| Denim is the most preferred clothing of today's youth. | | | | indigo dyed denim. |
| Various items of denim like pants, shirts, skirts, jackets, | | | | The production of stonewashed jeans has increased. |
| belts and caps etc. are available in the market. To give | | | | Variations in finishes can be achieved by |
| distressed denim look many types of washing is done | | | | bio-stonewashing. Better fading of jeans could be |
| to denim fabric. | | | | achieved without causing harm to the fabric. |
| Pumice stone usage in stonewash | | | | In cellulase enzymatic wash, the denim is given an |
| One of such washing is known as Stonewash. In | | | | enzyme bath. Here certain amount of indigo dye and |
| stonewashing the worn out look is given purposely. | | | | cellulose fibers are removed from the surface of the |
| The fabric is washed along with pumice stones. | | | | fabric. As enzymes are like yeast in nature, they eat |
| The stones and denim are spinned together in the | | | | the cellulose present in denims. When the jeans get |
| large industrial washing machines. The longer they are | | | | the preferred color, enzymatic reaction is stopped by |
| spinned together the color of the fabric would get | | | | changing the alkalinity of the bath or else the water is |
| lighter with better contrasts. The time duration of this | | | | heated. Thereafter the fabric undergoes rinsing and |
| procedure is set beforehand so as to avoid the tear | | | | softening process. The number of rinsing process after |
| and wear of the fabric. Thereafter the fabric | | | | enzymes treatment is less than pumice stonewashing. |
| undergoes various other processes of rinsing, | | | | There is reduced amount of waste produced and |
| softening and finally tumbles drying. These | | | | overall costs for stonewashing is also less. |
| stonewashed fabrics are used different uses like- | | | | Disadvantages of cellulase treatment |
| garments making as well as for upholstery purpose. | | | | There are certain disadvantages of cellulase |
| Disadvantages of pumice stone usage | | | | treatment. It could leave marks of backstaining like blue |
| Stonewashing the denim with pumice stones has | | | | threads becoming more blue or white threads |
| some disadvantages. For instance stones could cause | | | | becoming blue. To get rid of such unwanted |
| wear and tear of the fabric, also it creates the | | | | re-coloration of threads, the jeans are rigorously |
| problem of environmental disposition of waste of the | | | | washed adding surfactants to it. This process could |
| grit produced by the stones. High labor costs are to be | | | | result to color-fading of jeans and there is added |
| beared as the pumice stones and its dust particles | | | | usage of water for the washing. Thus wastage of |
| produced are to be physically removed from the | | | | water and certain amount of backstaining could be |
| pockets of the garments and machines by the labors. | | | | experienced. |
| Denim is required to be washed several times in order | | | | The primary target of stonewashing the denim with |
| to completely get rid of the stones. The process of | | | | pumice stones or enzymes is to provide the garment |
| stonewashing also harms the big expensive laundry | | | | worn out, old and aged look. Sometimes both stones |
| machines. | | | | and enzymes are used for the purpose. |
| Alternate methods for stonewashing | | | | Latest process of stonewash - Perlite |
| To minimize such drawbacks, stonewashing of denim | | | | A new process of stonewashing has been introduced |
| is carried out with the aid of enzymes. The method of | | | | found by series of laboratory testings- Perlite. |
| giving the denim a stonewash look by use of enzymes | | | | Perlite is the form of naturally occurring silicon rock. It |
| like cellulase is known as- 'Enzymatic Stonewashing'. | | | | has the distinctive property of expanding to 4 to 20 |
| Here cellulases are used to provide that distressed | | | | times its initial volume when heated at a particular |
| worn out look to the denim fabric. | | | | temperature. This happens because the raw perlite |
| Cellulase Method | | | | rock consists of 2-6% of water content in it. The |
| Cellulase is environment friendly in comparison to | | | | crude perlite rock when heated at the temperature |
| pumice stones. It reduces the percentage of damage | | | | above 870 C it gets swollen up and tiny glass sealed |
| caused to denim caused on it by tough effect of | | | | bubbles are formed. Its original color which is black or |
| stones on them. As there is huge demand of | | | | gray changes to grayish white else white. This heated |
| garments with distressed jeans look, stonewashing | | | | form of perlite is used for stonewash purpose. |
| with enzymes is being used increasingly. It is also | | | | It does the same function of stonewashing as stones. |
| known as bio-stonewashing. Enzymatic treatment has | | | | Perlite treatment reduces the rate of harm caused to |
| become another substitute for kilograms of stones, | | | | large washing machines by pumice stones and gives |
| also the jeans stonewashed by this method has more | | | | the denim better supple and softer finish. Many jeans |
| longetivity. It ensures the same result with minimum | | | | manufacturing companies instead of enzymatic |
| amount of water, waste, time, volume and damage to | | | | treatment use perlite, it reduces the rate of wearing |
| machines. | | | | out of jeans when used. It gives throughout uniform |
| As jeans are made up of cellulosic fibers, the use of | | | | worn out and old look to the denim and not just the |
| cellulase enzyme is successful in giving the stonewash | | | | upper part of the garment. There are many grades of |
| look. This enzyme breaks down the surface cellulose | | | | perlite which differ in size are used for giving the |
| fibers and removes them without causing harm to the | | | | stonewash finish to denim right from largest to finest |
| jeans. Better finishing and look is achieved even with | | | | grades, some are very tiny just like grounded earth. |