Improving the crease retention of trousers during laundering

Purpose The appearance retention of trouser creases, subject to tumble drying, for some trousers can be improved by the simple process of restraining the inner leg seam to the aligned outer seam of the trouser leg at a single point just below the crotch. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of this approach on crease retention during laundering for a variety of commercially available trousers of different fibre compositions and blends. Design/methodology/approach Trousers made from various fibres and blends were purchased at retail and were washed and tumble dried as received, or after treatment (e.g. to provide shrink resistance for wool trousers or to improve the level of permanent set in the crease), with one leg restrained while the other was free and the impact on crease retention assessed. Findings The findings indicate that the use of a restraint device provides the largest improvement to the crease appearance for trousers constructed from wool or wool blends with polyester. Some level of permanent set is necessary for the restraint to function and an improvement in crease rating of up to three points (AATCC 1‐5 scale) is possible after five laundry cycles. Practical implications An effective prototype trouser restraint device, suitable for use in a domestic environment was constructed based on two rare earth magnets and should allow the consumer to improve the appearance retention of trousers, particularly for those containing appreciable amounts of wool. Originality/value The method allows the consumer to improve the crease retention of wool containing trousers, beyond what is possible through industrial processes, by using a laundry aid (restraint).