Refurbishment I Refurbishing Textile Products general care Processes that textiles may undergo to remove soil and stains and to restore their appearance a Two most common methods are i Laundering ii Drycleaning not as common as it used to be 1 Not environmentally friendly 2 Can be liable for certain items so they sometimes don t take them II Organizations a The Drycleaning and Laundry Institute b The Cleaning Institute formerly The Soap and Detergent Association i Works with anything for cleaning and talks about textiles c Both used to have lots of info about how to take care of clothes but now its just facts and info about them III Stabilization or Shrinkage Control Finishes a Most textile materials shrink from relaxation b When the fabric is processed woven knitted finished dyed sewn etc it often gets stretched that stretch remains in the materials until it is washed cleaned etc c Shrinkage caused by relaxation i When the fabric count is low it usually shrinks ii Most of the shrinkage done the first cycle iii Certain kind of structure determines what will happen to the fabric d Shrinkage Control i Mechanical 1 Compressive shrinkage control steam is used to relax the yarns and the fabric is compressed a Preconsumer sometimes called pre shrunk ii Chemical 1 Application of chemicals that bond with fibers and are set with heat 2 Stabilizes or shrinks textiles e Shrinkage Control of Wool i Wool shrinks by felting if washed by normal process using agitation scales on wool surface entangle with each other ii Felting shrinkage controlled by 1 Treating with chlorine to destroy rough edges on scales 2 Coating the wool with a chemical 3 Blending with other fibers such as polyester iii Most wool is dry clean only it s more of a tumbling process IV Care Labeling a In the early 70s the US government mandated that textile products carry a label with written instructions to consumers on recommended method of care b There were a lot of new manufactured products on the market and the labeling confused consumer because of this It can be very difficult to write a care label c d The care labeling rule is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission i The regulations were amended in 2000 to include Care Labeling Amendments 1 Requires that an item that can be safely home laundered be labeled with washing instructions 2 Harmonizes water temperatures with AATCC standards a Water is used as a solvent to dissolve or suspend particulate soils such as dust b Agitation provides mechanical action to loosen soil and stains c Water temperature affects cleaning color retention dimensional change i Most detergents are formulated to be used in cold water V Laundry clay sand etc VI Laundry Aids a Many laundry aids enhance the cleaning appearance and feel of textile items b Most are liquids now when these first came out they said they wouldn t be as c Detergents act as surfactants surface active agents to enhance cleaning and get effective as the powders the dirt out d The most common are synthetic e Some states have banned surfactants because they aren t biodegradable a Soaps made from fatty acids and alkali don t perform well in hard water like what you use to take a shower with b Synthetic Detergents made from petroleum and natural fats and oils dominate California banned it VII Laundering the home laundry market i Surfactants ii Builders VIII Detergents a If the water surface tension is high the water molecules are attracted to each other and do not spread out to wet the surface b If the water surface tension is reduced the molecules spread out and wet the surface c AATCC developed a standardized powder detergent with no additives d Detergents bond with the soil dirt clay grease etc and take it away with the spin cycle e Detergents are formulated to quickly reduce the water surface tension when you add detergent the molecules start to break down so surface tension is reduced f Detergent is spread out and then absorbed more easily g In addition detergents surround the soil particles that are removed and suspend them in water preventing them from re depositing on textile materials i Thus they are carried away when the water is removed ii Soaps don t suspend the soil h They have a hydrophobic end that attracts oil substances and an ionic end that attracts hydrophilic substances IX Surfactants page 488 a Bond with dirt b Allow the water molecules to break down and enter the fabrics more easily c Alter properties of water and soil so that dirt can be removed d Surfactant molecule i Hydrophobic body ii Hydrophilic head iii Molecule is kind of like a magnet has a positive and negative end e Surfactant Action i Breaks up water droplets that surround soil particles by lowering the surface tension and allowing water to penetrate ii Micelles surround soil and suspend it a Soften water and maintain alkalinity b Until recently they were phosphates which caused water pollution c Replaced with sodium silicate sodium carbonate and sodium citrate d Most households have hard water has lots of minerals and deposits e A lot of people use water softeners most are salt based f Some detergents have something in them called builders that actually soften the X Builders water XI Bleaches a Chlorine Bleach i The kind we re most familiar with ii Very powerful iii Sodium hypochloride iv Extended use will damage the product v Most dyes are damaged by chlorine bleach b Oxygen Bleach XII Laundry Today i Most of what colorfast bleaches are ii Doesn t use sodium hypochloride sodium perborate hydrogen peroxide iii Not as damaging but also not as effective iv Work best if used in hot water v Clorox2 Purex All Fabric Bleach a US Department of Energy DOE had mandated a drastic reduction in energy and water usage for automatic washing machines sold in US i Anything sold in the US after a certain date has to meet these requirements ii Remember that the Department of Energy enforces this iii By January 2007 new machines had to meet new standards measured by MEF modified energy factor and WF water factor to measure energy efficiency b The market demand for high efficiency machines is 30 of new products c Front loading machines and some top loaders are designed to conserve water and energy i This has brought about changes in how clothing is physically handled ii For example spin speeds can reach between 1000 and 1600 rpm while traditional machines reach 650 rpm or less resulting in more moisture removed Drying times are shorter which saves energy iii Wash