Textiles

and floor mats, ropes and twines since 4.2 KAPOK
very old times.
Kapok fiber is one of the natural cellulosic
fibers which grow on the kapok tree. It is
available from the pods of that tree. In this
aspect it is similar to cotton as both are seed-
hair fibres. The word kapok refers both to the
tree and to the fibre. The fibre is also known
as silk cotton or J ava cotton. It is produced
mainly in Indonesia, Thailand and Java.

Pic. No. 4.2 J ute Products

2. It is also used as lining for carpets and
linoleum.

3. Nowadays it is becoming popular in
fashion

garments, jackets, dress materials and
fashion

accessories like hand bags, footwear etc.

4. It is used for home furnishing and also for Pic. No. 4.4 Kapok Tree

making furniture which are gaining It is creamy in colour and very silky. It
popularity rapidly. is very light in weight – 8 times lighter than
cotton. It has a waxy coating which helps repel

water, and due to its light weight, kapok is 5

times more buoyant than cork. Its length is short

and it is not strong.

Pic. No. 4.3 J ute Furniture Pic. No. . apok fibre
5. The latest use of jute has been in paper

making.

83

Uses of Kapok: 5. It is also used for building construction.

1. Due to its short length and lack of strength, 6. With advanced technology, it is possible

it is difficult to make yarns out of it. to mix kapok with cotton and make yarns.

Kapok is therefore mainly used as stuffing 7. This will widen the use of this fibre and
for pillows, mattresses and upholstery.
provide consumers with more choices.

2. It is used as insulation against sound and

heat.
4.3 RAMIE

Ramie is made from the stalks of a plant
called Chinese Nettle. In this manner, it is also a
bast fibre like Linen and Jute. But getting fibres
from the stems of this plant is more difficult.
The process is more complicated and different
from retting done for Linen and Jute. Because of
the elaborate making process, Ramie is a costly
fibre. The major ramie producing countries are
China, Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia and India.
It is a very ancient fibre. Traditionally, it was
very popular in Japanese textiles.

Pic. No. 4.6 Kapok Pillows

3. It is used as a substitute for absorbent
cotton in surgery.

4. Due to its buoyancy, light weight and waxy Pic. No. 4.8 Ramie plant
coating, it is the material par excellence
for the manufacture of lifebuoys and belts,
waistcoats and other naval life-saving
appliances. It is used by military and navy
for these purposes.

Ramie fibre is white and lustrous and
looks like silk. It is very strong, has poor
elasticity, very good moisture absorption and
is resistant to mildew. It’s clothing is very cool
and refreshing and so it is a good choice for hot
and humid climate.

Uses of Ramie :

Pic. No. 4.7 Kapok Life J acket 1. Ramie is used since very ancient times in
China and other countries to make very
sheer and translucent fabric resembling
silk and linen and is used in making
apparel fabrics like shirts, dresses etc.

39

2. It is not very widely used as it is expensive Hemp fibres are 3-4 feet long, very
to make, but with new technology, it is strong and durable. They have good moisture
possible to make blends with other natural absorption and they are resistant to damage by
fibres. This has renewed manufacturers’ heat, sunlight or mildew. The fibres are naturally
interest in this fibre. stiff and harsh but now with new technology,
they can be made soft and flexible.
Pic. No. 4.9 Ramie dress
3. It is used for making tablecloths, napkins Uses of Hemp :

and handkerchiefs like linen. 1. Traditionally hemp has been an industrial
4. It is also used for making industrial sewing fibre. Since ancient times, it has been used
for making canvas, sail clothes, ropes and
thread, packing materials, filter clothes, sacks.
fishing nets, canvas, upholstery fabrics,
straw hats and fire hose. 2. Also used for making carpets and nets.

3. After ways of softening hemp were
discovered, it has been used for making
jeans, sports clothing and other fashion
apparels.

4.4 HEMP

Hemp is a bast fibre like Linen, Jute Pic. No. 4.11 Hemp Sails

and Ramie. The scientific name of its plant is
c annabi es s ati v a. It is a very old fibre which was 4. It is used with other natural fibres to make
blends where it imparts strength to the
in use in 8000 B.C. too. Today it is cultivated
fabric.
in Africa, America, Egypt, Canada, Europe and

Asia. It is known as S an or P ats an in India. 5. It is also used in making bedding,

upholstery as well as medicinal bandage.

6. Nowadays it is also used for making
shoes, bags and fashion jewellery.

4.5 COIR

Pic. No. 4.10 Hemp plant Coir is coconut fiber extracted from the
outer shell of a coconut. As it is obtained from
coconut husk, it falls under the category of

40

nut husk fibres. Because of its golden brown 3. Brown coir is used in making sacks,

colour and its commercial use, it is also called brushes, doormats, rugs, mattresses.

the golden fibre. Like other natural vegetable 4. It is also used in making insulation panels
fibres, even coir has been in use since ancient
and packaging.
times. Use of coir is mentioned in Ramayan and

other epics. India and Sri Lanka produce almost

Pic. No. . 12 coir fibres Pic. No. 4.13 coir products

90 of coir used in world. Other main coir 5. In Europe, the automobile industry
producing countries are Phillipine, Vietnam, upholsters cars with pads of brown coir
Thailand,Kenya, Ghana etc. bonded with rubber latex.

There are two types of coconut fibers, 6. Nowadays coir is used to furnish rooms
brown fiber extracted from matured coconuts and offices with trendy look. Coir carpets
and white fibers extracted from immature decorate floors and walls as they look
coconuts. Brown fibers are thick, strong and sophisticated and ethnic.
have high abrasion resistance. White fibers are
smoother and finer, but also weaker. Both brown 7. Coi r B h oov as tra - Coir Bhoovastra is
and white coir consist of fibers ranging in length used to prevent soil erosion and promote
from 4-12 inches. vegetation cover. Naturally resistant to
rot, moulds, and moisture, and needing
Coir fibres are tough and durable, no chemical treatment, coir Bhoovastra is
unaffected by moisture and mildew, are flame hard and strong, and can not only protect
retardant and provide excellent insulation the soil from erosion but can even be used
against temperature and sound. Due to their as a protection against sea erosion.
coarse texture, they are not used for apparel
purpose. 4.6 SISAL

Uses of Coir : Sisal is cultivated for fibres since 1893 in
East Africa. Today it is grown in many tropical
1. Traditionally coir has been used for and sub-tropical countries like Brazil, Tanzania,
making ropes and door mats. Kenya, Madagaskar and China. It is a widely
used natural fibre and is easy to cultivate. It
2. White coir is used in the manufacture of is available from the leaves of its plant and so
rop e comes in the category of leaf res. Like all
leaf fibres, it is also a h ard re which means
and, thanks to its strong resistance to salt that it is toughest of all plant fibres and is not
used for apparels but mainly for making ropes.
water, in fishing nets. Sisal fiber is an exceptionally durable and low

41

maintenance fibre. It is recyclable. It is anti
static, does not attract dust particles and does
not absorb water easily. It has the ability to
stretch and does not decay in salt water. It takes
dyes easily and it has good sound absorbing
properties. Sisal is broadly categorized under
three grades - lower, medium and high.

Pic. No. 4.15 Sisal Rope

Pic. No. 4.14 Sisal Plant Pic.No.4.16 Sisal baskets

Uses of Sisal : Pic.No.4.17 Sisal Handbag
4.7 PINA
1. The lower grade fibre is used by the paper
industry. Pina fibres are leaf fibres obtained from
pineapple plant. Pineapple is mainly grown
2. The medium grade fibre is used in the in sub-tropic countries including Philippines,
cordage industry for making: ropes, baler Taiwan, Brazil, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, West
and binders twine. Ropes and twines are Indies and Bangladesh. Pina weaving is an
widely employed for marine, agricultural, age old tradition dating back to Historic times.
and general industrial use.

3. The higher-grade fibre after treatment
is converted into yarns and used by the
carpet industry.

4. Sisal’s main use is in shipping industry.

5. It is used for making mattresses,
geotextiles, handicrafts, slippers and
support belts.

6. It is also surprisingly used as the fibre
core of the steel wire cables of elevators,
being used for lubrication and flexibility
purposes.

7. It is used in automobile industry with
fiberglass in composite materials.

8. The use of sisal in non-woven textile is
also of prime significance, as sisal is an
environmentally friendly strengthening
agent to replace asbestos and fibre glass
in composite materials.

42

During 19th century, pina fabric was much in 2. They are also used for making table

demand all over the world. However, when other cloths, mats, fans, bags and anywhere a

cheaper fabrics became popular, pina fabric lightweight but stiff and sheer fabric is

almost disappeared. It has been revived in the needed.

recent past two decades only. 3. Pina fiber is often blended with cotton,

abaca, and silk to make amazing light and

breezy fabrics. When woven with silk, it

is known as pina-silk.

Internet my friend!

Find out more details about all these wonderful
vegetable fibers and their usefulness in various
fields.

Pic.No.4.18 Pina Plant Do Y ou K now?

Pina fibres have beautiful elegant appearance l o you now which fibre is used
with natural shine, similar to that of linen. They extensively in building construction?
are long, fine and lustrous. They are lightweight.
They blend very efficiently with other fibers. l Have you ever heard of a fibre which does
They are very soft and have better texture than not catch fire at all?
silk. They can be washed and don’t need to be
dry cleaned. Pina fibres are also divided into 4.8 ASBESTOS
two groups - i) fine fibres and ii) coarse fibres.
It is the only natural mineral fibre. The
Uses of Pina : name Asbestos is derived from the Greek word
Asbestos which means in consumable (by fire).
1. Pina fibres are mainly used for making This particular property is the main speciality
valuable items like wedding dresses, of asbestos and the fibre is used mainly for this
kimonos, gowns, handkerchiefs etc. property only. This is also a very old fibre and
was known to the ancient Greeks as early as the
1st century A.D.

Pic. No. 4.19 Pina Wedding gown Pic. No. 4.20 Asbestos rock

43

Asbestos fibre is obtained from rocks. Pic. No. 4.21 Fire suits
There are thirty different types in the asbestos f. As insulating cover for electric cables.
group. Only six of them are of commercial g. For building construction.
importance and of these six, only one h. As filter in chemical laboratories.
“ Chrysotile” is used in textile manufacturing i. For sound proofing.
. Asbestos rocks are available from mines. 80
of the world mines of Asbestos are situated in Pic. No. 4.22 Insulating covers
Canada and Russia. The fibres are separated Asbestos Hazard : Asbestos fibres come
from the rocks, cleaned and then spun into yarns out of the fabric, float in air and if inhaled,
and later made into fabric. they get fixed in the lungs causing respiratory
problems and cancer. Due to this possible health
The most important property of asbestos hazard, nowadays asbestos is not so widely
is that it does not burn. It is not affected by fire used. Many countries have even banned its use.
at all. The fibres are very lustrous and fine. They
have good strength, flexibility and low heat Pic. No. 4.23 Asbestos gloves
conductivity. It is not affected by water, fire,
acid or rust.

