How to shred fabric is a process that involves the cutting of the piece of fabric into small pieces. This is done using a shredder machine. Fabrics or clothes are shredded for various reasons depending upon the brands and the manufacturers. A few brands and professions are very particular about the identity theft of their clothes if they are dumped in a bin. Uniforms of policemen, army personals, etc., need to be shredded to make sure that no one can use them after being discarded. This is the reason why such clothes are important to shred to avoid the misuse of any uniform or attire.
Other reasons for shredding textiles and fabrics can be recycling. Shredded fabrics can be recycled and used for making new rags, bags, fillings, etc. There are several ways of shredding fabrics as there are several shredding machines available. The best way to do so is a textile shredder machine by following the right process. In this article, we will be talking about how to shred fabric in small pieces and the factors related to it.
Can a paper shredder be used to shred fabric?
The answer to this question is, no. A paper shredder machine is meant for shredding paper and the blades of the same are suitable for cutting paper only. Shredding cotton or other fabrics is a job that needs to be done by stronger and sharper blades. This is the reason why a paper shredder machine cannot be used to shred fabric. If you want to get a fabric shredder properly, you can use the textile shredder and the job will be done.
What is a textile shredder?
A textile shredder is a machine that is used to shred fabric. It works the same as the paper shredder machine wherein you shred papers and converts them into smaller pieces. A textile shredder also works on the same principle and is used for cutting down the fabric into extremely small pieces. Using a textile shredder is very easy when you want to shred fabric to the smallest pieces possible. It is a machine that works on a motor and continuously runs with its blades cutting the fabrics until they convert into small pieces and then are collected in a big basket sort of a thing.
What is the process of shredding a fabric?
The process of shredding a fabric is not at all complex. In this segment, we will be explaining in detail all the steps you need to take for shredding fabric using a machine.
Step 1: Pile up the fabric
The first step is to segment and pile the clothes that you wish to shred and collect all of them in one place. After you are done piling them up, you can segregate them color-wise if you want the shreds to be significant, or else if that is not the case, you can directly put them all together in the shredder.
Step 2: Switch the machine on
The next step that you need to take is to switch the machine on. Turn on the switch of the shredder machine and let the blades gain their pace. The machine works with a motor and the power of the motor is only the thing that will determine the speed of the blades and their strength as well.
Step 3: Put in the clothes
After the shredder machine has started at full pace, you can start putting in the clothes in its turn by turn. First, you can put a pile of a few clothes and let them get shredded completely. Once the previous pile is done, you can put another pile in the shredder and let it get shredded. All the clothes will get shred into small and fine pieces of clothes and will get collected in the basket below the shredder machine.
Step 4: Take them out
After you are done shredding all the fabric and clothes that you wanted to shred, you can take the entire lot out of the basket and can either recycle them for making rugs or anything or can simply use them for stuffing purposes in toys, pillows, etc.
Step 5: Switch the machine off
Once you are done shredding whatever you wanted, it is important to switch the machine off for safety purposes. The blades of the textile shredder machine are extremely strong and sharp and can easily harm anyone. To maintain the safety and security of everyone around you, you need to be careful about the whole process of operating a shredder machine as it is very dangerous if left open. Make sure to switch off the power plug after you are done using the machine.
How is the shredded fabric used?
Once the fabric is destroyed, there is no chance of any security issues occurring in the future. When you are done shredding a fabric, the small pieces can be recycled and reused for minimizing wastage. Working as per the Data Protection Act, all the uniforms of policemen, army people, etc., should not be thrown away or discarded in the bins. Instead, they need to be shredded to make sure that there is no way possible for them to be misused.
The damaged shreds can be used for making rugs, bags, and can also be used for stuffing and other materials like cotton, wool, etc., can be reused for making fibers for clothes, carpets, cushions, and clothes. This is how the shredded fabrics are used again and are recycled into something or the other that is useful.
The whole process of recycling the shredded fabrics gives rise to a sustainable approach to textiles that promotes less wastage and more usage of the fabrics. Using textile shredders to destroy important uniforms and other fabrics to reuse them in making fibers and other things is the process of recycling old clothes and fabrics safely.
What type of fabric can get shredded?
By using a textile shredder machine, all the various kinds of fabrics can get shredded easily. If you want to use a paper shredder for shredding fabrics then it won’t be possible at all and the whole process will be a mess and you might also end up running the machine. But, if you are using a good textile shredder for shredding of the fabrics, no matter what it is- cotton, wool, polyester, nylon, etc., it can get shredded easily. You just need to follow the above-mentioned process for shredding and you can safely and easily shred whichever fabric you want.
Can you take professional help?
Yes, there are a few companies that work and provide the general public with their shredding services. There are several papers as well as textile shredder companies that have huge shredding machines and take up projects for shredding the desired documents, papers, clothes, fabrics, etc.
These are generally contacted by the offices or factories which have to discard a bunch of fabrics, uniforms, textiles every year or at regular intervals. These professionals provide these services to such companies and take up these projects and complete the desired job. There are huge shredder machines used by these professionals and they can shred a lot of quantity of clothes or fabrics at once very easily.
Anyone who wishes to get their hands on these professional services can do so without any hesitation. You can contact the shredding companies and they will come to your place for collecting all the material you want to shred and will do the same. Even you can go to these companies along with the bunch of fabrics you want to get shredded and they will get the work done for you. Taking professional help in such a case is also a good option if you do not have a textile shredding machine at home.
Conclusion
Shredding a fabric is not a complex job that cannot be completed or is something that may cause a lot of hassle. If you have a good textile shredder machine, the process of shredding fabrics and clothes will become extremely easy for you. You can use a textile shredder for the shredding of clothes and even soft shoes and the entire lot will get shredded within minutes.
You just need to follow the above-mentioned process carefully if you are going to shred all the fabric and textiles all by yourself at home. The machine needs to be used very carefully and all the pieces of the fabric can be collected and reused whenever needed. If you have a textile shredder at home, you can simply shred whatever you need and reuse the same, and recycle them into making several things like carpets, cushions, rugs, etc.
Several professional companies offer people all the various shredding services and these can be accessed by anyone who needs to do so. Accessing these services is also very easy and you just need to book your slots and the professionals can come and collect the lot you want to shred from your place directly.