Wash

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Demonstration of the history of washing at the open-air museum Rocheider Hof

• Manual used from time immemorial; laundress (out of date. portomoya ^[1] ) - a man who is professionally engaged in washing, more often a woman, but at the beginning of the 20th century there were so-called “ Chinese laundries ” where men worked mainly ^[2] ; Laundry - an enterprise providing washing, ironing and minor repair services.
• Machine room - using a washing machine . The most modern and effective method of washing, mechanizing , and now automating all or almost all stages of washing.
• Ultrasound - using ultrasound . A potentially promising method of washing, however, the existing equipment for ultrasonic washing has, unfortunately, a relatively low efficiency ^[3] .

• Soaking - soaking textiles in a solution of detergents and / or bleach for swelling , partial dissolution and chemical decomposition of contaminants.
• Removing contaminants - historically, it was done by rinsing or knocking out a cloth moistened with a solution of soap , saponins or a saponifying agent, for example, sodium carbonate (“washing soda”) with your hands, or using a ruble and / or washboard . Currently produced chemically using detergents .
• Boiling - heating textile soaked in a solution of surfactant or bleach to a boiling point in order to thermally decompose some types of contaminants and disinfect .
• Spin - removing most of the washing solution by twisting or centrifuging .
• Rinsing - rinsing textiles in clean water to remove detergents and emulsified contaminants. The rinse / spin cycle can be repeated several times until the detergent residue and contaminants are completely removed.
• Conditioning - rinsing textiles in a solution of an air conditioner that improves certain fabric parameters (softeners, starch , blue , optical brighteners , antistatic agents , flavorings ).
• Drying is the removal of water from textiles by evaporation .
• Ironing - usually it is not included directly as a stage in the washing process, but, as a rule, it closes the technological process of cleaning textile products and preparing them for use.

Soaking, boiling and conditioning are optional stages of washing.

Surfactants

Emulsify contaminants and lower the surface tension of the washing solution, which contributes to its penetration between the fibers of the fabric. It can be of the following types:

By origin are divided into:

• Natural: saponins - surface-active substances of plant origin.
• Artificial: soap is the most ancient type of artificial surfactant, known for several millennia. Laundry soap is usually used.
• Synthetic, which are the main component of washing powders : for example sodium lauryl sulfate .

According to the chemical composition of the surface-active substances are divided into:

• Anionic surfactants are usually linear alkylbenzenesulfonates or sulfates of alcohols, as well as sodium and potassium salts of fatty acids ( soaps ). Their main function is to remove contaminants from the tissues and suspend them in a washing solution. Used in powder and liquid detergents for washing.
• Nonionic surfactants are usually ethoxylated alcohols. Natural saponins also belong to this class of substances. They have lower foaming than anionic surfactants. They exhibit excellent ability to remove oil contaminants (especially from synthetic fabrics). Used in powder and liquid detergents for washing.
• Cationic surfactants are typically quaternary ammonium compounds (e.g. dialkyl (C12-C18) dimethylammonium sulfate). Used to soften tissues and give them antistatic properties (fabric softeners).

Alkaline salts

Saponify fats , facilitating their removal, and also reduce the hardness of water .

• Sodium carbonate (soda ash) - this additive is undesirable for hand washing, as it has a harmful effect on the skin.
• Sodium phosphate (trisodium phosphate) - this additive adversely affects the environment, causing eutrophication of water bodies.

Enzymes

Enzymes of biological origin, decomposing certain organic pollution. Enzymes usually lose activity when the washing temperature is too high. The following enzymes are most commonly used:

• Protease - decomposes proteins , facilitating the removal of protein contaminants (food, sweat, mucus, mold, etc.). Not applicable for washing protein fabrics ( wool , natural silk ), since it destroys them. It can also gradually destroy polyamides ( nylon , nylon ).
• Keratinase - decomposes keratin (a horn substance), which consists of skin flakes and small hairs . Destroys wool and natural silk . It can also gradually destroy polyamides ( nylon , nylon ).
• Amylase - decomposes starch , facilitating the removal of food debris.
• Cellulase - destroys thin fibers of cellulose , which refreshes the color of tissues of plant origin ( cotton , linen , hemp , jute ). Too much use destroys the tissues themselves.
• Lipase - breaks down fats .

Chemical bleaches

Being oxidizing agents , bleaches chemically decompose and discolor stains with intense color (for example, stains from wine or grass ), and also contribute to disinfection . Bleaches are divided into chlorine and peroxide .

Pigments

They are used to improve the color of white textiles. Bluing is used to correct the yellow tint of washed laundry, and optical brightener (“optical blue”) is a fluorescent substance that converts ultraviolet radiation into blue light, which eliminates yellowness and increases albedo .

Starch

Adding starch ( starching ) is used to increase the mechanical stiffness of textiles after ironing, which allows them to better keep their shape for future use.

Excipients

These include:

• Water softeners, for example Trilon B , zeolites .
• Foaming agents - increase the formation of foam , which helps to cleanse tissues during hand washing.
• Defoamers are necessary to prevent the formation of excess foam during machine wash.
• Antiresorbents that prevent emulsified contaminant particles from settling back onto tissue, such as carboxymethyl cellulose .
• Salt ballast that facilitates dissolution and regulates the pH of the solution, such as sodium sulfate .
• Fragrances (fragrances).
• Glycerin - avoids shrinkage of tissues, provides softness and fluffiness, is part of the fabric softener.