A peek in History!

Roman Emperor Charlemagne invited some
invaders for dinner to discuss truce. After
dinner

he threw the table cloth into fire and later
retrieved it without any damage. The
invaders were convinced that the Emperor
has supernatural powers and so left without
fighting and a war was avoided.

Can you guess the fabric from which that table
cloth was made?

Uses of Asbestos :
Asbestos fibres have rough edges which

can hurt our skin and so it is not used as apparel.
In India, it is not available in open market. It
is made according to order and supplied to the
industry where required. It is used as -

a. Body suits of fire brigade persons.

b. For military purpose.

c. For aprons and gloves of workers in
ammunition factories.

d. For making insulating material for
industries.

e. As insulating cover for steam or hot water
pipes.

44

Internet my friend!

Find out more about the types of health problems caused by Asbestos and which countries have
banned its use.

Use Your Brain Power

1. Find out the names of all eight fibres mentioned in this chapter in the following grid.

AX E YOM J UTEL K

YS I K Q AD F N J I A

NAB P S H EMP T B P

SGOED P K R I C FO

P MH Q S R VX N Z AK

K WB F L T R C A J MA

B P D O P X OC FOH Z

R AM I E N B S V D AM

X E Q L O X K D NWS R

C J ED K CH FR D IN

UM P YB E S I VOD A

S I SAL J OMC GQ O

2. Who am I ? __________________
a) I am a nut husk fibre. __________________
b) I am so light weight that I float on water. __________________
c) I am called the golden fibre . __________________
d) I am a Greek word meaning inconsumable by fire. __________________
e) I am a bast fibre resembling silk. __________________
f) I am used in automobile Industry. __________________
h) I am used for making wedding dresses.

45

EX ERCISE

Objective Type Q uestions 5. Jute is used in paper making.

1. Match the following : 4. Name the following :

A B 1. The rock from which Asbestos is
1. Asbestos a) Golden fibre obtained.
2. H emp b) Protein fibre
3. K ap ok c) Health hazard 2. The coir fabric which prevents soil
4. Sisal d) Bast fibre erosion.

3. Embroidered Pina fabric.

4. Light weight fibre used for fibre fill.

5. J ute e) Very light weight
f) Nut husk fibre
Short Answer Type Q uestions

g) Leaf fibre

1. Classify the following into following

2. Select and write the most appropriate categories :

answer from the given alternatives for i. Leaf fibres and ast fibres

each question : jute, pina, sisal, ramie

1. Fabric used to prevent soil erosion 2. Give Reason:

a) Carpet b) Bhoovastra

c) Pina calado 1. Coir is not used for apparel purpose.

2. Fibre used for making ropes 2. Kapok is used for making life jackets.
a) Asbestos b) Pina c) Sisal 3. Hemp is used for making sails.

3. This is a leaf fibre 3. Write short notes on the following :

a) Coir b) Hemp c) Sisal 1. Uses of Sisal 4. Uses of Coir

4. This is a nut husk fibre 2. Asbestos fibre 5. Uses of Ramie
a) Coir b) Sisal c) Hemp
3. Hemp fibre 6. Pina fibre

3. Write whether the given sentences are SELF STUDY / PROJ ECT
True or False :

1. Asbestos is obtained from rock l Collect information about the production
deposits. l and uses of various vegetable fibres.

2. Sisal fibre resembles Silk. On a world map, note down the areas/
countries which produce the various fibres
3. Pina is used for making life jackets. given in this chapter.

4. India is one of the top Jute producing
countries.

fff

46

Unit 5
YARNS

Can you tell?

l A part from fabric construction for what purpose we make use of yarns?
l Why hadi fabric has di erent texture than your uniform fabric?
l What type of instrument is used for spinning yarn?

L et' s learn more about yarns, its types and more such information in this chapter.

T o weave or knit a fabric it is necessary suitable for knitting weaving or otherwise
to have yarns. T hus making of yarns is as intertwining to form a textile fabric
old as manufacturing of fabric and definitely
p redates recorded history. Most fabrics like arn occurs in the following forms
woven, knitted, braided, knotted, netted, lace
and crochet fabrics are made up of yarns. Yarns • A number of fibres twisted together.
are made up of either short staple fibers or long
continuous filaments. • A number of filaments laid together
without twist.
The characteristics of the fibre and the way
they are assembled determine the characteristics • A number of filaments laid together with
of the yarn. T he characteristics of the yarn more or less twist.
and the way they are assembled determine the
characteristics of the fabric. T he typ e of yarn • A single filament – A monofilament.
used to make a fabric determine how a fabric
may p erform when you wear, launder or dry– • One or more strip s made by the lengthwise
clean it. division of a sheet of material such as
natural or synthetic p olymer, a p ap er or a
Some fabric characteristics that are metal foil.
determined by yarns include the surface tex ture
( rough, smooth, harsh, soft, crinkled); its weight Yarns composed of staple fibres are
( light, heavy, medium); its comfort ( cool, warm, frequently called spun or staple fibre yarns.
clammy, comfortable, soft) and its p erformance T hese yarns are fuzzy yarns with p rotruding
( abrasion, strength, p illing) fibre ends.

5.1 INTRODUCTION A Filament yarn is composed of
long fibres. Filament yarns may be either
multifilament (composed of several filaments) or
monofilament (composed of a single filament).
Filament yarns are smooth in appearance.

Yarn is defined by the American society 5. 5.2 YARN TWIST
for testing materials (ASTM) as:
Twist is the spiral arrangement of the fibres
“ A yarn is a continuous strand of around the ax is of the yarn. T wist is p roduced
textile fibre filament or material in a form

74

by revolving one end of the fibre strand while Table .2
the other end is held stationary. T wist binds the Comparison of high twist and low twist yarn
fibres together and gives the spun yarn strength.
T he number of twists is referred to as turns per Low twist yarn igh twist yarn
inch ( tp i).
1. L ess strong 1. More strong
Table .1 yarns. yarns.

Mount of Twist 2. More lustrous 2. L ess lustrous
yarns. yarns.
mount Number of Twist
L ow twist 2 – 3 tp i 3 . L ess elastic 3 . More elastic
Average twist yarns. yarns.
H ard twist 20 – 25 tp i
C rep e twist 3 0 – 4 0 tp i 4 . Yarns have 4 . Yarns have
4 0 – 80 tp i less abrasion more abrasion
resistance resistance
mount of Twist
5. Yarns are lofty, 5. Yarns are regular
The amount of twists varies with soft and warm. in ap p earance and
• The length of the fibres harsh to touch.
• T he size of the yarn 6. Yarns soil
• T he intended use readily. 6. Yarns soil less.

Increasing the amount of twist up to the  Balanced of Yarn: B alanced yarns are
point of perfect fibre to fibre cohesion will those in which the twist is such that the
increase the strength of the yarn. In general, the yarn will hang in loop without kinking,
more the twist, the stronger the yarn. B eyond an doubling or twisting up on itself.
op timum p oint however added twist will cause
the yarns to kink and eventually the yarn will  nbalanced arn: Unbalanced yarns will
become brittle and will loose strength. twist and retwist in the op p osite direction.

Increased twist will add elasticity to yarn. Smooth fabrics req uire balanced yarns, but
T his can be observed in the stretchy and curly for crepe and textured effects, unbalanced
characteristics of crep e yarns, which are highly yarns are freq uently used.
twisted. H ighly twisted yarns are more resistant
to abrasion; they shed soil easily because of a  Direction of twist
smoother surface and less space between fibres
for soil to lodge; and they tend to ap p ear smooth, T he direction of twist is described as
uniform and of low lustre. S – twist and Z – twist.

Yarns with low twist are soft and fluffy; Diagram .1 Direction of twist
they tend to be warmer because there are air
spaces to serve as insulation areas. Filament
yarns of low twist have more lustre as they
reflect more light than high twist yarns. Low
twist yarns are less strong, show abrasion, wear
more q uickly than yarns with high twist.

84

• S Twist: A yarn has S – twist if, when Table No. .3
held in a vertical p osition, the sp iral Cotton System.
conform to the direction of slop e of the
central p ortion of the letter ‘ S’ . Number or Length eight
count of spun ( ank – (Pounds)
• Twist: A yarn has Z – twist if the yards)
direction of sp irals conforms to the slop e yarn 1
of the central p ortion of the letter ‘ Z ’ . N o. 1 1 ( 84 0 yards) 1
N o. 2
5.3 YARN NUMBER 2 ( 1680 1
N o. 10 yards)
Yarn number is a measure of linear density. T o
some ex tent the yarn number is an indication of 10 ( 84 00
diameter when yarns of the same fiber content yards)
are comp ared. Yarn N umber is freq uently called
yarn count in the indirect system, where as in In the above ex amp le yarn count no. 1 will
the direct system it is referred to as D enier. be thicker than yarn count 10. C otton thread for
daily use have a count of 50. For stitching thin
v COUNT [ INDIRCT SYSTEM] fabrics, a yarn with count of 60 is more suitable.
For thick fabrics like denim, Khaki, drill etc. a
Sp un yarn size is ex p ressed in terms yarn count of 4 0 is more suitable.
of length p er unit weight. It is called indirect
system of yarn numbering because finer the v D N R – D R CT S ST M
yarn larger is the number.
The size of both filament fibers and
T he count is based on the number of filament yarns expressed in terms of weight per
hanks ( 1 hank is 84 0 yards) in 1 p ound of yarn unit length – denier. In this system, the unit of
in cotton system. C otton sewing threads p rovide length remains constant. T he numbering system
an ex amp le of yarn number. T he most commonly is direct because finer the yarn the smaller is
used mercerized thread is number 50. N o. 60 the number.
thread is suitable of finer fabrics while No. 40
thread for heavier fabrics like denim. drill; and Table No. .
number 8, 16, 20 thread for making buttonholes
or for sewing on buttons. Filament arns si e

T he woolen and worsted system are Denier Length weight
similar to the cotton system, ex cep t that hanks 1 9000 meters 1 gram
are of different lengths. 2 9000 meters 2 grams
3 9000 meters 3 grams
Woollen hank – 3 00 yards
Filament yarns are made in a specific
Worsted hank – 560 yards denier for certain end uses. For example.

