The washing process is one of the most crucial steps in the production of wonderful denim jeans. Because consumers desire a variety of diverse impacts from their jeans, washing is fundamental in the denim production process. Let's explore a little bit about denim washes.
The types of denim washes we've mentioned are the most sustainable and has minimal impact on the environment :
STONE WASHING
Stone washing denim fabric gives clothing an aged or vintage appearance. This is caused by the garment's changing degree of abrasion. Traditionally, denim clothing is stone washed with pumice stones to produce a soft hand and appealing appearance. In a washing cycle, pumice stones with a rough surface and an oval or round form are used as an abradant. Different washing results are produced in the denim fabric as a result of changes in shape, composition, hardness, and porosity.
These stones scrape dye from the denim fabric's yarn's surface after washing, giving the cloth a faded, worn-out, and brilliant appearance. significant abrasion during stone washing and ring dyeing of denim fabric, The fading is less even but more noticeable. Denim clothing that has been stone washed becomes more supple, allowing for a more comfortable fit. The stone must be the appropriate hardness, shape, and size to provide the desired washed effect. Large, hard stones work well with thick denim fabrics and endure longer. Similar to this, softer, smaller stones go well with thin denim textiles.
Denim Stone Washing Process:
- Inserting stones into the machine.
- Placing denim in the machine
- Enzyme and detergent for alcohol-based de-sizing
- In accordance with the desired result, refilling and tumbling with stones for a while.
- Draining the clothes from the stones, then sorting it.
- Rinsing and adding softener to the machine.
- Taking out and releasing.
- After removing stones, then tumble drying
- Pressing if necessary to remove extra water.
ENZYME WASHING
The process of enzyme washing uses the enzyme to give denim cloth the desired softness, comfort, sheen, and faded appearance. After washing, denim's surface cellulose fibres are broken down and removed by enzymes. During the enzyme washing procedure, some cellulose fibres and indigo dye from the fabric's surface are removed. Although the enzymatic method is also safe for the environment, it greatly weakens cellulose's mechanical strength by dissolving its long chain cellulose polymers creating the wash effect.
Enzyme encounters difficulties to produce various irregular effects on clothing that stone can do with ease. Using enzyme along with the stone can reduce damage to the clothing and machinery and swiftly produce the desired result. By using only stone, it is possible to damage clothing and equipment. The biological response to cloth weight loss, tensile strength, and seam strength Chemically speaking, the enzymes are distinguished by their high specificity, or, to put it another way, by their ability to selectively target a certain substrate.
The cellulose is digested by enzyme action during enzyme washing; it begins by targeting the fibres that are protruding and accomplishes this. The internal yarn of the cloth is then treated, partially hydrolyzed, and a faded appearance is produced.
Objectives of Enzyme Wash ::
- Enzyme washing's primary goal is to get rid of any starch that may be on the clothes.
- To take the clothing's sizing material out.
- Wear the clothing for a soft feeling.
- To improve rubbing fastness and colour fastness.
- To strengthen the anti-pilling qualities.
- To make the clothing's surface incredibly smooth.
LASER FINISHING
Laser technology has been used for denim finishing in recent years to create effects that resemble whiskers, sanded areas, and even holes. In laser finishing, a condensed beam of light is focused on the surface of the cloth to burn off the top layer of dyed fabric. These jeans were designed to look like a completely sanded product with whiskers, abraded thighs, and leg backs.
Laser systems can quickly and consistently produce almost any distressed effect given that they are operated by computer-aided design technology.
It is possible to create an infinite number of fresh and original worn designs by meticulously repeating or combining these patterns. In comparison to many other procedures, laser processing is also less detrimental to the strength retention of the fabric. Hole-making is just one of the many effects that laser etching may produce. Cotton yarn burns when it comes into contact with intense laser light. When the garment is after washed, the burned regions immediately develop holes. The laser can quickly etch and make holes and cuts of various sizes.
Denim laser finishing process
The creation of a digital file that is visually represented in a form that the laser can interpret is the very first step in the finishing of denim. With this only, the garment becomes ready for the process. The garment can be kept flat or stretched vertically while being imprinted with a laser.The majority of wash effects, including stone wash, mill wash, moon wash, bleach, PP spray, monkey wash, cat whiskers, snow wash, holing, tinting, and others, have been successfully reproduced by technology.
