Troubleshooting for soil-release finishes

The performance of a soil-release finish depends upon its ability to provide a hydrophilic surface during the laundering process. Therefore any material deposited on the fibre surface that would reduce this necessary hydrophilicity should be avoided. Softeners, lubricants and other products that modify surface properties should be carefully investigated in laboratory trials before being used with fabrics treated with soil-release finishes. 

The relative amounts of the binders and crosslinkers applied in conjunction with acrylic copolymer soil-release compounds must be carefully determined. Too little crosslinking and the soil-release finish is not durable to multiple launderings too much crosslinking and the finish cannot swell as much as is needed for adequate soil release. 

1 Kissa E, Handbook of Fiber Science and Technology, Vol. II, Chemical Processing of Fibers and Fabrics. Functional Finishes, PartB, LevinM and Sello S B (eds), New York, Marcel Dekker, 1984, 211-289. 

2 Cooke T F, Soil release finishes for fibres and fabrics , Textile Chemist and Colorist, 1987,19(1), 31 1. 

3 Pailthrope M and David S K, Antistatic and soil release finishes , in Textile Finishing, Heywood D (ed.), Bradford, Society of Dyers and Colourists, 2003, 330. 

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