Yarn denier and uses.

Yarn denier Uses

20 sheer hosiery

4 0– 7 0 B louses, shirt

Sup p ort hosiery

14 0 – 520 Outerwear

520 – 84 0 Up holstery

104 0 C arp ets, knitting yarns

94

nternet my friend
Find out information on contribution of khadi in India’s freedom struggle.

. CL SS F C T N F RNS
Yarns are classified into two basic groups as Simple yarns and Novelty yarns.

Table No. .
Classification of arns

Yarns

Simple arns Novelty arns

• Single yarn • Slub yarn

• P ly yarn • Flock yarn

• C ord or cable yarn • B oucle Yarn

• C rep e Yarn • N ub ( sp ot) and yarn
Knot (knop) yarn

• C henille yarn

Chart no. . Types of Simple yarns

Single arns Ply Yarns
number of fibres number of simple
twisted together
yarns twisted
together

Simple arns

Crepe Yarns Cord / Cable arns
very highly twisted no. of ply yarns
twisted together
simple yarn

50

I. SIMPLE YARNS Cord Yarns

• Yarns that are even in size, have an
eq ual number of turns or twist p er inch
throughout their length and are relatively
smooth and uniform are called simp le
yarns.

• Simple arns: A single is the most basic
assemblage of fibres – either staple or
filament – suitable for operations involved
in making fabrics. When a single yarn
is untwisted it will break ap art into the
individual fibres from which it has been
made.

• Ply Yarns: A ply yarn is made by twisting

or more single yarns. In the naming of p ly Diagram No. .1 Simple arn Ply arn and
yarn. Esp ecially a simp le p ly, the number Cable arn
of singles used p recedes the word p ly.
For example, if two singles are use, the • Cord/Cable arns: C ord or cable yarns
resulting yarn is called two p ly; if four consist of two or more p ly yarns twisted
singles are use. It is four p ly. together. In identifying a cord. One must
indicate the number of p lies, in the cord.

Single arns T hus a ‘ two, four p ly cord’ indicates that

each p ly is made up of four singles and

that two of these four p ly yarns have been

combined to make the cord.

• Crepe Yarns: C rep e yarns are variation
of simp le yarns. H owever, a crep e yarn
p ossesses a high degree of twist, so that
yarn tends to kink. T his kinkiness results
in the rough tex ture.

Ply Yarns USES OF SIMPLE YARNS

Simp le yarn tends to p roduce smooth
flat fabrics which are usually considered
durable and easy to maintain. T hese yarns
are mainly suitable for fabrics of ap p arel
use.

II. NOV ELTY YARNS

C omp lex or novelty yarns are p rimarily
for their appearance value. They differ from

51

the simp le yarns in that their structure is B ase Yarn
characterized by irregularities in size, twist and
effect. They are called fancy or novelty yarns, Effect Yarn
because they lend an interesting or novel effect
to fabrics made with them. T hey create tex tural B inder Yarn
variations in the fabric.
Diagram .3 asic Structure of
v Characteristics of Novelty arns Novelty arns

• N ovelty yarns are usually p lied yarns but Chart . : Types of novelty arnS
they are not used to add strength to the
fabric.

• If novelty yarns are used in one direction
only, they are usually in the filling
direction. T hey are more economical in
that direction and are subj ected to less
strain and are easier to very for design
p urp ose.

• Novelty yarn effects are permanent.

• N ovelty yarns that are loose and bulky
give crease resistance of the fabric, but
they make the fabric sp ongy and hard to
sew.

• Generally, the smaller the novelty effects,
the more durable fabric is, since the yarns
are less affected by the abrasion.

 asic structure of Novelty arns

C omp lex p ly yarns are usually of the v Slub arn
following p arts.
In the single slub yarn the yarn is left
• B ase Yarn untwisted or slackly twisted in irregular

• Effect Yarn intervals in order to p roduce soft bulky

• B inder Yarn sections. T his yarn is found in selected
knitting yarns.

T he base yarn controls the length and
the stability of the end product. The effect yarn
forms the design or effect. The tie or binder yarn
holds the effect yarn so that it will remain in
p osition using use and care of the p roduct.

Most comp lex yarn are either single or Pic. No. .2 Slub arns
p ly; occasionally a cord in use in comp licated
novelty yarns.

52

Pic. 5.5 Boucle Yarns

l Nub (spot) and knot (knob) yarns: T he
terms nub, sp ot, knot, knob are often used
Pic No. .3 Flock arns interchangeably; however there are minor
differences. In nub or spot yarn the base
• Flock arns: Flock yarns, frequently yarn is held almost stationary while the
called as flake yarns are usually single effect yarn is wrapped around it several
yarns in which small tufts for fibre are times to build up an enlarged segment.
inserted at irregular intervals and held in T he nub is so secured that no binder
p lace by the twist of the base yarn. T hese is req uired. T he knot or knob yarn is
tufts may be round or elongated. T hese p roduced in much the same way ex cep t
tufts are not p ermanent and can come out that brightly coloured fibres are frequently
after repeated use. Flock yarn is used for added to the enlarged knot.
effects in suiting and dress fabric.
Pic. No. . Nub arn
• Boucle Yarns: B oucle yarns are
characterized by tight loop s p roj ecting
form the body of the yarn at fairly regular
intervals. T hese yarns are of three p ly
construction. The effect yarn that forms
the loop is wrap p ed around a base yarn
and then the binder and tie yarn holds the
loop in p osition. T hese are used to give
textured effected to coating dress fabrics.
T he yarn is also available to consumer
for hand knitting. T hese yarns are soft to
touch and give irregular tex ture to fabric.

Pic. No. . oucle arn Pic. No. . not arn

53

l Chenille arns: C henille Yarn created v ses of Novelty arns
special effect in fabric and in chenille rugs.
T he yarn resemble a hairy caterp illar- C omp lex or novelty yarns add tex ture
Chenille is French for caterpillar. This and design to a fabric and are valued for their
yarn is then used a filling in chenille ap p earance. H owever there may be p roblem
fabrics of warm clothing. in comfort, maintainers and durability. Some
comp lex yarns are rough and harsh. So they many
Pic. No. .8 Mu er of chenille yarn actually be uncomfortable in wearing ap p arel.
On the other hand, many loop yarn are p leasant
Pic. No. . Chenille arns to touch and they increase warmth making them
Let s do this ideal for sweaters or fabrics where warmth is a
Make a list - where yarns are used for desirable p rop erty. T he rough surface of many
household & other miscellaneous uses in your novelty yarns and their irregular twists and loop
house. that characterise these yarns may cause them
to snag easily and the abrasion resistance is
reduced.

Although complex yarns usually require
careful handling. T hey are often selected for
their ap p earances regardless of p roblems that
they might create to the consumer. T hese yarns
are mainly used in fabrics for home decoration
such as curtains, up holstery, carp ets. T hey also
add interesting textural effects in suiting and
coating fabrics and are also p op ular in knitted
fabrics.

Table No. .

Comparison of simple and Novelty arns

Simple arns Novelty arns

1. Usually Smooth 1. Structure is

in ap p earance. charaterised by

irregularities

2. Used in fabric 2. Used in fabric

for functional for ap p earance

value. value.

3 . G enerally more 3 . G enerally less

durable. durable.

54

EX ERCISE

b ective Type uestions 2) A filament yarn is composed of
a) Curly fibres b) Long fibres
I. Match the pairs. c) Short fibres

A B 3) Appearances of a filament yarn is
1. Slub yarn a) Enlarge segment a) Smooth b) Fuzzy c) Rough
2. C henille yarn b) H igh twist
3 . B oucle yarn c) H airy caterp illar 4 ) H igh twisted yarn are more
4 . N ub yarn d) Fine texture a) Elastic b) Soft c) Warm
5. C rep e yarn e) L oop s
f) Uneven twist 5) L ow twisted yarns are
g) Even surface a) Stronger b) Weaker c) Finer

. Circle the odd word

1 a) crep e b) slub c) p ly
d) single e) C ord c) Crepe

II. State whether the following sentences 2 a) Chenille b) Flock
are true or false. d) B oucle e) N ub

1) Unbalanced yarns are those in which S RT NS R T P ST NS
yarn will hang in loop without
kinking. . nswer the following.
1) What is sp un yarn?
2) D irect system of yarn numbering is 2) What is filament yarn?
used for filament yarn. 3 ) Write the names of two N ovelty
yarns.
3 ) G enerally, higher the twist, weaker 4 ) Write the names of two simp le yarns.
the yarn. 5) D escribe boucle yarn.

4 ) H igh twist yarns are soft and warm. . Define the following terms.

5) Yarn count is indirect system of yarn 1) Yarn 2) Yarn twist
numbering.
. Draw diagrams of the following.
6) D enier is direct system of yarn
numbering. 1) S and Z twist

. Select and write the most appropriate 2) B asic structure of novelty yarn.
answer form the given alternatives for
each sub uestion. . Differentiate between.

1) Yarns composed of staple fibres are 1) Simp le yarn and novelty yarn.
called as
a) Filament yarn b) Spun yarn 2) L ow twist yarn and high twist yarn
c) Fancy yarn

55

. rite short notes. LONG NS R T P ST NS
1) Yarn twist
2) D escribe basic construction of 1) C lassify the yarns. D escribe Slub,
novelty yarn with diagram. boucle, chenille yarn.
3 ) T hree C haracteristics of novelty
yarns. 2) D escribe various simp le yarns and
write their uses.
. ive reasons.
1) Sp un yarns are fuzzy in tex ture. 3 ) Ex p lain ‘ count’ of a yarn.
2) Filament yarns are smooth in texture.
3 ) L ow twisted yarns are less durable. 4 ) Ex p lain ‘ D enier’ of a yarn.
4 ) N ovelty yarns req uired careful
handling. SELF STUDY PROJ ECT

• C ollect khadi fabric samp les and identify
the novelty yarns used in it.

• C ollect novelty yarn samp le found in
ap p arel & household fabrics and observe
the novelty effect.

fff

56

Unit 6
CONSUMER & TEXTILE MARKET

Can you tell !
l Y ou must have shopped for clothes many times. D o you enj oy the experience?
l o you feel satisfied with the uality of clothes available in mar et?
l o you find the prices too high ? o you have to bargain a lot?
l Have you noticed that people in specific profession dress in a specific way?
l o you buy the same type of clothes in summer, monsoon?