Wash Symbols on Textile Labels

Symbols governing the rules for their processing are indicated on labels of textile products. For washing, it is a sign in the form of a basin with water ^[4] .

The number on the symbol indicates the maximum permissible temperature for washing water.

One horizontal bar at the bottom of the symbol indicates gentle washing conditions. The amount of laundry in the washing machine should not exceed about 2/3 of the maximum allowable value, the force of mechanical impact (torsion) of the machine should be reduced. Press in the machine at a reduced number of revolutions per minute and the duration of the spin. Gently wring out manually.
The two horizontal lines at the bottom of the symbol indicate particularly gentle washing conditions. The amount of laundry in the machine should not exceed about 1/3 of the maximum allowable value, the force of mechanical impact (torsion) of the machine should be significantly reduced. Press in the machine at a significantly reduced number of revolutions per minute and the duration of the spin. Manually wring out very gently, without twisting, or do not wring out.

Preparation

First of all, things for washing need to be prepared.

• Remove everything from the pockets of clothing (keys, money, notes, etc.).
• Turn the linen inside out and remove the litter that has accumulated in the corners.
• Stretch the cuffs on the sleeves of the shirts.
• Pants, skirts, knitwear, socks, tights, stockings turn inside out. So they keep their color longer.
• Unfasten the buttons.
• Fasten zippers, buttons and hooks.
• Tie shoelaces and ribbons.
• If necessary, stain with stain remover .

Sort

Sort things by the composition and type of fabric used, as well as by color.

To get started, pay attention to labels with labels and the composition of the fabric. Clothes that require a more delicate wash with special requirements for temperature and / or reagents are set aside separately; slightly contaminated items from coarser fabrics that are compatible in color and washing conditions can be added to it.

To avoid staining some fabrics with others due to molting, white items are washed separately, separately, dark separately. It is permissible to lay together white with non-shedding color and light. ^[6] Separately, it is also recommended to wash heavily shedding and heavily soiled clothes (however, to refresh the color, you can stretch a dark strongly shedding thing along with other products of the same color). Colored items are not recommended to be washed at too high a temperature.

Heavily soiled items made of not too delicate fabrics should be washed with soaking.

Items requiring boiling (or machine wash at 95 ° C ) for disinfection are also washed separately.

Wash requirements for different fabrics

According to the conditions for washing fabrics can be divided into the following groups:

• Natural plant tissues: cotton , linen , hemp , jute . It can be washed at almost any temperature and with almost any reagent.
• Natural fabrics of animal origin: wool , silk , as well as polyamides : nylon , nylon . Such fabrics should be washed carefully at a temperature not exceeding 50-60 ° C. They cannot be washed with enzymes that decompose proteins (protease, keratinase), chemical bleaches, alkaline salts cannot be used.
• Artificial fibers ( viscose ). Wash at a temperature not exceeding 30 ° C , wring out gently, without twisting.
• Polyesters : lavsan (terylene); polyacrylates : acrylic ; polyurethanes : lycra . Wash at a temperature not exceeding 50-60 ° C. Categorically it is impossible to wash with alkaline salts, including even laundry soap (it contains sodium carbonate), chlorine-based bleaches cannot be used.
• Mixed fabrics (lavsan + wool, lavsan + cotton, nylon + lycra, etc.). The logical product of the constraints corresponding to each type of fiber.

Hand Wash

Hand wash is usually done in one or another capacity ( basin , bucket , trough , bathtub ). To intensify the process of tissue cleaning during washing, a washboard and a brush can be used. Rinsing can also be carried out in a natural reservoir ( river , lake ), in a cool climate in winter you have to make an ice hole for this.

Machine Wash

Machine wash is a wash carried out using a special semi-automatic or automatic device - a washing machine . At the moment, this is the most convenient way of washing, common in countries with high and average living standards.

Ultrasonic Wash

It is produced in an ultrasonic bath , in which any capacity can be used, using an ultrasound source. A piezoceramic emitter excites ultrasonic vibrations that have good penetration in a liquid medium and create special micro-effects on the surface of contaminated fibers of textile products that disrupt the adhesion of contaminant microparticles to the fibers of the products and facilitate their removal by surface-active substances of a washing solution of soap powder or soap. Thus, the purification of the tissue fibers occurs from the inside, which in theory allows to achieve high washing efficiency. However, devices for ultrasonic washing available to ordinary consumers, unfortunately, are ineffective ^[3] .

Drying

It is carried out either naturally (by hanging the washed textiles in the fresh air, indoors or on a central heating battery), or using a dryer or fan heater , creating a stream of hot air. In hotels , hostels , barracks , etc., special rooms are sometimes arranged - drying rooms , in which, due to the large number of heating batteries, an elevated temperature is maintained, which speeds up drying.

There are also washing machines with drying function.

To prevent a fire, it is forbidden to dry clothes in inappropriate places: on electric heater batteries, above a stove , etc.

• Dry cleaning
• Aquacist

• Clothing Care Labels ^[1]
• Laundry (neopr.) . Grandma's advice . Date of treatment November 25, 2009. Archived April 11, 2012.
• Wash (neopr.) . Academy of Economics . Date of treatment November 25, 2009. Archived April 11, 2012.
• Victor Kasilovich. Enzymes (neopr.) . Date of treatment November 25, 2009. Archived April 11, 2012.
• GOST R ISO 3758-2007 Textile products. Care labeling
• Washing // Brief Encyclopedia of Household. - M .: State Scientific Publishing House "Great Soviet Encyclopedia", 1959.