Acid wash
Also known as: Acid wash, Snow wash, Moon wash
Wash in which pumice stones soaked in potassium permanganate are tumbled with denim — produces sharp contrast between white marbling and dark blue areas.
Description
Acid wash — despite the name not an acid process but an oxidation wash — was developed in Italy in the late 1970s and was a global fashion trend from 1986 to 1990 with punk, hard rock and metal bands. The process: pumice stones are soaked in potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution and then tumbled dry or with minimal water with the jeans in a drum washer.
Where the stones touch the jeans, permanganate locally oxidises the indigo to a colourless product — creating the typical sharp white patches and marbling ("snow wash", "moon wash") in contrast to untouched dark blue areas. Then anti-chlorine bath for neutralisation and several rinses follow.
Acid wash fell out of fashion in the mid-1990s but has seen periodic revivals since the late 2000s among teenagers and is now again part of the Y2K and grunge retro trend. Environmental problems remain the manganese residues in wastewater and the short lifespan of the heavily oxidised fibres.
Properties
| Chemistry | Potassium permanganate on pumice stones |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White patches and marbling |
| Application | Denim, Y2K fashion, retro jeans |
| Environmental profile | Manganese residues, aggressive on fibre |
Related product categories
Sources & references
1- Wikipedia: Stone washing Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_washing