Every one of us is a consumer of tex tiles. are certain factors that influence the selection of
As consumers, we are the ultimate users of tex tiles. L et us look into some of these factors:
the tex tile p roduct. B ut buying tex tiles is not
always an enj oyable ex p erience for us. T he Factors influencing purchase of textiles
p rices change from shop to shop , we have
to bargain a lot, we are never sure of the 1) Income : This directly affects the
q uality of the p roduct, there is not enough p urchasing p ower of a consumer. If a
information p rovided about the p roduct. In case consumer earns less, he/ she will sp end
of dissatisfaction or cheating, we do not know very little amount on tex tiles as the maj or
where to go and whom to comp lain. T he current p ortion of their income will be used up
chap ter aims at educating you about all these in buying food. T he tex tiles they buy or
asp ects. p ossess are bare essentials which satisfy
only the basic needs.
Do you know?
A middle class consumer will be able to
In every market there are three sectors – sp end some more money on tex tiles. B ut
Manufacturers, R etailers and C onsumers. they also choose their tex tiles as p er how
If there is a good balance between all three, useful it will be.
the market will be healthy. The consumer
is supposed to be the pivot for all market A consumer with high income will be able
activities, and the manufacturers and to sp end a lot of money on tex tiles. H e/ she
retailers are sup p osed to p rovide what the will be able to buy many varieties as well
consumer wants. as branded tex tiles.

6.1 PURCHASE OF TEX TILES A middle class consumer will be able to
sp end some more money on tex tiles. B ut
P urchasing tex tiles is a hobby for some, they also choose their tex tiles as p er how
an unwanted ex ercise for some and a routine useful it will be.
matter for some. N o matter what the attitude
of the p erson is while p urchasing tex tiles, there A consumer with high income will be able
to sp end a lot of money on tex tiles. H e/
she will be able to buy many varienties as
well as branded tex tiles.

57

2) Profession : C ertain p rofessions req uire follow a ‘ cycle’ i.e. they return after every
the p erson to be dressed in a p articular 20-30 years. Fashion affects the demand
way. For ex . – a manager will be in a suit, for that p articular tex tile p roduct. When
a teacher will usually wear saree or salwar fashion reaches its p eak, the demand
kameez, advocates wear black robe, increases. When the fashion becomes
doctors wear white lab coat, workers wear outdated, the demand decreases. Fashion
uniforms, sp orts p ersons wear j ersey and influences the purchase of textiles to such
so on. an ex tent that other imp ortant factors like
comfort, q uality etc. are often overlooked
Pic. No. 6.1 Doctor’s labcoat for its sake.

If a fashion remains for a very small
period of time and is accepted and
followed by a small group it is called a
fad .

5) Advertisement : C ustomer comes to
know about various p roducts available in
market through advertisements in the
form of hoardings, p osters, magazines,
news p ap ers, television, radio, movies etc.
The effect of audio, visual or audio-visual
advertisements is tremendous on the minds
of customers. Most of the advertisements
have an emotional ap p eal. T hey ‘ create’
wants, which influence purchasing.

Internet my friend!

B rowse for various trends in fashion and
innovative advertisement..

Pic. No. 6.2 Sports Wear Do you know?

3) Climate :T he climate and weather of an l o you read the labels put on textile
area also influences the choice of textiles products? C an you understand them?
of p eop le living in that area. In hot
climates, p eop le p refer loose, absorbent, l D o you feel the sales persons try to
thin clothes with short sleeves and op en in uence or put pressure on you to buy
necks. In cold climate, p eop le p refer certain clothes about which you are not
thick, warm clothing with full sleeves too sure?
and closed necks. In rainy climate, p eop le
p refer light weight, synthetic fabrics l o you easily get lured by signs of ales’
which will dry q uickly. and iscounts’ and later feel cheated?

4) Fashion : A new style introduced by l o you now where to complain and
a small group of people and accepted how, if you are not happy with the uality
by a large group is known as fashion . of clothes purchased?
Fashions keep on changing and usually

58

6.2 PROBLEM OF CONSUMERS

T he main p roblems faced by a consumer in the tex tile market are as follows:
Chart No. 6.1 Problems of Consumers

Lack of nowledge nfixed Prices rong Practices

l not knowing about l p rices change from l wront labelling
fibres. shop to shop l cheating by

l not able to understand l P rices are too high at shop keep ers.
labels. times.

mpressive Marketing Non enforcement of laws Lack of rgani ation

l sales & discounts. l no solid system. l disorganized
l dishonest l no p enalties. consumers.

advertisements. l consumers do not
know where to
comp lain

1) Lack of knowledge : An average Many a times the p rices are too high for

consumer knows very little about tex tiles. an average consumer. Also the high p rices
C onsumers may be familiar with the do not ensure good q uality.

names of the fibres or fabric but mostly rong practices : Manufacturers and
they have no idea about the different 3)
merchants both often indulge in various
properties of the fibres or their use and
ways of cheating the consumers. T he
care. As a result, many times the p roduct manufacturers often p ut wrong labels
gets sp oiled. on their p roduct or deliberately p roduce

Manufacturers usually p ut labels giving inferior q uality p roducts and sell them at

information about the tex tiles, but high p rices.

the consumers are not able to use this T he shop owners or retailers also cheat
information as they do not know the the consumers by measuring less fabric,
technical terms and symbols. p utting inferior q uality p roducts in box es

2) nfixed Prices : Different shops will of good q uality p roducts and knowingly
or unknowingly p rovide incorrect
have different price tags for the same type
information about the p roducts.
of p roducts. T he p rices of p roducts also

change according to the city, p lace or area. 4) mpressive Marketing : Different kinds
of ‘Sales’ and ‘Discounts’ are offered to
Most of the shop keep ers allow bargaining
attract the consumer. Many shop s and
also and so the consumers are never sure malls offer particular days or ‘festivals’
about the true value of the p roduct.

59

during which they claim to sell p roducts 5) Non-enforcement of rules/ laws : T he
at a cheaper price. They also offer government of India has made a number
various kind of ‘ schemes’ like buy two, of laws about following minimum
get one free’ . T hey give ‘ membership standards in the manufacturing of tex tile
cards’ which will avail some discount on p roducts. T here are p enalties if these
p urchases made from that p articular mall rules/ regulations are not followed.
or shop . Most of these sales or discounts Unfortunately, there is no solid system to
are not genuine. imp lement these rules, to check whether
these rules are being followed and to
Advertisements have a great influence on p enalise those who are neglecting them.
the p syche of the consumers. T heir real As a result, the manufacturers do as they
value lies in p roviding correct information p lease and get away with it.
about the p roduct to the consumers. B ut
many times manufacturers overhyp e the 6) Lack of organi ation :As ex p lained
characteristics of the p roduct or make before, there should be balance between
totally wrong claims about them. T his is the three sectors of the market –
called dishonest advertising . T his typ e Manufacturers, R etailers and C onsumers.
of advertising misguide the consumers. In In a healthy market, the manufacturers
the long run, dishonest advertising does and retailers p rovide p roducts according
not help as consumers feel cheated. to the req uirements of the consumer.
Unfortunately in Indian market, the
You shoulPdick.nNoow. 6th.3isS:ale Banner manufacturers and retailers are having
T he ‘ Sales” in K h ad i B h and ar are always strong organizations but the consumer
genuine. They are offered by K h ad i sector is not organized. It becomes
G ramod yog , an enterp rise of government of difficult for a single consumer to take
India for p op ularising handloom p roducts on the strong organized sectors of
and to p rovide emp loyments in rural areas. manufacturers and retailers. As a result
T here are two sales annually – one around of this, the manufacturers and retailers do
2nd October i.e. G andhi J ayanti and the other as they p lease.
one around 26th J anuary i.e. R ep ublic D ay.
T he making and use of handloom is also ‘ eco- Discuss amongst your friends:
friendly’. T his is one more reason why every D o they face any other p roblems while
one of us should buy and use K h ad i . shop p ing for clothes?

l What can be the solutions to all these
problems?

60

6.3 REMEDIES FOR THE PROBLEM
Chart No. 6.2 Remedies for the Problems

Remedies for the Problems

C onsumer H onest L aw
Education Advertising Enforcement

C onsumer Standards & L abels
Organization Cettifications

D ue to the above mentioned p roblems, loyalty proves to be beneficial to the

buying is not enj oyable for the consumers. T hey manufacturers in the long run and so all

do not get full satisfaction and value for their rep uted comp anies, always do honest

money. Following remedies can help in solving advertising.

these p roblems - 3) Law enforcement : T he government

1) Consumer Education : A consumer should have clear rules/ laws and should

having knowledge about different fibres, imp lement them strictly. T he p rocedure to

fabrics and their p rop erties will be able to pick offenders and penalise them should

select and take care of the tex tile p roducts be swift and effective. This will create

in a better way. C onsumers can be educated a resp ect in the minds of manufacturers

through different courses in schools and and retailers about the law and they will

colleges, books, p eriodicals, articles in stay clear of various malp ractices that

newsp ap ers or magazines, ex hibitions, they indulge in. T he government should

p amp hlets etc. Such education will help also develop guidelines and standards for

the consumers to j udge the q uality of a p roduction to make manufacturers and

tex tile p roduct, its suitability for the end retailers aware of their resp onsibility.

use and to know whether they are getting

their money’ s worth. 4) Consumer organi ations : As described

2) onest advertising : H onest Advertising earlier, in Indian market, consumer sector
p rovides correct and factual information is very weak and so consumers have to
about the p roduct. It does not make tall face many malp ractices and inj ustice.
claims which may not be true. H onest C onsumers are often unaware of their
advertisements create a faith and goodwill rights and resp onsibilities. T o help the
in consumers and earn their loyalty. T his consumers, C onsumer Association of
India was set up in 1959 in N ew D elhi.

61

This is a non-government, non-profit body Woven fabric D ex ierity G loble trade
working for the welfare of the consumers. Pic. No. . andloom Logos
A consumer association can help the
consumers in following ways : Indian H andloom Indian H andloom

a. It makes consumers aware regarding
their rights and resp onsibilities.

b. It restricts malp ractices by
manufacturers and retailers.

c. It help s in making the market
consumer oriented.

d. It help s in guiding the consumers and
solving their p roblems.

