The most important chemical used in the wet finishing process is the water. For optimum results the water should be clean i.e. crystal clear, and be extremely soft. Ideally of zero hardness, but at least l have a Total Hardness factor of less than 20 ppm Although sequestering agents can assist, by far the best way is to soften the water, using a proprietary water softening plant.

Hard water can cause allsorts of problem, with the main one causing precipitation of oils, grease and even the detergent, with the net result that this precipitated matter is re-deposited on the garment, often causing discoloration and severely affecting the handle.

Most detergents used in the finishing of wool knitwear tend to be, readily water soluble and either anionic or non-ionic in their ionic nature. Many detergents especially formulated for the finishing of wool knitwear, are available today from leading textile auxiliary manufactures or suppliers.

To assist with removal of stubborn oil, inorganic salts such as Sodium Bicarbonate and Sodium Sulphate (Suggest 1 gram per litre of each), can be added along with the detergent.

At the last stage of the wet finishing operation, normally a softener is applied to enhance the hand feel of the wool garments. The most effective on wool tend to be Cationic in nature. Generally suitable cationic softeners for wool split into two types i.e. Non-silicone and Silicone types. As a generalisation non-Silicone softeners tend to give a slightly greasy but bulky handle, whilst silicone types tend to give a silkier, smooth but leaner feel. Ultimately the actual desired handle is dependant upon the customer, which is usually the retail buyer. However the amount of softener applied should be carefully controlled (normally up to 3 % product on the weight of material maximum), because the presence of excessive softener on wool knitwear can lead to inferior pilling performance.