Denim is the most preferred clothing of today’s youth. Various items of denim like pants, shirts, skirts, jackets, belts and caps, etc, are available in the market. To give distressed denim look, many types of washing are given to denim fabric.
Pumice stone usage in stone wash
One of such washing is known as stone wash. In stone-washing the worn-out look is given purposely. The fabric is washed along with pumice stones. The stones and denim are spun together in large industrial washing machines. The longer they are spun together lighter the colour of the fabric with better contrasts would result. The time duration of this procedure is set beforehand so as to avoid the tear and wear of the fabric. Thereafter, the fabric undergoes various other processes of rinsing, softening and finally tumble-drying. These stone-washed fabrics are used for different purposes -- garment making as well as for upholstery purpose.
Disadvantages of pumice stone usage
Stone-washing the denim with pumice stones has some disadvantages. For instance, stones could cause wear and tear of the fabric, also it creates the problem of environmental disposition of waste of the grit produced by the stones. High labour costs are to be borne as the pumice stones and their dust particles produced are to be physically removed from the pockets of the garments and machines by the labourers. Denim is required to be washed several times in order to completely get rid of the stones. The process of stone-washing also harms big, expensive laundry machines.
Pumice stone usage in stone wash
One of such washing is known as stone wash. In stone-washing the worn-out look is given purposely. The fabric is washed along with pumice stones. The stones and denim are spun together in large industrial washing machines. The longer they are spun together lighter the colour of the fabric with better contrasts would result. The time duration of this procedure is set beforehand so as to avoid the tear and wear of the fabric. Thereafter, the fabric undergoes various other processes of rinsing, softening and finally tumble-drying. These stone-washed fabrics are used for different purposes -- garment making as well as for upholstery purpose.
Disadvantages of pumice stone usage
Stone-washing the denim with pumice stones has some disadvantages. For instance, stones could cause wear and tear of the fabric, also it creates the problem of environmental disposition of waste of the grit produced by the stones. High labour costs are to be borne as the pumice stones and their dust particles produced are to be physically removed from the pockets of the garments and machines by the labourers. Denim is required to be washed several times in order to completely get rid of the stones. The process of stone-washing also harms big, expensive laundry machines.
Alternate methods for stonewashing
To minimise such drawbacks, stone-washing of denim is carried out with the aid of enzymes. The method of giving the denim a stone-wash look by use of enzymes like cellulase is known as- ‘Enzymatic Stone-washing’. Here cellulases are used to provide that distressed worn out look to the denim fabric.
Cellulase method
Cellulase is environmental-friendly compared to pumice stones. It reduces the percentage of damage caused to denim caused by the rough effect of stones on them. As there is huge demand of garments with distressed jeans look, stone washing with enzymes is being used increasingly. It is also known as bio-stone-washing. Enzymatic treatment has become another substitute for kilograms of stones, also the jeans stonewashed by this method has more shelf-life. It ensures the same result with minimum amount of water, waste, time, volume and damage to machines.
As jeans are made up of cellulosic fibres, the use of cellulase enzyme is successful in giving the stone wash look. This enzyme breaks down the surface cellulose fibres and removes them without causing harm to the jeans. Better finishing and look is achieved even with indigo dyed denim. In cellulase enzymatic wash, the denim is given an enzyme bath. Here certain amount of indigo dye and cellulose fibres are removed from the surface of the fabric. As enzymes are like yeast in nature, they eat the cellulose present in denims. When the jeans get the preferred colour, enzymatic reaction is stopped by changing the alkalinity of the bath or else the water is heated. Thereafter, the fabric undergoes rinsing and softening process. The number of rinsing process after enzymes treatment is less than pumice stone-washing. There is reduced amount of waste produced and overall costs for stone-washing is also less.
Disadvantages of cellulase treatment
There are certain disadvantages of cellulase treatment. It could leave marks of backstaining like blue threads becoming more blue or white threads becoming blue. To get rid of such unwanted re-coloration of threads, the jeans are rigorously washed adding surfactants to it. This process could result in colour-fading of jeans and there is added usage of water for the washing. Thus wastage of water and certain amount of backstaining could be experienced. The primary target of stone-washing the denim with pumice stones or enzymes is to provide the garment worn-out, old and aged look. Sometimes both stones and enzymes are used for the purpose.
Latest process of stone wash – Perlite
A new process of stone-washing has been found by a series of laboratory testings – Perlite. Perlite is the form of naturally occurring silicon rock. It has the distinctive property of expanding to 4 to 20 times its initial volume when heated at a particular temperature. This happens because the raw Perlite rock consists of 2-6% of water content in it. The crude Perlite rock when heated at the temperature above 870º C it gets swollen up and tiny glass sealed bubbles are formed. Its original colour which is black or gray changes to grayish white or else white. This heated form of Perlite is used for stone wash purpose.
It does the same function of stone-washing as stones. Perlite treatment reduces the rate of harm caused to large washing machines by pumice stones and gives the denim better supple and softer finish. Many jeans manufacturing companies, in the place of enzymatic treatment, use Perlite, which reduces the rate of wearing out of jeans when used. It gives throughout uniform worn-out and old look to the denim and not just the upper part of the garment. There are many grades of Perlite differing in sizes are used for giving the stone wash finish to denim right from largest to finest grades; some are very tiny just like grounded earth.
Modern stone-washed jeans, biostoneing technique
At first stone-washing involved using pea gravel, but pumice was discovered to float around with the jeans instead of lying in the bottom of the water and so manufacturers have switched. Turkish stone is commonly used for their porosity and cleanliness. There is beautiful pumice from Sicily but the supply is limited. Most of us are familiar with “Stone-washed” jeans. As the name implies, freshly dyed jeans are loaded into large washing machines and tumbled with stones. Adding pumice stones gives the additional effect of a faded or worn look. The pumice abrades the surface of the jeans like sandpaper, removing some dye particles from the surfaces of the yarn. Pumice has been used since the introduction of stone-washed jeans in the early 1980s.