Pic. No. 6.4 Consumer Protection

5) Standards and Certification marks : Pic. No. . ndian andloom Logos
hese ar s in icate speci c ality of

the pro cts. T hese marks are at times
given by the manufacturers themselves or 6) nformation through labels :
Manufacturers p rovide the information
they are given by an indep edent authentic
about their p roducts to the consumers
body like Textile ssociation of ndia

or Ministry of Textiles in India. Once through labels. L abels are in written form

this mark is p ut on a p articular p roduct, and so are more authentic. T hey p rovide

the manufacturers have to ensure the factual information regarding the q uality,

same q uality of the p roduct all the time. contents, p rice, p rocesses etc. B y reading

T hese marks may make the p roduct a bit the label carefully, consumers can make a

costly, but the consumers are assured of wise choice and get their money’ s worth.

the q uality. T hese marks do not p rovide Internet my friend!
any other information about the p roduct

or its p rop erties. ISI is an ex amp le of Find out more about consumer’ s associations

certification mark which is put on a wide and consumers’ rights.

range of products. In the field of textiles, See the different types of logos, certification

Woolmark, H andloom mark and Silkmark marks etc. given for various tex tiles.

are examples of such certification marks. See the other various handloom marks given
In case of handloom p roducts, government by government of India.
has authenticated more than one logo.

62

Can you tell ! 4 . Manufacturers are bound by law to
l Are you in habit of chec ing labels before p rovide true and enough information
on the label. C onsumers get legal
purchasing? p rotection if the p roduct does not
match to the label.
l What information do the labels provide?
5. L abels give information about the
l How do labels help us in ta ing proper use and care of the p roduct and so it
care of our clothes? does not get sp oilt.

6.4 LABLE v Types of Labels : L abels are generally

divided into three broad categories – 1.

a el is a s all piece of paper or fa ric Informative labels, 2. B rand labels and

with written infor ation attache to a pro ct 3.Certification labels.

Every consumer has a right to get
information about a p roduct before buying 1. Informative Labels : An informative
label help s the consumer in two ways –
it. Labels are the most popular, effective and
first, it provides information about the
accurate way of p roviding this information.
manufacturer, size, price, fibre content,
T hey are p ut on p roducts in a no. of ways -
fabric construction and finishes applied

1. P rinted label p asted on the item - Sarees, and secondly, they inform the consumer
dress materials etc. about how to use and take care of the
p roduct. T he information is based on
2. T ag attached to the p roduct - R eadymade laboratory tests. One imp ortant asp ect of
garments. informative labels is the care instruction
they p rovide to the consumers. As this
3 . Woven or Stitched labels - back collars of information remains with the fabric or
shirts, T shirts, D resses etc.

4. Woven identification on selvedge - suiting clothing almost p ermanently, such labels

and shirting fabrics. are called Permanent Care labels.

5. Printed identification on the wrapper -
bed sheets, towels etc.

v mportance of Labelling : L abels are Pic. No. 6.7 Informative label
imp ortant for following reasons-

1. L abels are authentic. The
information given by labels is
factual.

2. L abels give information about the
q uality of the p roduct, constituents,
name of the manufacturer, p rice, date
of manufacturing etc.

3 . C onsumers can read labels and
compare different products before
making decision.

63

er anent are a els : T hese labels
specifically inform the consumers about
how to take care of the p roduct. T hey do
not p rovide information about p rice, size,
manufacturer, fibre content etc. They only
inform the consumers about how to wash,
dry, iron or bleach the cloth. T hey are
usually on the back side of the clothing
and so remain with it p ermanently. T hey
can be woven, p rinted, sewn or fused to
the clothing.

Pic. No. 6.8 Care label

One maj or p roblem consumers faced with these care labels was that they were p rinted in the
language of the country in which the p roduct was made. C onsumers not knowing that p articular
language, were not able to understand the label. T o overcome this language barrier, symbol
systems have been develop ed. T here are three maj or symbol systems p revailing in care labelling
– 1. D utch, 2.B ritish and 3 .C anadian. All these systems have the same basic symbols as shown in
P ic no. 6.9-

WASHING BLEACHING DRYING IRONING DRY CLEANING

Pic. No. 6.9 Permanent Care Label Symbols

T he D utch and C anadian systems use R ed, Amber and G reen colours to instruct about the
different operations of laundry while using the same symbols as shown above. Table no.6.1 shows
the use of colours for different instructions with the same symbols :

Table No. .3 Meaning of colours in Dutch and Canadian system

Red D o not carry out the instruction dep icted by the symbol. For eg. a red triangle means
Amber do not bleach.
Green
T he instructions can be carried out but some caution is necessary. For eg. an amber
triangle means you can bleach but be careful with the typ e of bleach used.

You can carry out the instruction without any caution. For eg. a green triangle means
it can be bleached by any bleach.

The British system uses only black colour. T he care symbols and their interp retations are
given in table no. 6.4 .( p age no. )

The merican system uses written instructions regarding care and maintenance of
garments.

64

Table No. 6.4 Care symbols
Care Label Chart

65

2. Certification Labels : his la el

in icates that a partic lar pro ct has

een teste in a la oratory for ality.

It does not p rovide any other information

about the p roduct ex cep t that the p roduct

has been ap p roved or guaranteed by a

p articular laboratory or agency. Such

labels assure the consumers about the

quality or authenticity of the product.

T he government of India has established

the Indian Standards Institute. T he ISI

mark given by this institute assures the

consumers that the p roduct they are Pic No. 6.12 mark for pure silk

buying is of good q uality. 6.5 STORAGE & CARE OF
TEX TILES

Pic. No. 6.10 mark for pure wool Have you noticed?
H andloom mark, Wool mark and Silk mark
are examples of certification marks provided to Your mother sp reading out occasionally used
tex tile goods. T he H andloom mark assures the sarees and other tex tiles in sun at least
consumers that the p roduct is actually made on once a year.
a handloom. Wool mark guarantees that the
p roduct is made of 100% p ure wool. Silk mark Your mother p utting moth balls or a small
assures that the p roduct they are buying is made p acket of sp ices in the bag or cup board.
of 100% p ure silk. T he logos of these marks are
shown in p ic. N o. 6.10, 6.11 and 6.12. Your mother wrap p ing silk and zari clothes in
an old cotton saree or bed sheet.
Pic No. 6.11 mark for wool blend
Your father p utting sp ecial clothes like suits
and j ackets on a hanger.

H ave you ever asked them why are they doing
it?

We must know how to take care of our
tex tiles in order to get max imum use and
money’ s worth from them. T here are certain
simp le p oints which should be kep t in mind
while storing tex tiles. T his will help us in
maintaining their ap p earance, p rotect them
from sp oiling and ex tend their usefulness. Some
imp ortant p oints are listed below -

1. Sorting : Textiles are sorted by their fibre
content like cottons, synthetics, silks,
woollens etc. H ousehold tex tiles are
usually sorted like curtains, bed sheets,
towels, rugs etc. Sp ecial tex tiles like fur
articles, leather, suede, velvets, laces,
crochet etc. should be kep t sep arately.

66

2. Darning and Mending : All clothes b) r shing B rushing removes the
should be checked for any wear and tear. loose dirt on the clothes. T he clothes
If any button or fastener has come off, it should be brushed by a clothes brush
should be sewn. Undone seams should with soft and firm bristles. Woollen
be stitched again. If there is any hole in garments, fuzzy fabrics, suits, j ackets
the clothing, darning should be done. For
larger holes, p atches can be used. etc. req uire brushing.

3. Refreshing : T ex tiles req uire refreshing eneral guidelines for Storage of fabrics:
from time to time. T his can be done in two
ways : 1. Storage sp ace should be clean and dry.

a) airing and b) brushing. 2. Storage area should be covered and dust
p roof.
a) iring Fabrics made from natural
fibres require airing. Cotton, silk and 3 . Moth balls or moth rep ellant should be
woollen clothes should be sp read used.
outdoor if p ossible. If that is not
4 . While storing fabrics, they should be
clean, comp letely dry and ironed.

p ossible, they should be taken out of Some specific guidelines about storage of
closet and sp read under a fan. Airing tex tile p roducts are given in T able N o. 6.5 -
p rolongs the life of the tex tiles.

Table No. . Specific uidelines for Storage of Textiles

Cottons 1. C lothes to be stored should not be starched.

2. C oloured clothes should be kep t away from sunlight otherwise their colour will
fade.

1. Sharp creases should not be made in silk.

Silks& 2. Silk & wool should be wrap p ed in cotton fabric to save them from moth and
Woolens mildew. Saree bags are available in market.

3 . Moth balls or moth rep ellant should be used.

4 . Suits, coats and j ackets should be hung on hangers and then covered with
p lastic to p rotect them.

Synthetics 1. Synthetics should be hung on hangers to maintain their shap e

2. T hey should be stored in cool p lace.

Leather 1. L eather garments should be p added with p ap er and wrap p ed in muslin cloth.
2. T hey should be p owdered to absorb moisture.

Z ari 1. Z ari fabrics should not be folded on the same crease again.
fabrics
2. Z ari fabrics should be folded with a layer of cotton or p ap er between them so
that two surfaces do not rub against each other.

67

e) T he symbol system which uses only
black colour.

f) A new style introduced by a small
group and accep ted by a large group .

g) T he q uality and the p rice for this is
same everywhere.

h) Written, factual information about a
p roduct.

A I R IN G X IK AC N

J N R V Z D H L P T OX

W X S YMB O L S B N F

Pic. No. .13 Cotton saree bag OJ N R V Z D H L P ST

OX B R I T I SH B UF
L JN R V Z D H L P MT
M P T X B R AN D B EF
A F J MR V Z D H L RL
R P ME S K T YU J HE
K D L E T E X MAR KB

N AX P Z I N D J O V A
S P F ASH I ON Q WL

Pic. No. .1 Jackets on hangers 2. C omp lete the sentences –

Use Your Brain Power a) L ong sleeved, thick clothes are
p referred in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_____________ .

1. Identify the terms hidden in the grid with b) C ertain p rofessions like
the help of the clues given below –
nurse, police have specific
a) T his p rocess help s in removing
moisture from clothes and keep s ________________________ .
them fresh.
c) A fashion which is short lived
b) T hese are small designs to show the and followed by few p eop le is
consumer how to take care of the ___________________ .
clothes.
d) An advertisement which
c) T he p ivot of all market activities.
makes false claims is called
d) A mark certifying that the p roduct is
made from 100% wool. _________________________ .

