Deformation Recovery and Dimensional Stability Properties of Fabrics in a Clothing Care Machine

In this study, the recovery behavior of fabrics in a clothing care machine was examined, including wrinkle and extension recovery and deformation. In addition, the impacts of the heat, humidity, and treatment conditions of the clothing care machine on the fabric properties were analyzed. Cotton and lyocell showed more than 10% recovery when they were treated in the clothing care machine. However, in the cases of polyester and wool, such recovery was not observed, possibly owing to high initial recovery ratios of these fabrics. In addition, further attention was required for wool owing to the occurrence of felting shrinkage. This study is meaningful in that it is the first to investigate the mechanisms of deformation and recovery of clothing in a clothing care machine according to the fabric properties.