However, stone-washing with pumice has some severe drawbacks. The quality of the abrasion process is difficult to control: Too little will not give the desired look. Too much can damage the fabric, particularly at the hems and waistbands. The outcome of a load of jeans is never uniform, with a significant percentage always getting ruined by too much abrasion. The process is also non-selective. Everything in the washing machines gets abraded, including the metal buttons and rivets on the jeans as well as the drum of the washing machine. This substantially reduces the quality of the products and the life of the equipment, and increases production costs.
Rinse (water) wash
This speaks for itself mostly. Like in the good old days the jeans will be washed at about 50º C. There is high risk of colour bleeding, so ideal to use for brightening up your old faded jeans by washing them together. One should make certain to wash separately from other garments the first few times. Some Jeans brands will not even use sanforized fabric, so that you can shrink them to fit in a hot bath. This was (again) very popular back in the 80s.
To minimise such drawbacks, stone-washing of denim is carried out with the aid of enzymes. The method of giving the denim a stone-wash look by use of enzymes like cellulase is known as- ‘Enzymatic Stone-washing’. Here cellulases are used to provide that distressed worn out look to the denim fabric.
Cellulase method
Cellulase is environmental-friendly compared to pumice stones. It reduces the percentage of damage caused to denim caused by the rough effect of stones on them. As there is huge demand of garments with distressed jeans look, stone washing with enzymes is being used increasingly. It is also known as bio-stone-washing. Enzymatic treatment has become another substitute for kilograms of stones, also the jeans stonewashed by this method has more shelf-life. It ensures the same result with minimum amount of water, waste, time, volume and damage to machines.
As jeans are made up of cellulosic fibres, the use of cellulase enzyme is successful in giving the stone wash look. This enzyme breaks down the surface cellulose fibres and removes them without causing harm to the jeans. Better finishing and look is achieved even with indigo dyed denim. In cellulase enzymatic wash, the denim is given an enzyme bath. Here certain amount of indigo dye and cellulose fibres are removed from the surface of the fabric. As enzymes are like yeast in nature, they eat the cellulose present in denims. When the jeans get the preferred colour, enzymatic reaction is stopped by changing the alkalinity of the bath or else the water is heated. Thereafter, the fabric undergoes rinsing and softening process. The number of rinsing process after enzymes treatment is less than pumice stone-washing. There is reduced amount of waste produced and overall costs for stone-washing is also less.
Disadvantages of cellulase treatment
There are certain disadvantages of cellulase treatment. It could leave marks of backstaining like blue threads becoming more blue or white threads becoming blue. To get rid of such unwanted re-coloration of threads, the jeans are rigorously washed adding surfactants to it. This process could result in colour-fading of jeans and there is added usage of water for the washing. Thus wastage of water and certain amount of backstaining could be experienced. The primary target of stone-washing the denim with pumice stones or enzymes is to provide the garment worn-out, old and aged look. Sometimes both stones and enzymes are used for the purpose.
Latest process of stone wash – Perlite
A new process of stone-washing has been found by a series of laboratory testings – Perlite. Perlite is the form of naturally occurring silicon rock. It has the distinctive property of expanding to 4 to 20 times its initial volume when heated at a particular temperature. This happens because the raw Perlite rock consists of 2-6% of water content in it. The crude Perlite rock when heated at the temperature above 870º C it gets swollen up and tiny glass sealed bubbles are formed. Its original colour which is black or gray changes to grayish white or else white. This heated form of Perlite is used for stone wash purpose.
It does the same function of stone-washing as stones. Perlite treatment reduces the rate of harm caused to large washing machines by pumice stones and gives the denim better supple and softer finish. Many jeans manufacturing companies, in the place of enzymatic treatment, use Perlite, which reduces the rate of wearing out of jeans when used. It gives throughout uniform worn-out and old look to the denim and not just the upper part of the garment. There are many grades of Perlite differing in sizes are used for giving the stone wash finish to denim right from largest to finest grades; some are very tiny just like grounded earth.
Modern stone-washed jeans, biostoneing technique
At first stone-washing involved using pea gravel, but pumice was discovered to float around with the jeans instead of lying in the bottom of the water and so manufacturers have switched. Turkish stone is commonly used for their porosity and cleanliness. There is beautiful pumice from Sicily but the supply is limited. Most of us are familiar with “Stone-washed” jeans. As the name implies, freshly dyed jeans are loaded into large washing machines and tumbled with stones. Adding pumice stones gives the additional effect of a faded or worn look. The pumice abrades the surface of the jeans like sandpaper, removing some dye particles from the surfaces of the yarn. Pumice has been used since the introduction of stone-washed jeans in the early 1980s.
However, stone-washing with pumice has some severe drawbacks. The quality of the abrasion process is difficult to control: Too little will not give the desired look. Too much can damage the fabric, particularly at the hems and waistbands. The outcome of a load of jeans is never uniform, with a significant percentage always getting ruined by too much abrasion. The process is also non-selective. Everything in the washing machines gets abraded, including the metal buttons and rivets on the jeans as well as the drum of the washing machine. This substantially reduces the quality of the products and the life of the equipment, and increases production costs.
Rinse (water) wash
This speaks for itself mostly. Like in the good old days the jeans will be washed at about 50º C. There is high risk of colour bleeding, so ideal to use for brightening up your old faded jeans by washing them together. One should make certain to wash separately from other garments the first few times. Some Jeans brands will not even use sanforized fabric, so that you can shrink them to fit in a hot bath. This was (again) very popular back in the 80s.
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