68

e) T he three sectors of market h) Certification labels ensure us about
are manufacturers, retailers & the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_____________________ . __________ .

f) T he information given by the labels i) For storage, leather garments
is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . should be p added with
_________________________ .
g) L abels which tell us how to
take care of the p roduct are j ) Moth balls should be used while
_______________________ . storing _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
____________ .

EX ERCISE

Objective Type Q uestions

. Match the following : 2. This influences our purchase of
clothes to a great ex tent
A B a) C ulture
1. B rand L abels a) Advertisements b) Fashion
2. B ritish system b) Use of different c) Education

3 . Certification colours 3 . T he p ivot of all markets should be
L abels c) T rademark the
a) Manufacturer
4 . American d) B lack colour b) R etailer
system c) C onsumer
e) Silk mark
5. D utch system f) Written form 4 . B rand labels are p rovided by
g) Storage of a) G overnment
b) Manufacturer
T ex tiles c) L aboratory

II. Select and write the most appropriate 5. G arments which should be hung on
answer from the given alternatives for hangers
each question : a) C otton
b) Synthetic
1. C are label system using colours for c) Woollen
symbols
6. Advertising which makes false
a) D utch claims about the p roduct.
b) B ritish a) H onest advertising
c) American b) D ishonest advertising
c) hoardings

69

. rite whether the given sentences are 4 . A distinctive design or symbol in
True or False : combination with words.

1. T he C anadian system of symbols use 5. The organization which fights for the
only black colour. rights of consumers.

2. H onest advertising creates trust Short Answer Type Q uestions
among consumers.
. xplain following terms:
3 . L abels p rovide factual information. 1. Fashion
2. Advertisement
4 . B ritish system uses written 3 . Airing
information on labels. 4 . B rand label
5. C onsumer association
5. Consumer association fights for the
consumers. II. Give reasons :
1. Z ari sarees are folded with p ap er
6. Fashion influences purchase of between them.
clothes. 2. C oats, j ackets should be hung on
hangers.
7 . Silk garments should be wrap p ed in 3 . P eop le p refer synthetic clothes in
cotton cloth or p ut in cotton bag for rainy season.
storage. 4 . B randed clothes denotes q uality.
5. Moth balls / rep ellent should be used
8. Sales and discounts always offer while storing silk or wool clothes.
good q uality p roducts at cheap er rate.
. rite short notes on the following :
. Draw symbols for the following care 1. Informative labels
instructions: 2. C onsumer association
3 . Storage of woollen fabrics
1. L uke warm washing 4 . Fashion
5. B rand L abels
2. D rip drying 6. H onest advertising
7 . Airing
3 . C ool iron 8. D utch & C anadian systems of care
labelling.
4 . Flat drying

5. D ry in shade

6. H and wash only

7 . H ot washing p ermitted

. Name the following :

1. P utting clothes out in op en air and
sunlight.

2. A small p iece of p ap er of fabric
attached to the tex tile p roduct with
written information about it.

3 . T his label suggests that a p articular
p roduct has been tested in a laboratory
for q uality.

70

9. Storage of leather garments 3 . Ex p lain in brief how following factors
10. Income -a factor affecting purchase affect purchase of textiles :
11. G eneral guidelines for storage
a) Income b) P rofession
Long nswer Type uestions c) Fashion

4 . What are labels? What is their imp ortance?

SELF STUDY/ PROJ ECT

1. Write about the various p roblems faced • Visit different malls/shops in your area
by the consumer in the market.
and collect information about various

2. Write about the remedies for the p roblems typ es of labels.

of consumers. • Educate your family and friends about

various typ es of labels and what they

indicate.

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71

Unit 7
INTRODUCTION TO LAUNDRY

Remember a li ttle

l Why it is necessary to wash the clothes?
l How does the clothes worn by you get soiled?
l What req uisites are req uired to wash the clothes?

7.1 INTRODUCTION 2. To improve serviceability of the
clothes: Fabrics can give good
T he fabric soils when the loose dust serviceability if p rop er care is taken
p articles rest on the surface of the fabric or are during laundering.
held by means of greasy substance. C lothes
req uire laundry after they are used so that they 3. To retain attractiveness of clothes:
can be worn again, clean, fresh, hygienic and Finishing p rocess like blueing,
sp otless clothes are the outcome of successful stuffing and ironing can help in
laundering. retaining good attractive look of the
material.
l L aundry is both science and art. It is based
on the application of scientific techniques 4. To study various principles and
which req uire certain skills. L aundering methods of laundering: different
involves different processes Example. fibers react differently to various
washing drying, ironing, p retreatments p rocesses and reagents. T hus based
stain removal, starching dry- cleaning etc. on the nature of fabrics various
T o take good care of the fabrics is the main p rincip les and methods are used to
aim of laundry. K nowledge of laundry is get best results.
very essential to achieve this aim.
5. To develop skills regarding the use
l OBJ ECTIV ES OF LAUNDRY : of various laundryequipment’s:
V arious T yp es of tools and
1. To clean the clothes: L aundering eq uip ment’ s are used in laundry
p rocess removes the dirt from the today. Most of the modern
garments and makes it clean. It ap p liances are time and labour
involves two p rocesses a) immersion saving. T he skillful use of these
of fabric in a solvent b) agitation to eq uip ment’ s is the need of the
remove the dirt. modern laundry.

72

7.2 SCOPE OF LAUNDRY l The dirt on the fabrics can be of two
types :
l The textile industry is scaling new heights
and entering new horizons, so do the field 1. L oose dirt
of laundry. Maj ority of p eop le in Indian 2. Fixed dirt
families launder their clothes at home.
T he urban families use electric washing T he loose dirt can be removed easily by
machines and new laundry reagents in just brushing the fabric but the fixed dirt has
household laundry. some p ortion of grease in it which makes it stick
to the fibres of the clothes.
l T oday B ig C ities and town have
commercial laundries. T hese laundries Can you tell ?
have customers and tie- up s with hotels,
hospitals, hostels and various firms. They l What p reliminary arrangement are
use bigger eq uip ment’ s and have various req uired before washing clothes?
sections to p erform the task.
l Which washing methods are adop ted for
l Many institutes like hotels and hosp itals washing clothes at home.
have their own laundry. T hus knowledge
of L aundry science is imp ortant to get l Preparation of clothes for laundering :
maximum performance and satisfaction
from to use. 1. Empty the pockets and examine the
garments for tears, holes and stains.
7.3 V ARIOUS METHODS OF
WASHING 2. R ep air the garments before washing
them.
When we use/ wear clothes, they get soiled
and creased and need laundering before they can 3 . R emove those stains which are not
be worn again. It involves two main p rocesses : likely to be removed by laundering.

i) C leaning clothes to remove dirt. 4 . Sort out clothes according to size,
colour, typ e of fabric and amount of
ii) Finishing them to regain their new, dirt.
neat ap p earance.
5. Shake well before steep ing to remove
T he method of laundering dep ends up on loose dirt.
the typ e of fabric and the typ e of dirt. C hoosing
the most ap p rop riate method of laundering 6. Steep white and coloured clothes
is imp ortant in order to make the clothes last sep arately.
longer and serve us better.
Different types of clothes require different
treatment while washing. T his is because of a
variety of factors like fibre content, surface of the
fabric, amount of soil p resent in the fabric and so
on. There are few scientific methods of washing
or laundering clothes which are as follows-

37

1. Friction washing, 2. Ap p lication of light clothes. T he bristles of brush get in
p ressure, 3 . Suction washing and 4 . Washing by between the yarns and p ull them and
machine. so there is more p ossibility of damage
1. Friction Washing : H ere the fabric is to the fabric by this method. It is
definitely not suitable for washing
rubbed to remove the fixed dirt. This T urkish towels as the bristles may get
method can be ap p lied only for strong into the loop s on the surface and ruin
and durable fabrics which can withstand them. If the cloth to be washed is of
friction without damage like cotton and big size, this method will take a lot of
linen fabrics. Friction can be ap p lied in time and effort.
different manners :
A. Hand Friction – T his method is Picture. No. 7.2 Scrubbing Brush

useful when small clothes like C. Scrubbing Board – This is a specific
handkerchiefs or baby clothes are instrument used for laundry. It is not
to be washed. C lothes are steep ed a household item but it can be found
in soap solution and then rubbed in commercial laundries and laundry
by hand to clean them ( see p icture. laboratories. L arge, very soiled
N o.7 .1). T his method does not p ut clothes like p ants, shirts, uniforms,
much strain on the clothes but it is overalls etc.canbe washed easily by
not suitable in case of bigger clothes this method in less time and with less
or heavily soiled clothes. effort. It is made of wood. A number
of horizontal wooden strips are fixed
Fig 7.1 Hand Friction on two bigger vertically p laced
B. S c rubbi ng B rus h – Scrubbing brush wooden strip s ( see p icture. N o. 7 .3 ).
Sometimes corrugated cement, zinc
is a small ap p liance made of p lastic or fibreglass sheets are used. It is
and available in different sizes and small enough to fit in a laundry tub.
colours. Washing with scrubbing T he cloth is steep ed in soap solution
brush is the most p op ular method and then p ut on the board and is
used at household level ( see p icture.
N o.7 .2). It is suitable for most of the

74

rubbed against the wooden strip s.
T he clothes get cleaned q uickly with
less effort and the damage to the
clothes is also less.

Picture. No. 7.4 Kneading and Squeezing
Method

3. Suction Washing : L arge and heavy
clothes like blankets, bed sheets, curtains
etc. can not be satisfactorily washed by
scrubbing brush or scrubbing board.
T o save the time and energy in washing
such clothes, a specific instrument called
Suction Washer is used and so the method
is called suction washing. At the lower
p art of suction washer, a shower like
hollow p art of cop p er or zinc with holes
or openings in it. A wooden rod is fitted

Picture. No. 7.3 Scrubbing Board Picture. No. 7.5 Suction Washer

2. Application of Light Pressure : T his
method is also known as Kneading
& Squeezing method. T his method is
suitable for delicate fabrics whichcan not
withstand friction washing. T he clothes
are steep ed in soap solution and then
kneaded lightly taking care that too much
p ressure is not p ut on the fabrics ( see
p icture. N o. 7 .4 ). T he soap solution is
removed by gently sq ueezing the clothes,
hence the name K neading & sq ueezing
method. T his method is esp ecially suitable
for silk, wool, lace, net and such delicate
fabrics.

