Journal of Textile Engineering & Fashion Technology

Research Article Open Access

An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton

fabrics
Abstract Volume 7 Issue 3 - 2021

The process of giving denim special washed or vintage looks and color effects after stitching Mafzal Ahmed,1 Md Piash Ahmed,2,3 Moynul
it into jeans or other garments. Different denim washing methods have been developed
Hassan1
and used on various fabrics to produce a wide number of designs for fashionable denim 1
Department of Textile Engineering, Port City International
garments and jeans over the last few decades. This study focused on the washing of denim University, Bangladesh
fabrics with bleach and its effects on the denim fabrics. There were a total of three samples 2
Assistant Merchandiser, MHC Apparels (pvt) Limited,
of three different structures of denim and bleached each sample in three different shades; Bangladesh
light, medium, and dark. Among these samples, two samples were an indigo blue color, 3
Department of Apparel Manufacturing and Technology, BGMEA
the composition of 98% cotton, 2% spandex, GSM–350 and 99% cotton, 1% spandex, University of Fashion and Technology, Bangladesh
GSM–330 respectively. KCI bleach for these two samples has found a good result. Another
sample was black, 100% cotton, GSM–290. KCI bleach also applied on it but the result Correspondence: Mafzal Ahmed, Department of Textile
was not desired, bleaching results in a reddish effect over the fabrics, washed the remaining Engineering, Port City International University, Chattogram,
portion of the fabrics in caustic soda and got the desired result. Bangladesh, Email

Received: April 22, 2021 | Published: May 11, 2021

Keywords: denim, spandex, KCI bleach, caustic soda

Introduction Bleach wash is one of the precise textile washing methods that is
used to fade a higher degree of color. It is extremely difficult to fade
Denim such a fabric that immensely using to make Shirts, Coats, the pigment from all over the garments in one wash to such a high
Dungaree, Tops and Bottoms item. The major using products of denim degree without using bleach. As a result, despite certain disadvantages
fabric are Pants which is over 80% of total denim fabric consume such as bleach decomposes cellulose and hence kills the cloth, appears
and day by day consumer showing more interest in denim fabric to turn the fabrics yellowish, requires neutralization, which raises
made items. According to the sustainability of denim, the item is un- expense and adds another phase to the manufacturing time, bleach
doubtfully better than other fabric made products. Now, these days washing cannot be prevented.9,10
giant clothing brands such as H&M, Inditex, CK, C&A, Canadian Tiar,
Primark are focusing more on denim products. Due to the priority of Denim production and processing tests are available to further
denim products for customer and competitive products price therefore explain the process sequence and achieve different denim washing
economically taking a large part of outlet selling. results. Indigo-dyed yarns have been produced for thousands of
years using various methods. Continuous dye ranges that can yield
To get an aesthetic outlook, different types of wash applied on thousands of pounds of dyed yams per hour have now replaced the
denim fabric and one of the most used wash is Bleach. Now, these days initial batch methods for dyeing yarn skeins. Different experiments
major concerning matter is the environment. Requires 1500 gallons of on denim washing and denim dyeing have been carried out in the past,
water to grow 1.5 pounds of cotton that is needed to produce a pair of both internationally and locally in different regions. In past, stone
jeans and during washing large litters of water required and it varies (pebbles) are used for washing which is known as a stone wash but
from wash to wash.1 nowadays stone (pebbles) are replaced by rubber balls because stone
Denim garments washing is an effective technology for changing damaged the fabrics during the washing process.4,10,11
the style, outlook, and comfortability of garments as well as creating Another international experiment was conducted, with the primary
new fashion trends. Denim garments are difficult to wear after goal of the discovery being to provide a means of handling denim
completing treatments because of the weaving and dyeing results. For fabrics in plain fabrics or garment type to manufacture stonewashed
this, it mostly needs a finishing treatment to make it cleaner, smoother, denim fabrics of various shades and colors without repeated measures,
and more convenient to wear. Technologists are attempting to costly machinery, or vast inventories of fabrics and dyes. Another aim
incorporate new styles and fashion on denim fabrics using renewable of the innovation is to make stonewashed denim fabrics in various
washing processes to satisfy the rapid transition in existing consumer shades and colors more affordable. Many denim washes have been
demands.2–4 produced in the past, and some of the denim washed names are
Denim garments can be washed in a variety of ways after being mentioned below: Acid washes, enzyme washes, bleach washes, and
pre-treated. Stone Wash, Acid Wash, Rinse Wash, Enzyme Wash, and stone washes are all options.12
Bleach Wash are some of the most widely used wash types.5,6 Denim Bleach is a method for removing indigo from denim that
Among the washing methods, hypochlorite bleaching is a involves the addition of a heavy oxidative bleaching agent such as
commonly used process in the industry, especially for denim washing, sodium hypochlorite (NaCIO) or potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
to achieve the desired color hue. With the aid of oxidizing or reducing during the washing process, with or without the addition of stone.
chemicals, denim bleach may be used to decolorize indigo from Depending on the intensity of the bleach liquor, the temperature, and
denim. The strength of the bleach liquor, the temperature, and the the treatment period, the discoloration produced is normally more
treatment time all influence the bleach effect and discoloration. Strong noticeable. Good bleach with a limited treatment time is preferable.
bleach with a limited treatment time is preferable.7,8 Bleached materials should be properly antichlored or washed with

