text: Cotton growers must maintain not only their crop fields, but their machines’ cotton picker parts as well. How else would cotton get harvested fast these days? Once picked, the cotton gets stored or packed and shipped, and sent on a journey to its final destination. When we think about cotton, the first thing that generally springs to mind is clothing—the necessities like t-shirts, underwear and denim jeans. But the reach of the cotton industry extends far beyond just making sure we have clothes on our backs. It also extends into the medical, hospitality and cosmetic industries.
  Here’s a look at six cotton-reliant industries you likely hadn’t thought to consider:
  - Medical and dental: From the gauze our dentist shoves into our mouth while drilling cavities to the gowns hospital patients wear during their exams, cotton plays a major role. Its versatility and usefulness makes it an ideal material for the medical and dental industries. Additionally, it makes its way into the gauze wrappers that are placed on wounds and even the curtains that separate hospital beds. Cotton is also used in x-ray machines.
  - Personal hygiene and cosmetics: Believe it or not, cotton and the oil squeezed from its seeds (called cottonseed oil) is used in the production of a wide range of personal products. Soaps include cottonseed oil, as do a host of pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. Tampon companies rely on cotton as a backbone staple for their product, and Q-tips and facial pads are also heavily cotton reliant.
  - Food: Interestingly enough, the fluffy blossomed plant we know as cotton also plays a role in our kitchens. Being that the cotton plant is also grown for ingestion purposes, it’s important for cotton farmers to keep cotton picker parts clean to avoid contamination. Cottonseed oil is a major ingredient in the popular shortening Crisco, and it is also a common cooking oil and ingredient in things like margarine. Outside of these possibly unexpected uses, the oil is also used in the production of potato chips, breads and other snack foods.
  - Pest control: Even though people can eat cottonseed oil, farmers have actively used it to control the populations of unwanted pests, like insects and mites. To these creatures, cottonseed oil is a deadly toxin.
  - Painting and home care: Did you know paint and certain waterproof sealants include the byproducts of cotton? Unsurprisingly, the canvas tarps so popular with professional painters are also made of cotton. Just looking at cotton picker parts harvesting the fluffy puffs, odds are, you never thought about what comes of cotton byproducts—now you know!
  - Hospitality: From the uniforms and mops used to clean the kitchen to the tablecloths and bed sheets, cotton products play an unmistakable role in the hospitality industry. While cotton is not the only option available to industries like this, the availability and versatility of the plant makes it an ideal material for a wide range of products.
  The cotton producing industry is a fascinating one, for sure. As a cotton grower, remember that when your cotton harvester needs replacement cotton picker parts, Certi-Pik, USA is the company to turn to. Contact us today!