Pre-shrunk against felting
Also known as: Shrink resistant
Finish that significantly reduces shrinkage and felting of wool during washing.
Description
Pre-shrunk against felting mainly refers to wool fabrics protected against shrinkage and felting through an anti-felt finish (historically the chlorine-Hercosett process). The scales of the wool fibre are removed by chlorine oxidation and coated with a thin polyamide resin (Hercosett) so that the scale-interlocking responsible for felting can no longer engage.
Modern, more environmentally friendly alternatives are ozone or plasma treatments and enzyme-based processes that avoid AOX-loaded wastewater. The result is a machine-washable wool at 30-40 degrees with very low residual shrinkage. Such wools often carry the Woolmark Blend or Machine Wash label.
On cotton the term is largely synonymous with pre-shrunk; there the mechanical pre-shrinkage step matters. The term shows up on labels of older collections and guarantees the wearer that the stated garment size is retained through several washes. It can significantly reduce laundry complaints.
Properties
| Process | Chlorine-Hercosett, ozone, plasma or enzymes |
|---|---|
| Result | Machine washable 30-40 °C, no felting |
| Colour fastness | Unchanged and high |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Woolmark Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolmark
- IWTO - Wool Machine Wash iwto.org https://iwto.org/