57

to the up p er p art of this ( see p icture. 7 .5). T he washing machine has one or two tubs
The clothes are put in a tub filled with made of steel or p lastic in which dirty clothes
soap solution and the suction washer is are put. The tub is filled with water either
p ressed up on them in an up and down automatically or manually and soap is added.
movement again and again. Every time When the machine is switched on, the tub rotates
the suction washer is p ressed down on the alternately in clockwise and anti- clockwise
clothes, a vaccum force is created and direction p utting clothes and soap y water in
so water comes out with force through motion thus enhancing the p edesis. T he clothes
the holes taking away some dirt from the are cleaned by the combined effect of soap
clothes with it. When the p ressure of the and the movement of water and clothes. T he
suction washer is removed, the clothes are various factors involved in washing of clothes
filled with soap solution again. A suction like filling and draining out water, movement
washer is usually worked for 10- 15 min. of clothes, direction and sp eed of revolutions of
In this manner to clean a fabric. V ery large tub, rinsing, sp inning, temp erature of water and
and heavy clothes also get cleaned very time req uired for these functions are controlled
easily. It is also useful in washing clothes by specifically programmed electronic device
which are evenly soiled. fitted inside the machine. Different modes are
given for washing different types of clothes like
4. Washing by Machine : T his is the latest cottons & linens, delicate, wool, silk, synthetics.
and most convenient method of washing T he modes can be selected by moving the knobs
clothes at home. An electric machine and p ressing the buttons situated on the front
called Washing Machine is used for this side of the machine.
p urp ose. It saves energy. A lot of clothes
of different varieties can be washed in Washing machines are mainly of two
this machine with ease. T here are various typ es – Semi automatic and Fully automatic
brands available in market. All washing dep ending up on how they carry out the three
machines are based on the general maj or op erations of washing i.e.
p rincip le of P edesis.
1. Washing - with soap solution
Always Remember:
2. Rinsing - with clear water
Even in still water, the water particles keep
on moving slightly to and from. T his slight 3 . Spinning - draining as much
movement of water p articles is called Pedesis. water as p ossible from clothes
T his p henomenon is imp ortant in laundry
because when the fabric is in water, the water l Semi Automatic Washing Machine
particles go in and out of the fabric. Every
time they go inside the fabric they dissolve In this machine, there are twin tubs ( see
some dirt and every time they come out, they p icture. N o. 7 .6). T he op erations of washing
take the dirt out with them. and rinsing are carried out in one tub while the
op eration of sp inning is carried out in another
tub. T he p erson op erating the machine has to be
around to fill up the first tub with soiled clothes,
add soap p owder in the sp ace p rovided and start

67

the machine. T he water can come into the tub PREPARE A LIST AND DISCUSS
by a direct connection or can be p oured into the
tub manually. Once the op erations of washing l N ame the comp anies manufacturing
is over, the machine req uires fresh water for washing machines.
rinsing which again might have to be sup p lied
from outside. Once the rinsing op eration is l What are the facilities given to the
over, the machine gives a beep sound and then consumer by the washing machine
the washed clothes have to be p icked from the manufacturers.
first tub and put in the second tub for spinning
op eration. l Fully Automatic Washing Machine :

The special facts about this type of In this machine, there is only one tub and
machine are : all the three op erations i.e. washing, rinsing and
sp inning are carried out in it. It is called fully
a. T he three op erations are carried out automatic because once the clothes are p ut and
in two tubs sep arately. the soap p owder is added, we j ust have to p ress
the on button and the machine does the entire
b. P erson op erating the machine has to p rocess of washing clothes by itself ( p icture.
be around all the time. N o. 7 .7 ).

c. R egular continuous sup p ly of water The special facts about this machine are :
is not req uired. Water can be added
with the help of bucket. a. T he three op erations are carried out in a
single tub.
d. T hese machines are cheap er.
b. T he p erson op erating the machine can
e. T hese are top loading machines i.e. load and switch on the machine and his/
the tubs have lids on the top and her continuous p resence is not req uired.
clothes are p ut and taken out from
top . c. C ontinuous water sup p ly is req uired.

d. T his machine is costlier.

e. T he machine can be top loading or front
loading i.e. the lid of the tub is either on
the top or in front of the machine.

Picture. No. 7.6 Semi-automatic Picture. No. 7.7 Fully-automatic
Washing Machine Washing Machine

7

7.4 WASHING DIFFERENT c. Sp ecial attention should be given to
TYPES OF CLOTHES collars and cuffs as they are usually
more dirty.
Washing and cleaning of clothes is a daily
chore in every household. T he p erson carrying d. White cottons can also be boiled for
out laundry must have the knowledge of washing 15 minutes in soap solution.
different kinds of clothes in a correct manner.
e. C lothes should be rinsed 2- 3 times
1. Washing of White Cottons : C otton with clear water till all the trace of
is a strong fibre. It has good moisture soap is removed.
absorption and is not affected by high
temp erature and alkali. B ecause of these Do you know this?
p rop erties, it is easy to clean cotton Sunlight is a natural oxidizing bleach which
fabrics. help s in whitening white cottons without
damaging them.
l Preparation :
l After treatment :
a. Sep arate the white cottons from the
coloured and synthetic ones. a. A little amount of blue used in the
last rinse gives a blue tinge to the
b. C heck the clothes and rep air any white clothes and make them look
holes or tears if p resent. more white.

c. R emove all those stains sep arately b. If starching is req uired, it should be
which are not likely to be removed done at this stage. Starching and
by regular washing. blueing should be combined to make
it one p rocess.
d. Op en the clothes fully and steep
them in hot soap y water. As cotton c. Wring the clothes tightly to remove
is not affected by alkali any soap or as much water as p ossible.
detergent can be used.
d. D ry them in direct sunlight.
e. Add washing soda if the clothes are
too soiled. 2. Washing of Coloured Cottons : T he
main thing to consider while washing
l Washing : coloured cottons is to maintain the colour
fastness of the cloth. B ecause of this
a. White cottons can be soaked for as reason, the washing of coloured cottons
long as 3 0- 4 0 minutes. differ from that of white cottons in certain
aspects. The colour fastness is affected by
b. Use scrubbing method to clean following factors :
white cottons. For small articles like
handkerchiefs and baby clothes, use a. L ong steep ing time
hand scrubbing and for bigger clothes
use scrubbing brush or scrubbing b. H igh temp erature of water
board.

87

c. Acidic and alkaline laundry reagent. Do you know this?
T he ultra violet rays of sunlight break the
d. Friction bond between the colour and the cloth
thus making the colour fade. T his is why
l Preparation : coloured cottons should not be dried in
a. Sep arate the coloured cottons from direct sunlight.
other clothes.
3. Washing of Woollens : Wool needs to be
b. C heck the clothes and rep air any washed carefully because of a number of
holes or tears if p resent. reasons-
a. Wool is a weak fibre and in wet
c. R emove all those stains sep arately condition its strength decreases
which are not likely to be removed further.
by regular washing. b. It is affected by temperature.
c. It is affected by alkali.
d. Op en the clothes fully and p ut them d. It is affected by friction.
in soap y water at room temp erature.
l Preparation :
l Washing : a. Shake the woollen garment to remove
a. Soak the clothes for 5- 10 min only. loose dirt.
b. If there are any holes rep air them
b. Suction washing or kneading and before washing.
sq ueezing method should be used c. Mark out the outline of the garment
instead of friction by scrubbing on p ap er before washing as woollens
brush. have a tendency to shrink after wash.
d. R emove all those stains sep arately
c. C lothes should be q uickly rinsed 2- 3 which are not likely to be removed
times inclear water. by regular washing.

Let’s try this? l Washing :
If the colour is B leeding, addition of salt or a. P ut the woollens in lukewarm water
vinegar in the rinsing water help s in stop p ing in which a neutral soap is added.
or reducing that. b. D o not steep as the woollens get
weaker the longer they remain in
l After Treatment : water.
a. A little vinegar or acetic acid in the
last rinse helps in fixing the colour
and make it look brighter.
b. If needed, starching should be done.
c. Wring the clothes as tightly as
p ossible and dry them in shade.

97

c. Ap p ly the light p ressure method to 4 . Washing of Silks : Silk has a delicate
wash woollens and be q uick so the texture and a natural luster which must
woollens are in contact with water not get
for minimum time.
damaged due to laundry so extra care is
d. R inse q uickly but thoroughly 2- 3 req uired while washing silk garments.
times in clear water.
Following factors should be considered
Do you know this? while washing silks-

A neutral soap is a soap which does not have a. It is an animal fibre and gets damaged
any free alkali in it. As you know wool is by alkali.
damaged by alkali.
b. It can get damaged by high
R itanut is a natural neutral detergent and temp erature of water.
gives very good results in case of woollens.
c. It gets weakened when wet.
l After Treatment -
d. Any kind of force cannot be ap p lied
a. A little amount of citric acid or lime while washing as it will damage the
j uice is added in the last rinse for fine texture.
white woollens while vinegar is used
for coloured woollens to counteract Always Remember
any traces of alkali and make them Silks have to be ironed when still slightly
look fresh. damp as they cannot be damp ed for ironing
like other fabrics. T he water does not sp read
b. Wringing woollens will damage through the fabric and then water sp ots are
them, so they should be wrap p ed in seen on the fabric after ironing.
a dry towel and p ressed by hands
to sq ueeze out as much water as l Preparation :
p ossible. a. Sep arate white and coloured
garments.
c. After removing the moisture, p lace
the garment on the p ap er on which its b. C heck the clothes and rep air any
shap e was drawn and if shrunk, p ull holes or tears if p resent.
it to bring it to its original size.
c. If there are any stains, remove them
d. Spread the woollen garment flat on carefully using milder reagents like
towel or mat or a p iece of cloth for borax, sodium per borate, hydrogen
drying in shade. peroxide etc.

OBSERV E THE FACT: l Washing :
Woollens can be stretched and brought a. Steep ing is not done in silk as it gets
back to their original shap e and size easily weakened in water.
when they are wet. Once they dry up in the
shrunken state, it is imp ossible to bring b. Use lukewarm water and neutral soap
them to their original shap e and size. like woollen washing.

If woollens are hung when wet, they stretch
and go out of shap e, so they have to be dried
flat.

