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Stone Washed Jeans
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The Modern Stone Washed Jeans,
the Biostoneing Technique.
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At first Stone washing
involved using pea gravel but pumice was discovered to float around with the jeans instead of lying in the bottom of
the water so manufacturers have switched. Turkish stone is commonly used for their porosity and cleanliness.
There is beautiful pumice from Sicily but the supply is limited. Most of us are familiar with "stone washed"
jeans. As the name implies, freshly dyed jeans are loaded into large washing machines and tumbled with
stones. Adding pumice stones gives the additional effect of a faded or worn look. The pumice abrades the
surface of the jeans like sandpaper, removing some dye particles from the surfaces of the yarn. Pumice has
been used since the introduction of stone washed jeans in the early 1980s. However, stone washing with
pumice has some severe drawbacks. The quality of the abrasion process is difficult to control: Too little
will not give the desired look. Too much can damage the fabric, particularly at the hems and waistbands.
The outcome of a load of jeans is never uniform, with a significant percentage always getting ruined by
too much abrasion. The process is also non-selective. Everything in the washing machines gets abraded,
including the metal buttons and rivets on the jeans as well as the drum of the washing machine. This
substantially reduces the quality of the products and the life of the equipment, and increases production costs.
| A better, more modern stone washing process |
>> Today
A technique known as "biostoning" was introduced in Europe in 1989 and then quickly adopted in the
US the following year. Biostoning relies on the action of enzymes to modify the fabric
surface. Enzymes have been used in the textiles industry since the turn of the century to remove
starchy and waxy residues from raw materials and to give fabric a uniform finish. In the early days, one problem
with biostoning was "back staining." Back staining happens when loosened dye particles redeposit onto the back surface of the fabric, causing
discoloration. A reddening of the dyes sometimes occurred too. But maintaining the pH of the wash load
has successfully controlled both problems. Today, biostoning can achieve the same effect as
traditional stone washing, but without the damaging abrasion of the fabric and equipment. Biostoning is by
far the most economical and environmentally friendly way to treat denim.
- Waste, pollution, quality variability, and imperfections are all reduced. And unlike pumice or acid, which get used up during the wash, enzymes can be recycled.
- A small dose of enzymes can replace several dozen pounds of pumice stones. So productivity can be increased by 30-50% because the room formerly taken up by the pumice stones in the washing machines can now be filled with more jeans.
- And there is no need for the time-consuming and expensive task of removing stone fragments from the jeans once the wash is done.
- There is also no pumice dust to endanger employee health or gritty sediment to clog drains.
Does this all sound too good to be true? Well believe it! Nearly all jeans made today are finished by
biostoning. So next time you sit down in your favorite pair of jeans to enjoy surfing the web, just remember: Even
though the label says stone washed, stones aren't really used at all. Instead, when you see "stone washed,"
think of those industrious little enzymes made possible through the wonders of modern biology.
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| Stone washed jeans for the good life |
A pair of stone washed jeans can
give you a leg up on style.
Look for the latest trends and colors of this jean style. |
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| Our resource for Stone Washed Jeans |
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So finally, you'll discover relaxation by wearing something that you enjoy most.
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