plastics that are spun into threads by melting them and stretching. It only takes about 212° F (100 C) to melt these fabrics. Since this is also the boiling point of water, you can, in theory, melt a synthetic shirt or pants by spilling boiling water on yourself.
Melted fabric is two problems. First, you’ve ruined your clothing, and secondly, you now have a burn with plastic melted on top. As your skin reacts to the burn, the plastic fabric will hold heat in place. Moreover, when you try to remove it, the melted plastic may bond to the skin tearing it away as you pull.
If you burn yourself by melting a synthetic fabric on your skin, douse it in cold water immediately. Doing this will help cool the burn to prevent it from settling into deeper layers of your skin. Plus, it will aid you to safely remove the melted fabric without taking as much skin with it.
Advantages of Cotton
There are numerous advantages to cotton. Naturally, the insulation will help in the kitchen, but there are plenty of other reasons to add more cotton to your wardrobe. A cotton heavy survival closet means you’ll always have what you need for working in the kitchen. The list below outlines some of the advantages of choosing more cotton.
- Hypoallergenic- Unlike other natural fabrics, cotton is allergy-free.
- Insulation- As mentioned above, cotton protects your skin from heat, cold, and electricity n the kitchen.
- Breathable- Natural fibers allow air to flow in and out of your garments more easily.
- Burns but Does Not Melt- Cotton won’t turn into a puddle of melted plastic if you burn it.
- Renewable- As a plant, cotton is an eco-friendly renewable resource.
- Easy to Clean- You don’t need a dry-cleaner to get your cotton spotless. Pretreat any oil stains and wash with like colors.
An Industry Line Men’s Asymmetrical Premium Denim Chef Coat will help protect you in the kitchen. Unlike many brands, this coat is premium 9.25 oz denim twill and not a cotton polyester blend. The oil wax-coated chef’s coat has long sleeves with a button for easy rolling. Order yours from Amazon when you click here.
Choosing the Right Clothes for a Kitchen
When choosing your cotton clothing for a kitchen, always read the label or description. There are too many brands that sell cotton-poly blends for kitchen work. Mainly when the combination is low on cotton, it can easily cause melting near open flames and other heat sources.
Furthermore, you want to look out for waterproof items. A good layer of oil wax or other liquid-resistant coat can help prevent hot liquids from soaking your clothing. The only thing worse than spilling your meal all over your clothes is being trapped in the hot, wet fabric as it spreads the injury across your body.
Finish off your kitchen wardrobe with a pair of practical Chef Works Men’s J54 Cargo Chef Pants. These 100% cotton black pants have an elastic waistband with a drawstring plus a full zipper fly for comfort. Additionally, you get the standard four pockets plus two velcro closure cargo pockets. To learn more on Amazon, click here.
With a little patience and research, it’s simple to find the right cotton kitchen clothes. Choose darker fabrics, or even patterned shirts to help minimize the appearance of stains if you cook many brightly colored foods. Also, make sure to treat stains right away and follow the care instructions on the tag. Doing this will extend the life of your cotton clothing and keep you cooking.
Final Thoughts
By taking simple safety precautions, like wearing cotton clothing in the kitchen, you can save yourself a lot of pain and suffering. Hang a chef’s coat on a hook with a cotton apron that protects the front of your legs. Or, since denim is cotton, you could simply toss on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt.
I also recommend keeping an extra apron or two around for guests or your family. Moreover, check out your potholders. You’ll often find inexpensive potholders are acrylic or other synthetic fabrics that can burn or melt and injure you badly while cooking.
Small choices can have huge impacts. Opting for more cotton kitchen clothing is one of those straightforward and practical upgrades that differentiates a survivor from a victim when things go wrong.