80

c. Use L ight p ressure method to wash c. R emove all those stains sep arately
silk fabrics. which are not likely to be removed

d. R inse thoroughly but q uickly 2- 3 by regular washing.

times in clear water. l Washing :

l After Treatment : a. L ukewarm water and mild soap s
or detergents are used for washing
a. Add lemon j uice or vinegar in the last synthetics.
rinse with cold water to imp rove the
sheen of the fabric. b. Steep ing does not help because the
water anyway remains on the surface
b. If extra crispness is required, a little and does not p enetrate the fabric.
amount of Arabic gum water can be
added in the last rinse.

c. Sq ueeze the silks lightly to remove c. Any method of washing can be used
water from them. but heavy friction with a scrubbing

d. D ry in shade. brush should be avoided as it may
damage the smooth surface.
e. Iron it when still little damp for best
results. d. R inse thoroughly to remove soap

5. Washing of Synthetics : G arments made from the fabric.

from synthetic fibres like nylon, polyester After Treatment :
etc. are easy to clean. T hey do not attract l

dust and dirt due to their smooth surface a. Synthetics are drip dried as wringing

and they dry faster because their moisture does not help

absorp tion is less. T hey are strong and

do not req uire any sp ecial p recaution for Do you konw this?

washing. Synthetic fibres absorb less water and

l Preparation : the water does not p enetrate the fabric so
wringing these garments is not help ful. T he
a. Sep arate white and coloured water is on the surface only and when they
garments. are hung drip p ing wet ( drip dried), they dry
better and req uire little or no ironing at all.
b. C heck the clothes and rep air any
holes or tears if p resent.

COMPLETE THE WEB

( 1) ( 2)

WASHINGMETHODS
(3 ) (4 )

81

EX ERCISE

Objective Type Q uestions MULTIPLE CHOICE Q UESTIONS

I. Math the following pairs : III. Select and write the most appropriate
answer from the given alternatives for
AB each question :

1. Semi- automatic a) White C ottons 1. C lothes which should be dried in
machine direct sunlight
a) C oloured cottons
2. Fully automatic b) C oloured b) Woollen
c) White cottons
machine C ottons
2. Washing method most suitable for
3 . G um Arabic c) C ontinuous delicate clothes
water sup p ly a) H and friction
b) Suction washing
4 . N eutral soap d) T win tubs c) K neading& sq ueezing

5. D rying in shade e) Washing of 3 . Washing machines op erate on the
woollens basic p rincip le of
a) R insing
e) Washing of b) P edesis
synthetics c) C leaning

f) Stiffening of silk 4 . T he soap used for washing woollens
II. Write whether the given sentences are a) Alkaline
b) N eutral
True or False : c) Acidic

1. Suction washer is used for heavy 5. D rying method for synthetic garments
fabrics. a) Flat drying
b) D rip drying
2. A p erson has to be around while c) L ine drying
op erating a fully automatic washing
machine.

3 . Woollens should not be steep ed in
water for long.

4. Silks should be dried flat.

5. Synthetic garments may loose their
shap e while washing.

82

6. Stiffening agent for silk Fully automatic washing machine
a) G um Arabic and
b) Maida Semi automatic washing machine
c) R ice K neading & sq ueezing method
and
7 . Washing machine with the lid in Suction washing
front.

a) Semi- automatic IV . Write short notes on the following :
b) T op loading 1. Washing of woollens - After T ratment
c) Front loading

2. Washing of coloured cottons -

Short Answer Type Q uestions P rep aration

3 . Washing of synthetics

I. Give reasons : 4 . T yp es of washing machines

1. C oloured cottons are dried in shade. 5. G ive the obj ectives of laundry

2. White cottons are dried in sunlight.

3 . An outline of the woollen garment Field V isit

should be made on a p ap er before 1) C ollect the information about various
washing it. typ es and models of washing machines
by visiting the shop s of home ap p liances
4 . R itanut is used for washing woollens.

5. V inegar is added in the last rinse for in the market or websites of various

silk clothes. manufacturers on internet.

6. V inegar is added in the last rinse for Self Study / Project
coloured cottons.

II. Draw diagram and label them : 1) V isit a commercial laundry and p rep are
1. Suction washer a chart of the cost of laundering different
2. Scrubbing board garments.

. Differentiate between : 2) G o to commercial laundries near your
Washing of white cottons house and observe the way they sort out
and clothes, the p re treatments and the after
Washing of coloured cottons treatments.

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83

Unit 8
IRONING

Can you tell?
l D o you wear ironed clothes
l Why clothes are ironed
l What di erence you find between ironed clothes and clothes not ironed
l P rior to invention of the iron, what procedure was used to iron the clothes.
l Which types of irons do you know.

Ironing is the p rocess of removing
wrinkles by heat and p ressure. T his p rocess is
req uired after washing the clothes to regain its
attractive look. T his p rocess of ironing is done
with the use of an iron which is a small ap p liance
used for this p urp ose.

Irons are available in various typ es

: - 8.1 TYPES OF IRONS

T he commonly used irons are Picture No. 8.1 Charcoal Iron
1. C harcoal iron
2. T hermostatic iron T his iron is useful where electric sup p ly is
3 . Steam iron not available.

l Disadvantage :
a) T his typ e of iron need to be
1. CHARCOAL IRON :
rep lenished every time with fresh
A charcoal iron consists of a metal box live charcoal.
with a lid and a wooden handle at the top .
b) T iny p ieces of live charcoal or ash
When the iron has to be used a few p ieces escap es and falls on the fabric. So
of fresh charcoal is heated and p laced cannot be used for delicate fabrics.
inside the box and then the lid is closed.
T he draught door at the back of the iron c) T emp erature cannot be controlled or
is left op en to let air in, which keep s the regulated.
charcoal burning.

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2. THERMOSTATIC IRON:

A T hermostatic iron is also called as an
automatic iron where the temp erature is
regulated by an adj ustable thermostatic
control as p er the fabric origin. T he
T hermostatic irons have an indication
lamp which glows when the current is
switched on and goes off when the iron
gets heated up to the set temp erature.

Picture No. 8.3 Steam Iron

8.2 IRONING BOARD

Picture No. 8.2 Thermostatic Iron T he ironing board is an eq uip ment which
facilitate ironing easily in the standing p osition.
T he adj ustable knob on the top of the iron The ironing board has a flat surface with its
selects the temp erature as req uired for the padded with flannel with a firm woven cover
fabric being ironed which is stretched p rop erly and fastened well so
A thermostatic irons are light in weight as to make the surface smooth. T he left side of
and safe to use. the flat surface of the board is tapering which
allows ironing of skirts and shorts easily. At the
right side of the board, there is an asbestosp iece
which is fixed to place the iron safely on it.

3 . STEAM IRON:

Steam iron is an electric iron with a built
in reservoir. It is filled with water. When
the current is switched on, water boils and
steam is entitled through the holes at the
ironing surface.

T he clothes need not be p reviously Picture No. 8.4 Ironing Board
damp ened when the steam iron is used.
H ard water should not be used in the T he ironing board is generally collap sible
steam iron. and can be folded easily. It does not req uire
much sp ace for storing when not in use.

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8.3 USE AND CARE WHILE 8.4 METHODS OF IRONING
USING IRON
V arious methods are used to make the
1. Always use three p in p lug for the iron. garments ap p ear attractive and neat.

2. Fit p lug p in into the p lug on the switch The methods include: ironing, pressing,
board and then switch on the button. steaming and roll pressing:

3 . Set the ap p rop riate temp erature with the a) IRONING: It consists of moving hot iron
help of a dial of thermostat. forward and backward along the warp
yarns of the fabric with p ressure. T he
4 . Always keep the iron on iron rest when it temp erature of the iron and the amount
is hot or keep it on the asbestos p ad in a of p ressure ap p lied dep end on the tex ture
flat position. and the nature of the fabric.

5. D o not use any hard, sharp or p ointed T he damp ed garment is op ened out and
obj ect to remove and clean stains on the stretched to its original shap e. D ouble
sole p late. p arts on hem are ironed form the wrong
side, moving the hot iron in the direction
6. Avoid moving on hard obj ects like p ins, of warp yarns. T hen the right side is turned
zip p ers or buttons, on surface of the iron. out to iron the rest of the garment.

7 . H old the p lug while removing p lug p ins b) PRESSING: It consist of p lacing a hot
from the switch board. iron on a creased p ortion of the fabric
and then lifting it up . T his op eration is
8. D o not wind the cord around the iron. rep eated till the crease disap p ear.

Do yoy know? Fabrics with sp ecial tex ture like georgette
Temperature used according to the fibre and crepe are finishedby pressing.
while ironing different clothes :-

Fibre Temperature o celsius c) STEAMING: T his p rocess allowed the
steam to p ass through the surface of the
1) D acron ( p olyster) 107 fabric. When the steam p asses through the
fabric it help s to raise and fresh up . T he
2) N ylon ( orlon) 14 9 damp garment is held in front of a very hot
iron. T he heat of the iron convert moisture
3 ) Silk/ woollen 14 9 into steam, which while escap ing through
the fabric straightens the p ile.
4 ) R ayon 191
Fabrics with p ile surface like velvet or
5) C otton 218 velveteen is finished by this method.

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d) ROLL PRESSING: T his p rocess is used Internet my friend
in commercial laundries. It consists of a P rep are the list of irons manufactured by
series of smooth metal rollers which are various comp anies mentioning their names
rotating at a specific speed, the fabric is which op erate with the help of “ thermostat”
kep t manually between the two heated device. What difference was noticed.
rollers which while rotating dries the D iscuss in the class.
moisture. T he material is ironed out due
to the p ressure caused by the rotation. Interesting Historical Facts:

R oll p ressing is done to iron straight p ieces Inventors their Inventions
of cotton or linen bedsheets, curtains, affman don J.
sarees etc.
American inventors in 1905, of the p ressing
machine, which revolutionized the garment
Industries throughout the world.

EX ERCISE

Objective Type Q uestions 4 . Ironing B oard req uires a big p lace to
store when not in use.

1. Match the columns : 3. Name the following :

A B 1. N ame the p arts of a charcoal iron.
1. C harcoal Iron 2. N ame the method ironing used for
a) P ile Fabrics
2. T hermostatic georgette.
Iron b) C ommercial
L aundry Short Type Answers
3 . Steaming
c) Easy to Iron
skirts

4 . R oll P ressing d) Adj ustable knob 1. Give reasons for the following :

5. Ironing B oard e) H eavy weight 1. C harcoal Iron is not used on delicate

2. State whether following statements are fabrics.
True of False.
2. T hermostatic Irons are easy to handle.
1. In a C harcoal iron the temp erature
can be controlled. 3 . A steam iron can be used safely for
silk fabrics.
2. T hermostatic iron is easy to handle
4 . Steaming method is used for p ile
3 . In a steam iron water should not be fabrics.
filled in it.

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