EFFECTS OF REPEATED LAUNDERING ON THERMAL COMFORT PROPERTIES OF CELLULOSIC KNITTED FABRICS

Air and water vapour permeability, thickness and thermal resistance of fabrics are some of the most important parameters to determine clothing comfort. However, these parameters tend to change after laundering in daily use. In this study, changes in the thermal comfort properties of cellulosic fabrics used in underwear and sock production, due to repeated laundering, were investigated. For this purpose, 100% cotton, viscose, Viloft, Modal, Promodal and Tencel fabrics, in single jersey construction, were selected and the thickness, air permeability, water vapour permeability and thermal resistance of the fabrics were measured initially and after 5, 10 and 15 repeated launderings. The obtained data were analysed by statistical techniques. According to the results, increasing the number of laundering cycles decreases air permeability and increases thickness and thermal resistance, in general. However, relative water vapour permeability decreases up to a number of laundering cycles and increases from this point on, upon further increasing the number of laundering cycles. The material type was found to be more influential than thickness on the thermal resistance values in this study. In conclusion, repeated laundering and material type significantly affect the comfort properties of fabrics.