Effect of home laundering on the hand of naturally colored cotton fabrics

For better understanding the effect of home laundering on the properties of naturally colored cotton woven fabrics,a series of naturally colored cotton containing woven fabrics were made using yarns of NCC and its blend,and the effect of home laundering on the hand of naturally colored cotton based woven fabrics was examined.FAST(Fabric Assurance by Simple Testing)system was used in the investigation.The study showed that the first washing cycle is the critical one which affects the hand of washed fabric most the fabric will become softer and fuller;and subsequent washings will make the fabric hand become smooth with decreased fullness.Compared to the white cotton based materials,the naturally colored cotton based fabric has stiffer hand and better garment shaping performance.When incorporated with Lyocell fiber,the naturally colored cotton based woven fabric has smoother hand,and after wash,become more comfortable in wear.