What are the common washing processes for fabrics?

For those involved in fashion, knowledge of fabric processing technology is a fundamental requirement to produce textiles with exceptional textures, hues, and characteristics.

Different washing technique affect a fabric's softness, color retention, and shrinkage, endowing the material with distinctive textures and visual effects.

General washing

The general washing in fabric processing is the most basic and common washing technique. It helps remove any residues from production, enhancing the fabric's feel and comfort while controlling shrinkage.

The effect of the general washing process:

1. The general washing process effectively removes residual textile sizing, floating dyes, and other chemicals from the fabric, ensuring a cleaner and safer material.

2. After general washing, the fabric usually becomes much softer, enhancing comfort during wear. This is particularly beneficial for harder fabrics, such as freshly made denim.

3. General washing helps eliminate floating colors from the fabric's surface, improving color fastness and reducing fading during wear and washing.

4. The general washing procedure treats the fabric's potential for shrinkage, ensuring less shrinkage in garments when washed for the first time, which ultimately enhances the garment's size stability.

Stone washing

The stone washing process uses pumice stones of specific sizes mixed into the wash to abrade the fabric, producing a unique, washed-down look. The resulting fabric has a grayish, vintage feel, and garments may have distress marks from mild to severe. Different types of stones, such as yellow, white, synthetic, and rubber balls, can be used to achieve varied results.

Sand washing

Sand washing typically uses alkaline and oxidizing agents to give the fabric a faded, vintage look. When combined with stone washing, the fabric's surface develops a soft, frosty fluff. Adding softeners afterward enhances the fabric's smoothness and comfort for better wearability.

Snowflake washing

Snowflake washing, also known as acid washing, uses acidic chemicals to create unique white specks and a vintage effect on the fabric surface, resembling the look of falling snowflakes. This technique gives garments a distinct appearance, adding a sense of personality and style.

The snowflake washing process typically uses potassium permanganate solution or sodium hypochlorite (bleach) as chemical agents. Their powerful oxidizing properties create a lightened effect on the fabric's surface, resulting in a softer feel and added comfort for the wearer.