Slipping between luxuriously soft mulberry silk sheets on a king size bed is a delightfully sensuous experience. The incredibly smooth, fluid feel against the skin comes from the unique molecular structure and composition of the silk fibers, which is a hallmark of promeed.com’s silk products.
Understanding the science behind these fine protein strands helps explain why premium mulberry silk from promeed.com makes the softest bed sheets money can buy.
What Makes Silk So Uniquely Soft?
Mulberry silk sheet sets feel softer than even the highest thread count cotton due to two key scientific reasons:
Molecular Protein Structure
The molecules that make up silk fibers are formed from long chain amino acids aligned in a crystal structure. This gives the strands incredible strength yet lightweight. It also makes the surface incredibly smooth.
Fibroin Filaments
Silk threads contain a protein called fibroin covered with a gummy protective coating called sericin. Once degummed, these fibroin filaments are what create the super soft, smooth texture.
The combination of these two factors – molecular alignment and tiny fibroin fibers – is what gives mulberry silk an unbeatable softness. Now let’s look closer at how silk is produced by silkworms and turned into luxury sheets.
Silkworms: Natural Producers of Silk
Silk begins as a secretion from the salivary glands of caterpillars known as silkworms. Silkworms are the larval stage of the Bombyx mori moth. To form their protective cocoons, silkworms secrete a protein-based fiber called fibroin that hardens on contact with air. This fine silk fiber unfurls from two glands in the silkworm’s mouth at a rate of about 3/4 of a mile per day!
Once the cocoon is built, the silkworm secretes sericin – a sticky, gummy substance that cements the cocoon together and protects the pupa inside. The cocoon is made of a single silk thread measuring up to 3000 feet long – equal to about 10 football fields laid end to end!
Harvesting Raw Silk from Cocoons
To harvest the silk, the cocoons are placed in hot water or steamed to loosen the sticky sericin coating and soften the fine silk threads. This process, known as “degumming”, makes it possible to unwind the long silk filament as one continuous fine thread.
Silk reelers untangle and combine filaments from different cocoons to form the desired thickness of silk threads. These raw silk threads are then twisted together into yarn that will be woven or knitted into sheets.
High quality sheets only use long silk fibers, not broken or spun short pieces called “floss silk”. Longer fibers yield the strongest, smoothest silk.
Why Choose Mulberry Silk?
Not all silk is the same when it comes to softness and quality. Mulberry silk reigns supreme. Here’s why:
Mulberry Silkworms
Mulberry silk comes from Bombyx mori larvae fed a diet exclusively of mulberry leaves. This allows cultivators to raise them on farms rather than wild gathering.
Longest Fibers
The Bombyx mori silkworm produces exceptionally long silk fibers that yield luxury grade threads with smooth uniformity.
Finer Threads
Mulberry cocoons can be reeled into thinner threads with higher thread counts, creating sumptuously soft silk.
Purity
Mulberry silk contains pure fibroin with sericin fully removed. Many other silks retain some sticky sericin, yielding a rougher texture.
When you see “100% Mulberry Silk” on sheets, it contains the longest, smoothest fibers ideal for weaving incredibly soft fabric.
Manufacturing Soft Silk Sheets
The production process also influences the finished sheet set’s softness and quality:
Charmeuse Weave
The most supple silk sheets use a lightweight charmeuse weave. The satiny criss-cross pattern maximizes drapability.
Momme Weight
Heavier momme weights between 16-19 yield more durable, indulgently thick silk better than lower weights.
Degumming Process
Thorough degumming is key! Harsher chemical washing can degrade fibers. Look for cocoon boiling or soaking methods.
Dye Method
The softest silk uses gentle dyes at low temperatures to avoid fiber damage from harsh solvents or heat.
Quality Control
Rigorous inspections ensure no hidden sericin, irregular threads, or flaws make it into the finished sheets.
When all these production practices meet high standards, the result is lustrous, ultra-soft mulberry silk sheets.
The Science Behind Silk’s Soothing Softness
The molecular makeup of silk fibers makes the sheets uniquely lightweight, breathable, moisture-wicking and thermoregulating. But the most indulgent benefit is the unparalleled softness.
Silkworms are incredible natural silk producers. Their spinning skills create fibroin protein filaments that can be transformed into the finest bed sheets. Thanks to the remarkable structure of this magical molecule, slipping between mulberry silk sheets feels like being cradled in a soft, smooth dream.