Introduction to the development of fabric softening agents

Introduction to the development of fabric softening agents

Fabric softening agents are liquid compositions added to the washing machine during the rinsing process to make clothes feel better. The working principle of these products is to deposit lubricating chemicals on the fabric to make the fabric feel softer, reduce static adhesion, and give a fresh fragrance.

The earliest fabric softening agents was developed by the textile industry in the early twentieth century. At the time, the process used to dye cotton fibers made them feel very rough. In the early 1900s, a preparation called cotton softener was developed to improve the feel of these fibers after dyeing.

A typical cotton softener consists of seven parts water, three parts soap, and one part olive oil, corn or tallow oil. With the advancement of organic chemistry, new compounds can soften fabrics more effectively. These improved formulas soon entered the commercial market.