In the finishing process of fabrics or clothing, the washing process is now widely used because it can obtain some special effects and increase the comfort and aesthetics of its design.
The washing process refers to the use of some manual processing and mechanical washing of semi-finished products, using some washing solvents to achieve dimensional stability, soft touch, and special color and texture effects on fabrics or clothing.
Generally speaking, the washing process is most commonly used in bedding fabrics and denim clothing, especially the washing effect of jeans, which is favored by consumers. In addition to denim fabrics, other garments made of linen, pure cotton, cotton blends, silk and other fabrics can also be washed.
The following is an introduction to the washing of bedding fabrics, especially linen, hemp and other hemp products.
Washing treatment: Desizing is required before washing to remove sizing from the fabric and make it soft. Penetrants and softeners are required in this process. For different fabric types, the amount and ratio of detergent should be experimentally adjusted.
The main types of water washing include the following:
- General washing
Refers to ordinary washing with an industrial washing machine, the main purpose of which is cleanliness and softness. Add washing powder and other additives during washing. At a temperature of 50-80°C, after washing for a certain period of time, add softening agent to clean water to make the fabric soft, comfortable, natural and clean. Many washed cotton products will undergo this operation to further soften them.
- Rinse
That is, after ordinary washing, the temperature is raised to 60°C, and an appropriate amount of bleaching water is added to rinse for a certain period of time according to the depth of the bleached color.
It should be noted that the direction of adding bleach during operation should be consistent with the direction of the rotating cylinder to prevent the bleach from falling directly on the clothes because it cannot be diluted with water in time, causing partial bleaching. Generally, many finished fabrics for export, including domestic fabrics, are processed in this way, because the color of the gray fabrics is mostly semi-bleached and cannot fully achieve the white effect and needs further bleaching.
Frankly speaking, the same is true for domestic white linen. Most foreign ones use hydrogen peroxide solution for bleaching. The difference is that domestic bleaching agents mostly contain fluorescent agents. Over time, linen will easily turn yellow.
- Stone washing
Stonewashed linen fabrics have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their outstanding properties and show no signs of waning. Stonewashing is intended to give new fabrics a retro, old-fashioned appearance, and present the roughness and delicacy, fluffiness and precision of linen fabrics in a contrast of textures. Stonewashing linen fabrics are very soft, stylish and stylish when hung. Attractive distressed faded effect.
Stone-washed linen refers to a special effect obtained by adding pumice or volcanic stones during the washing process of linen fabrics, through the selection of stone specifications, impact, tumbling of the internal fibers of the fabric, and adjustment of the grinding and washing time and temperature. After the linen is stonewashed, the rustic feel becomes more distinct, with slight wrinkles and unevenness on the surface of the fabric. At the same time, the linen is slightly worn, and the fibers are slightly loose. The cloth surface presents a natural aged feeling, a slightly faded appearance, and a luxurious feel. Retro effect, more comfortable to use.
- Sand washing
Sand washing became popular in the 1980s. It uses industrial water washing machines and uses a combination of alkali agents and oxidizing additives in order to make the clothes have a certain fading effect and a sense of staleness after washing.
IKEA Sandwashed Quilted Bed Cover
- Enzyme washing
Enzyme washing, also called cellulase washing. It can degrade fibers under a certain pH value and temperature, causing the cloth surface to fade and remove lint more gently, and achieve a lasting soft effect. Compared with stone washing, enzyme washing can give fabrics a weight reduction effect and a permanently softer feel; it can also improve fabric drape and gloss.
Flax fiber is composed of cellulose and non-cellulose (including pectin, lignin, fatty wax, etc.). When dyeing, most of the dye interacts with the surface of the flax fiber and cannot fully penetrate into the non-cellulose components such as pectin. The inside of the bonded flax fibers adversely affects the dyeing performance, such as poor dye fastness.
In addition, if the non-cellulose in the flax fiber remains in the fiber, the flax fiber tissue will be tight and stiff, which will reduce the softness and comfort of the flax fabric; moreover, excessive pectin and fat wax residues will lead to color flowers and spots. , color points and other issues. In order to improve the dye fastness of the dye to the linen fabric, improve the dyeing effect and the softness of the linen fabric, it is necessary to remove the non-cellulose in the linen fiber.
In the traditional process, before dyeing linen fabrics, strong alkali and desizing liquid are added for desizing treatment, combined with scouring process and strong oxidant bleaching treatment to remove non-cellulose. However, although strong alkali desizing and strong oxidant bleaching are used to remove non-cellulose, they cause greater equipment losses and are less environmentally friendly.
Enzymes are proteins produced by organisms, and any organism will secrete a variety of enzymes to meet its own physiological needs. Some enzymes can be replicated and produced in the laboratory, or even modified. One of the advantages of enzyme washing is the use of the natural nature of enzymes, which can self-degrade in the water cycle. Moreover, the cleaning power of enzyme washing products is much better than other washing products, and the dosage can be greatly reduced.
For high-end fabrics, enzyme washing is perfect, especially for fabrics like linen that are not resistant to high temperatures and need to be washed at low temperatures, because enzymes still have a strong cleaning effect at low temperatures. The bioactive enzyme cellulase is used to degumm and loosen linen fabrics to remove non-cellulose in the linen tissue, making the linen fabric softer and fluffier, while ensuring the rough style of the fabric, a strong sense of nostalgia, and environmental protection and antibacterial properties. The degumming effect is good, and the treated fabric has a richer feel, more natural and full color, and good dye fastness. It also meets the requirements of green environmental protection and reduces the environmental burden. At the same time, enzyme washing replaces laborious manual washing techniques such as stone washing, saving enterprises money.
In addition, tie-dye, laser engraving, hand-painting and other techniques are used in the washing process to achieve different effects.
The washing process is complex and has many parameters. It is necessary to conduct small sample washing before mass production to determine the best washing process. The washing effect can bring more added value to the fabric, and it also requires a lot of manpower and equipment. Sufficient washing time must be set aside when formulating production plans.