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©2021 Ahmed et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
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 Copyright:
An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton fabrics ©2021 Ahmed et al. 88

peroxide afterwards to prevent yellowing. For color uniformity, of fabrics was calculated that are going to put on the bath. Then the
materials should be carefully sorted before manufacturing.8,13,14 fabrics put on the bath and start desizing it for 10min with the required
chemicals. After desizing, bought out the fabrics from the machine
It’s difficult to monitor the process, which means it’s difficult to
and rinse washed the fabrics. Again the fabrics put on the bath with
achieve the same amount of bleaching in several runs. When the target
the addition of enzyme, acetic acid, anti-back staining agent and ran
amount of bleaching is achieved, the time window for stopping the
the machine for 15min. After that again rinse washed the fabrics
bleaching is very limited. Due to the harshness of the solvent, it can
for 2-3min. The fabrics put on the bath again with the addition of
cause cellulose to be damaged, resulting in extreme strength losses
KCI bleach and ran the bath at 3 different times for getting 3 shades.
and or cracks or pinholes at seams, pockets, and other locations.8
Then bought out the fabrics from the bath and put that on the hydro-
To produce fading results and a smooth feel, the bulk of denim extractor machine for absorbing the excess water from the machine.
fabrics finishing with enzymes is currently done batch by batch. After that, the fabrics put on the drying machine at 80˚C to dry the
However, if developments in biotechnology allow scientists to fabrics (Table 2).
produce incredibly fast-acting and durable cellulases, and if machine
Testing standard: To evaluate the bleach performance Tear strength
manufacturers can install special continuous-range machines with
test (ASTM D412), Color fastness to wash (ISO 105 C10: 2006), and
greater mechanical operation, it might be possible to handle denim
Shrinkage test (AATCC 135) were carried out.
fabrics in a continuous-process range in the future. The development
of such an enzyme and process would enable the textile industry to Table 2 Recipe of bleach wash
move toward a much higher throughput and a more efficient process
by saving time, energy, and water. Since environmentally sustainable Shade Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3
processes use less oil, they are more cost-effective.15–18 Light KCI Bleach 500g KCI Bleach 500g Caustic Soda 100g
This research work aims to investigate the bleach wash effect of Time 16 min Time 9 min Per Oxide 100g
denim fabrics before and after wash treatment. After bleach washes
the color fastness to wash properties has been observed. Also, the Temp. 50-55˚C Temp. 50˚C Time 30 min
shrinkage, tear strength, EPI, PPI, and GSM changes have been Brown Gtl 0.5g
evaluated.
Time 3-5 min
Materials and methods Medium KCI Bleach 500g KCI Bleach 500g Caustic Soda 100g
Materials Time 11min Time 6 min Per Oxide 100g
Fabrics type: For this experiment, three types of denim fabrics were Temp 50-55˚C Temp. 50˚C Time 20 min
used. The specification of these fabrics is noted below Table 1:
Dark KCI Bleach 500g KCI Bleach 500g Caustic Soda 100g
Table 1 Sample identifications
Time 6 min Time 3 min Per Oxide 100g
Sample types Identification   Temp. 50-55˚C Temp. 50˚C Time 10 min
Denim indigo color, Composition–98%
Cotton, 2% Spandex, GSM–350
Sample 1 Result and discussion
Denim indigo color, Composition–99%
Sample 2 Effect of bleach wash on denim fabrics
Cotton, 1% Spandex, GSM–330
In this project, bleach wash was done for 30 minutes at 45˚C
Denim black color, Composition–100%
Cotton, GSM–290
Sample 3 temperature by sample washing machine. The machine runs three
different times to get three different shades- light, medium, and dark
Chemicals: To determine the bleach effects of denim fabrics as (Figures 1–3).
chemicals Desizing agent, Soda ash, Alpha beta-amylase, Anti-back
staining agent, Acetic acid, KCI bleach, Neutralizing agent (Sodium
meta bi-sulphate), and Softener were used. These chemicals were
collected from local market dyes and chemicals shops in Chittagong,
Bangladesh.
Equipment: The bleaching process was done on a laboratory scale. To
complete the experiment various types of machinery and equipment
were introduced. Sample washing machine, Hydro extractor machine,
Sample dryer machine, Tear tester, Crock meter, Pilling tester, GSM
cutter, Electric balance, Grey scale, and Light box were used to
complete the sample development process and testing purposes.

