I recently soaked my sons onesie overnight in water and oxiclean. The legs and feet were sticking out of the bowl onto the counter. The next morning most of the water had traveled up and out though the legs (this bowl was not short either, it was part
Of our salad spinner.)
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Water can’t defy gravity, but it can be made to move upwards against gravity through capillary action. Capillary action is the tendency of water to move up into a narrow space, such as the fibers of a cloth or the small spaces between the threads of fabric. This happens because the adhesive force between water molecules and the surface of the material is stronger than the cohesive force between the water molecules.
In the case of your son’s onesie, the adhesive force between the water molecules and the fibers of the fabric was stronger than the cohesive force between the water molecules. This caused the water to be drawn up into the fabric, even though the legs and feet of the onesie were sticking out of the bowl.
The taller the narrow space, the stronger the capillary action. So, the longer legs of the onesie provided a greater surface area for the water to be drawn up into.
As a result of capillary action, the water was able to travel upwards against gravity and soak into the onesie. The next morning, most of the water had traveled up and out through the legs of the onesie.
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