I don't know where else to post this, and I also saw a question asking why fabric absorb odors so well so I'm hoping it fits here. Any explanation as to why one fabric over another would absorb odor and smoke more would also be appreciated. This question seems to be the opposite of a common one I see, but: which fabric is best for absorbing odor and smoke, but also allows for said particulates to wash out easily?
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1$\begingroup$ Each odour is associated with a different molecules. Some fabrics will absorb some molecules well, not others and vice-versa $\endgroup$– TRCCommented Aug 7, 2021 at 4:39
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A comparison of the smoke odor retention and release chartericstics of polyester, cotton (both regular weave and terry cloth*), and wool can be found at: Pozuelos, G.L.; Jacob, P., III; Schick, S.F.; Omaiye, E.E.; Talbot, P. Adhesion and Removal of Thirdhand Smoke from Indoor Fabrics: A Method for Rapid Assessment and Identification of Chemical Repositories. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3592.
*The authors give the four fabrics as polyester, cotton, terry cloth, and wool, but don't say what the terry cloth is made from. Since it's typically cotton, I've made that assumption here.
According to the article, of the three materials, cotton (both regular weave and terry cloth) had the highest uptake of the odor-causing compounds, but also released them most readily (with an aqueous rinse).
The difference in releaseability could be explained as follows: cotton is polar while polyester is non-polar (that's why cotton absorbs water and polyester doesn't). The authors say odor-causing compounds in smoke are principally non-polar; this would cause them to bind much more tightly to polyester, which would make them harder to release.
As to the difference in uptake, cotton fibers have a rough surface, while polyester fibers are much smoother. In addition, cotton fibers may be physically porous (relative to the size of the odor molecules, i.e., be capable of physically admitting the odor molecules into the fiber), while polyester fibers may not be. Thus, for the same mass of material, cotton may offer a much larger surface area for absorption (even though the strength of absorption is weaker).
Perhaps a member who is a textile expert can comment on this latter issue more authoritatively.
Note, however, that this doesn't mean cotton would be a good filter material. Activated carbon would probably be much better.
