Effects of Repeated Laundering on the Performance of Garments with Wrinkle-Free Treatment

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the effect of repeated laundering on the comfort-related and low stress mechanical properties of polo shirt fabrics with and without wrinkle-free treatments. Comparisons are made of untreated fabrics, fabrics treated with a hydrophobic wrinkle-free treatment, and fabrics treated with a hydrophilic wrinkle-free treatment. The results show that a wrinkle-free treatment can reduce the adverse effects of washing on many low stress mechanical properties. In general, the surface water absorption rate, warm/cool feeling. and low-stress mechanical properties of wrinkle-free treated fabrics are more stable against repeated laundering, because untreated fabrics tend to shrink and become more compact. The extensibility of a wrinkle-free treated fabric decreases significantly after twelve washing cycles. Application of a hydrophilic softener in the wrinkle-free finish can improve the surface water absorption rate, but the durability of the hydrophilic softener to repeated laundering should be further improved to prevent deterioration of fabric properties after washing.