Biowash
Treatment — one of 37 in the glossary
An enzyme treatment, also called bio-polishing, in which cellulase enzymes break down the short fibre ends standing off the surface of a cotton fabric so they can be washed away. The result is a cleaner, smoother face with markedly better pill resistance — bought at the cost of some fabric strength, since the enzymes remove material rather than rearranging it.
Enzymes instead of abrasion
Cellulase enzymes digest cellulose. Applied under controlled conditions they attack the exposed fibre ends on the fabric surface — the fuzz — faster than the body of the yarn.
Washing then carries the loosened ends away, leaving a smoother, cleaner face and a slightly crisper colour, since there is less stray fibre scattering light.
It achieves something like what sueding or brushing changes mechanically, but in the opposite direction: sueding raises fuzz, bio-polishing removes it.
Better pilling, weaker fabric
Pills form from loose surface fibres. Take those away and the fabric pills markedly less, which is the main commercial reason to do it.
But the enzymes are removing material, so the fabric loses some tensile and bursting strength. An over-processed bio-wash leaves a cloth that feels wonderful and tears easily.
It is a process with a window, and the difference between a good bio-wash and a damaging one is control rather than recipe.
Why it is done before dyeing
The treatment runs hot and acidic, and that combination shifts colour unpredictably.
Doing it before dyeing sidesteps the problem entirely, which is why bio-polishing is normally a fabric-stage process rather than a garment-stage one.
Where it is done on a finished garment, expect some colour change as part of the effect.
Common questions
- What is biowash fabric?
- Fabric treated with cellulase enzymes that digest the short fibre ends on its surface so they can be washed away, leaving a smoother face with better pill resistance.
- Is biowash the same as enzyme wash?
- Broadly, yes — bio-polishing and enzyme washing describe the same family of treatment. Enzyme wash is more often used where the goal is a softened, faded look rather than a cleaner surface.
- Does biowash weaken fabric?
- Somewhat. The enzymes remove material rather than rearranging it, so tensile and bursting strength drop. Over-processing leaves a fabric that feels excellent and tears easily.
See also
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