Methods
Bleach wash
Working procedure: First, the fabrics were cut in appropriate shape
before and put that on the bath. The machine had to clean so that
the chemicals that remained on the machine from the previous bath Figure 1 Washing effect on sample 1, (a) Light shade, (b) Medium shade, (c)
can be washed out. The chemicals ratio that required for the number Dark shade.

Citation: Ahmed M, Ahmed MP, Hassan M. An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton fabrics. J Textile Eng Fashion Technol. 2021;7(3):87‒90.
DOI: 10.15406/jteft.2021.07.00272
 Copyright:
An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton fabrics ©2021 Ahmed et al. 89

Shrinkage test
Table 4 indicates the shrinkage test behavior of bleached washed
samples. From this table, it finds that sample 3 has more shrinkage
behavior. This is because, in sample 3, no spandex yarn is used to
make the fabrics and the GSM (290) is lower than other samples.
Table 4 Shrinkage test result

Before wash After wash

Samples Shrinkage (%)
(Inches) (Inches)
1 12 11.4 5

2 12 11.16 7

3 12 11.22 8
Figure 2 Washing effect on sample 2, (a) Light shade, (b) Medium shade, (c)
Dark shade. Color fastness to wash
Table 5 shows the impact on color fastness to wash color
fastness to wash. From this test, it reveals that when denim washed
at comparatively higher time duration color fastness rating becomes
excellent although at the same temperature. On the other hand, 10min
exposure of time yields good wash fastness both for bleach washing
at 45˚C and 50˚C.
Table 5 Color fastness to wash

Bleached washed Temperature Color

Time (Min)
Sample (˚C) Change
1 10 45 4

2 10 47 4-Mar
Figure 3 Washing effect on sample 3, (a) Light shade, (b) Medium shade, (c) 3 10 50 5
Dark shade.
Tear strength test
Effect of washing on the feel of the fabrics
From Table 6, it shows that after washing, the tear strength value
The fabrics’ hand feel changes dramatically after cleaning, and is higher for sample 2 rather than other samples. This is because the
this change can be seen in each subsequent stage of manufacturing. amount of 2 spandex yarn in this fabrics is higher than other samples
The hand feel is softer after the desizing process than before the wash and the GSM of sample 1 is higher as well (350).
point, but the cloth is much softer after the bleaching process. The
fabrics had the softest hand feel during the softening process. Table 6 Tear strength test result

EPI, PPI and GSM test Bleaching Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3

Shade
stages (kgf/cm) (kgf/cm) (kgf/cm)
After washing the specimen, EPI, PPI & GSM of the fabrics were
observed. Light Before wash 3.65 1.92 1.92

From Table 3, it describes the EPI, PPI and GSM of all bleached After wash 4.03 3.45 1.72
wash fabrics samples before and after wash treatment. It shows that Medium Before wash 3.65 1.92 1.92
after bleach wash, the EPI and PPI values are increased but the GSM
value is decreased. So, it can be said that bleach wash has a great After wash 3.25 3.6 1.83
effect on fabrics EPI, PPI and GMS changes. Dark Before wash 3.65 1.92 1.92
Table 3 EPI, PPI and GSM test   After wash 3.08 1.85 1.66

Fabrics
Bleaching
Samples
EPI (Ends/ PPI (Picks/
weight
Conclusion
stages Inch) Inch)
(GSM) Bleaching is a necessary step in the manufacture of white fabrics.
Before From this project, it discovered that increasing the amount of
1 76 42 350
Bleach wash bleaching agent increases the whiteness of the cloth during bleaching.
2 74 41 330 However, it may have an impact on the strength. The temperature
of the bleaching solution does not exceed 100˚C because raising the
3 75 43 290 temperature damages the consistency of the solution. As a result, the
After Bleach
1 77 (+1.4%) 44 (+4.8%) 346 bleach should be applied at a temperature of 95-99˚C for maximum
wash intensity and whiteness. The amount of time spent bleaching does not
2 75 (+1.4%) 44 (+7.1% ) 324 exceed the range. Though the whiteness improves, the temperature
does significant harm to the fibres. So, after considering all of the
  3 76 (+1.4%) 47 (+9.5%) 287
evidence, conclude that the traditional bleaching recipe is the best

Citation: Ahmed M, Ahmed MP, Hassan M. An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton fabrics. J Textile Eng Fashion Technol. 2021;7(3):87‒90.
DOI: 10.15406/jteft.2021.07.00272
 Copyright:
An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton fabrics ©2021 Ahmed et al. 90

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Citation: Ahmed M, Ahmed MP, Hassan M. An explanation of bleach wash on denim cotton fabrics. J Textile Eng Fashion Technol. 2021;7(3):87‒90.
DOI: 10.15406/jteft.2021.07.00272