Care and Maintenance of Clothes
Clothes get dirty with use due to dirt, grease and perspiration. They must be washed, dried and ironed regularly for long life, neat appearance, personal cleanliness and cleanliness of the environment. Different fabrics require different care while washing.
1 Taking Care of Clothes & Meaning of Laundering
Core Concept: Dirt and stains make clothes look ugly, reduce strength and can become fixed. Dry dirt can be shaken off, but greasy dirt needs special treatment.
Laundering
Washing + proper drying + finishing of clothes. It is more than just washing.
Dry Cleaning
Cleaning without water using solvents and/or grease absorbents. Used when water may damage fabric or colour.
2 Steps in Laundering
3 Detergents – Soaps vs Syndets
A detergent is any product capable of cleaning. There are two types:
- Soap: Made from natural oils/fats and waxes.
- Syndet: Produced synthetically from chemicals.
| Property | Comparison |
|---|---|
| Wetting action | Syndets act more readily than soaps |
| Solubility | Syndets dissolve in both cold & hot water; soaps dissolve better in hot water |
| Hard water | Syndets work well; soaps foam only in soft water |
| Smell | Syndets are sweet-smelling; soaps have no distinct smell |
| Bluing | Needed after soap; already present in syndets (with optical brighteners) |
| Residue | Soaps leave deposits that make clothes dull; syndets leave none |
| Economy | Soaps are cheaper initially but syndets are more economical long-term |
4 Auxiliaries in Laundering
Products other than cleansers that give good finish to fabrics during laundering.
Blues
Chemical fabric whitener (powder or liquid). Applied just before last rinse. Mix thoroughly to avoid blue speckles. Examples: ultramarine blue, Prussian blue.
Optical Brightening Agents (OBA/FBA)
Colourless fluorescent dyes. Absorb UV light and reflect visible light, making fabric look “whiter than white”. No chemical damage to fabric.
Oxidising Bleaches
Permanent effect; mainly for vegetable fibres (cotton, linen). Examples: Sunlight, Javelle water (sodium hypochlorite), Potassium permanganate + oxalic acid, Hydrogen peroxide (safe for animal fibres too).
Reducing Bleaches
Milder; used on animal fibres (wool, silk). Effect is not permanent – fabric may turn yellow again on contact with air. Examples: Sodium hydrosulphite, Sodium bisulphite.
5 Stain Removal
Identification: By colour (curry = yellow, tea/coffee = brown, grass = green), smell (egg, paint) and feel (paint/sugar = stiff; lipstick/shoe polish = slippery).
Categories of Stains
- Vegetable – curry, tea, coffee
- Animal – milk, blood
- Grease – pickle, curry, shoe polish
- Mineral – rust
- Grass
- Miscellaneous – dyes
Precautions
- Remove stain when fresh
- Identify fabric and stain
- Start with mild method; use cold water first for protein stains (blood, egg)
- Test chemical on a small hidden portion of delicate/coloured fabric
- Prefer repeated mild reagent over strong one-time use
- Wash with soapy water after treatment and dry in sun
| Stain | White Cotton | Coloured Cotton / Silk / Wool / Synthetic |
|---|---|---|
| Tea / Coffee (fresh) | Pour boiling water + borax | Soak in warm water + borax |
| Tea / Coffee (old) | Dip in glycerine | H₂O₂ (silk/wool) or sodium perborate (synthetics) |
| Blood / Egg / Meat | Fresh: cold water + soap Old: salt water |
Same as white cotton |
| Butter / Ghee / Oil / Curry | Fresh: hot water + soap Old: soap paste + sunlight |
Mild soap; shade for coloured |
| Paint / Shoe polish / Lipstick / Nail polish / Ball pen | Scrape excess → spirit or kerosene | Same method |
| Grass | Fresh: soap + water Old: methylated spirit |
Same method |
| Paan (Betel leaf) | Onion paste + sunlight | Shade for coloured |
| Mehndi | Warm milk (½ hour) | Same method |
Note: Fresh grease stains – apply talcum powder, leave, then brush off (works on all fabrics).
6 Methods of Washing
Friction Washing
For strong fabrics (cotton). By hand, scrubbing brush or beating with stick. Suitable for very soiled small garments, dusters, bedsheets.
Suction Washing
For heavy pile fabrics (towels). Suction washer creates vacuum that loosens dirt.
Kneading & Squeezing
For delicate fabrics (silk, wool, rayon). Gentle hand action – no damage to shape or fabric.
Machine Washing
Labour-saving. Follow machine instructions. Woolens need less time than cottons.
7 Fabric-wise Laundering Points
Cotton
Soak (whites/dirty only), friction wash, rinse thoroughly, starch (except undergarments), blue whites, dry whites in sun / coloured in shade.
Silk
Never soak. Mild soap / reetha, lukewarm water, light pressure. Rinse in cold water + few drops vinegar for lustre. Dry in shade; iron while still damp.
Woolens
Never soak. Draw outline on paper before washing. Mild soap / reetha (not for whites), lukewarm water, light pressure. Rinse gently. Dry flat in shade matching original outline. Steam press if needed.
Synthetics (Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic)
Lukewarm or cold water only (hot water damages shape). Any good soap, light pressure. Rinse well; do not squeeze hard to avoid wrinkles.
8 Storage of Textiles
- Empty pockets and brush thoroughly to remove dust.
- Sun and air garments that have been worn before storing.
- Do not store dirty or damp clothes (moisture causes mildew and colour change).
- Protect from insects with tobacco, dried neem leaves, camphor, moth balls, sandal-wood dust or dry eucalyptus leaves.
- Woollens can be packed in newspapers (moths dislike printer’s ink).
9 Dry Cleaning
Dirt is removed by solvent action and grease absorbents instead of water. Advantages: no shrinkage, no loss of shape or finish, colour remains unaffected.
Absorbents: French chalk, Fuller’s earth, moong powder, besan, talcum powder, magnesium carbonate.
Grease solvents: White petrol, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, methylated spirit.
Woollens mainly need “spot cleaning” because they do not get dirty quickly.
Key Processes & Flow Charts
Steps of Laundering
Complete sequence ensures long life and neat appearance of clothes.
Soap vs Syndet at a Glance
What You Have Learnt – Overview
Golden Rules & Exam Tips
1 Never Soak These
Coloured clothes (colour runs) and woolens (felting). Also never soak silk (loses strength when wet).
2 Protein Stains = Cold Water First
Blood, egg, meat – always start with cold water. Hot water coagulates the protein and makes the stain permanent.
3 Woolens – Draw Outline
Before washing, place the garment on paper and draw its outline. After washing, reshape it to the original outline while drying flat.
4 Safe Bleach for Animal Fibres
Hydrogen peroxide is the universal safe bleach for both vegetable and animal fibres (silk, wool, rayon). Store it in dark bottles.
5 Ironing Temperatures
Cotton & silk → hot iron; Synthetics & rayon → moderately hot; Wool → hot iron over damp muslin. Never use hot iron on nylon (it melts).
6 Storage Golden Rule
Never store damp clothes – mildew will form and colour will change. Always sun & air worn garments before packing.
Practice Quiz
Concept Flashcards
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