Finishing Treatment Effects on Thermal Comfort Properties of Three-Yarn Fleece Fabrics

Clothing comfort, especially for next-to-skin garments, is an important characteristic. It includes three main considerations: psychological, sensorial, and physiological comfort. Thermo-physiological (thermal) comfort is the subject of this research. It depends on thermal resistance, thermal absorptivity, and water vapor and air permeability parameters. The effects of some finishing treatments (e.g., bleaching, napping, and shearing after napping) and laundering on the thermo-physiological comfort properties of three-yarn fleece fabrics were investigated. Results indicate that bleaching and napping affected thermal comfort properties significantly. However, shearing had no significant effect on comfort parameters except for warm-cool feeling. Repeated laundering tests showed that only thermal absorptivity values were changed, with fabrics giving cooler feelings after each laundering cycle.