Effects of soaps and detergents on bending length of cotton fabric

Bending length of cotton laundered with two soaps and two detergents was tested. Two soaps and two detergents were selected out of four soaps and nine detergents according to the maximum usage by the hundred rural housewives of four villages namely Matana, Aryanagar, Bhaeria and Kaimri of Hisar district of Haryana state. Cotton fabric dyed in red direct dye was laundered for thirty times and fifty times with selected soaps and detergents maintaining the standard conditions. Tests for fabric count, thickness, bending length, flexural rigidity and bending modulus were carried out before and after progressive launderings. Results of the tests were reported statistically significant at 5% level. Fabric count (S1 = 4950; S2 = 4806; Dl = 5098; D2 = 4950) and thickness (S1 = 0.339 mm; S2 = 0.341 mm; Dl = 0.330 mm; D2 = 0.330 mm) of the samples laundered for thirty times was found to be maximum, which get reduced significantly after fifty launderings followed by control samples. Control samples had maximum bending length (warp: 0.57 cm; weft: 0.50 cm), flexural rigidity (warp: 2.45 mg.cm; weft: 1.68 mg.cm) and bending modulus (warp: 0.00108; weft: 0.00074) in both warp and weft directions followed by samples laundered for thirty times and fifty times.