Every day care of the fabrics generally consists of washing to keep it clean and ironing to get a smooth wrinkle free appearance.

Many materials often require special treatments to get rid of accidental stains, overcoming the grayness or yellowness that occurs due to repeated washings and adding stiffness or crispness.

Laundering includes — stain removal, preparation of fabrics for washing, removing dirt from clothes by washing, finishing for its appearance (blueing and starching) and finally pressing or ironing for a neat appearance so that they can be stored ready for use.

A stain is an unwanted mark or colouration on a fabric caused by contact and absorption of foreign matter, which cannot be removed by normal washing process and requires special treatment.

The stains can be classified as: (i) Vegetable stains: tea, coffee, fruits, and vegetables. These stains are acidic by nature and can be removed by alkaline medium. (ii) Animal stains: blood, milk, meat, eggs, etc. These are protein in nature and removed by detergents in cold water only. (iii) Oil stains: oils, ghee, butter, etc. These are removed by the use of grease solvents and absorbents. (iv) Mineral stains: ink, rust, coal tar, medicine, etc. These stains should be washed first in acidic medium and then in alkaline medium. (v) Dye bleeding: colour from other fabrics. These stains can be removed either by dilute alkalies or acids depending on the fabric type.

y Stain is best removed when fresh. y Identify the stain and use the right procedure for its removal. y For unknown stains, start with a simple process and move to a complex one. y Repeated use of milder reagent is better than one time use of a strong agent. y Wash all fabrics with soapy solution after stain removal to remove all traces of chemicals from it. y Dry fabrics in the sun as sunlight acts as natural bleach. y For delicate fabrics try out the chemicals on a small portion of fabric; if they damage the fabric, do not use them.

(i) Techniques of stain removal: (a) Scraping: built up surface stains can be scraped lightly using a blunt knife. (b) Dipping: The stained material is dipped into the reagent and scrubbed. (c) Sponging: The stained area is placed on a flat surface. The reagent is applied with a sponge on the stained area and absorbed by the blotting paper laid underneath. (d) Drop Method: The stained cloth is stretched over a bowl. The reagent is put on it with a dropper.

Dirt is the term applied to grease, grime and dust jammed between the fabric structure. There are two types of dirt. One, which is held loosely onto the fabric and can be removed easily and the other, which is held tightly by means of sweat and grease.

There are three main methods of removing grease – by the use of solvents, absorbents or emulsifiers. When cleaning is done by solvents or absorbents it is called dry cleaning. Normal cleaning – washing is done in water with the help of soaps and detergents, which emulsify the grease.

Water is the most valuable agent used for laundry work. There is a certain adhesion between fabrics and water. During steeping water penetrates into the fabric and cause wetting. Pedesis or the movement of water particles helps to remove the non-greasy dirt from the fabric.

Soaps and detergents are the most important cleansing agents used in laundry work. Soap result from a reaction between natural oils or fats and alkali. If alkali is used in excess it is released when soap is used on the fabric.

The methods of washing are classified as follows: Friction washing, Kneading and squeezing, Suction, Washing by machines.

After washing it is very important to rinse the article in clean water till it is absolutely free of soap or detergent. Very often in the last rinse some other reagents are added which can help to restore the freshness or brightness of the fabric.

Blues are recommended to counteract yellowness and to restore the whiteness. Optical Brightening Agents or Fluorescent brightening agents are compounds with low grade or weak dyes that possess the property of fluorescence.

Good ironing requires high temperature, moisture, and pressure. An iron can provide high temperature. It can be a charcoal iron or an electric iron.

Dry-cleaning can be defined as the cleaning of fabrics in a non-aqueous liquid medium. The important difference between dry and wet solvents is that while water is absorbed by the fibres, which causes shrinkage, wrinkle formation and colour bleeding; the dry solvents do not cause fibre swelling.