Special Purpose Washing Agents
These two products solve a compliance problem rather than a quality one. The fabric can look perfect; if the test report shows phenol ethoxylate or free formaldehyde over the limit, the lot cannot ship. The wash is built to take that residue off the cloth.
Where does phenol ethoxylate residue come from?
Alkylphenol ethoxylates served for years as wetting agents, emulsifiers and detergents. They are now restricted under the substance lists of the major buying brands and are looked for at every link of the supply chain.
Even when a dyehouse has taken the group out of its own recipes, residue can arrive by other routes: preparation chemistry on imported greige, a print step done by a subcontractor, carry-over on a shared machine, sometimes packaging and transport.
DK WASH FREE is used to lift that residue off the fibre surface into the bath so it can be rinsed away. Residue level and bath conditions are set against the test result: pending from the client.
Where does free formaldehyde come from?
On fabric it usually traces back to one of three sources: resins used in easy-care finishing, certain fixing agents, and binders in pigment printing. When cross-linking is incomplete, or hydrolysis occurs in storage, free formaldehyde rises to a measurable level.
DK WASH FAF is used in the wash step that removes free formaldehyde from the cloth. There is an important limit here: the wash removes what is already free, it does not change the chemistry of the resin. If the resin keeps releasing over time, the real fix belongs in the finishing recipe.
Where does the wash sit in the sequence?
Both products are applied to finished or semi-finished fabric in a dedicated wash bath. The usual order is: measure the residue, wash, rinse, measure again.
The second measurement is not optional. Compliance work closes with a documented result, not with the fact that a treatment was run. Finished cloth complicates matters: the wash also strips part of the softener, the handle can change, and the finish may have to be reapplied.
Which limits apply?
The limits are set by the buying brand's restricted substance list and by national regulation, not by Derin Kimya. Two customers can hold two different limits for the same fabric. The target value is therefore taken per order and put in writing before any product is chosen.
Product comparison
Comparison
| Product | Target residue | Process stage | Dosage | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK WASH FREE | Phenol ethoxylate | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
| DK WASH FAF | Free formaldehyde | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data | awaiting data |
Products
- DK WASH FAF
Washing agent for free formaldehyde, taking the residue carried over from finishing or printing off the cloth.
- DK WASH FREE
Washing agent for phenol ethoxylate residue, bringing a lot that failed its test report back within limits.
Common questions
Does the wash bring the residue to zero?
Zero is not a test result; the aim is to fall below the reporting limit. How far the wash takes it depends on the starting level, how deep the residue sits in the fibre and the bath conditions. The second measurement settles it.
Does a formaldehyde wash damage the finish?
It can affect it. The bath also removes part of the softener and finish film, and the handle may stiffen. On finished cloth, run a sample trial before treating the lot.
Do these products themselves contain restricted substances?
Composition and compliance statements come from the safety data sheet and technical bulletin: pending from the client.
Other families in this category
Guides on these products
Not finding what you need?
We develop custom formulations. Tell us your process, machine type and the result you are after, and the lab will set up a trial and send a sample.