Stain protection in textiles and apparel: preserving aesthetics, durability, functionality and sustainability

摘要

The main objective of stain protection in apparel is to preserve the aesthetics, durability and functionality of a garment by preventing liquids and particulate matter from attaching to the fabric from which the garment is made. Moreover, stain protection is essential in applications such as medical apparel and industrial workwear where it is important to prevent spills from penetrating a garment and reaching the wearer if those spills have the potential to cause harm. More recently, stain protection has become a highly desirable feature for everyday apparel because it minimises the need to launder and dry clean garments—thereby saving time for the user as well as conserving energy and water and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The most common method of imparting stain protection properties to a garment is to treat the fabric from which it is made with a hydrophobic material. This type of treatment is often combined with wrinkle resistance and anti-odour treatments so that clothes look fresh and stay in a wearable condition for longer.