Technology of Denim Production: Part VI- Washing Techniques of Denim

Denim has been used as clothing material for centuries due to its high durability. But todays fashion arena likes denim jeans due to its attractive shades, designs, attractive styles and various types of wash appeal, rather than for its robustness. Denim jeans in the past were worn in a raw, rigid and starch-finished form. But todays fashion requires various types of washing treatments, such as desizing, enzymatic washing with or without stones, decolorization, neutralization, brightening and finishing.

Normally denim washing is carried out in sewn garments. The denim jeans are subjected with different washing techniques, such as rinse wash, bleach, enzyme wash, acid wash, stonewash, moon wash, sand wash, sun wash, over dyed/ tinted look, whiskering, damaged, used look.  In denim washing, enzymes played an important role to get clean, smooth, fuzz free fabric surface with reduced tendency of pill formation and improved fabric handle.

Traditionally, indigo denim fabric is deep blue in shade. Denim finish may be of two types, such as raw denim and pre-washed denim. In raw denim, the denim is not washed after weaving.

Raw denim jeans shows natural shade of indigo which is faded during wear and subsequent washes at home. However in some cases it is believed that, raw denim is not practical as it creates some problems of rubs off on other materials which come into contact with it. The unfixed dye on the surface of the fabric may cause stains to other fabric.

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