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MOISTURE STUDIES IN THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT
Author(s) -
LAKE BARBARA,
HUGHES JANE LLOYD
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of consumer studies and home economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.775
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1470-6431
pISSN - 0309-3891
DOI - 10.1111/j.1470-6431.1980.tb00362.x
Subject(s) - dryness , wool , textile , environmental science , moisture , humidity , water content , pulp and paper industry , toxicology , materials science , medicine , composite material , meteorology , engineering , geography , biology , surgery , geotechnical engineering
In an attempt to ascertain the measure of agreement as to what constitutes dryness in textile goods following laundering and during domestic storage, a series of trials were carried out employing a large sample of testers. Each was asked to register a decision, whether damp or dry, for articles in wool, cotton and poly‐cotton (67% polyester, 33% cotton). These articles were of known moisture contents, measured as percentage moisture regains, following exposure to controlled atmospheres ranging between 0 r.h. and 95% r.h. Considerable variations in dampness perception were recorded between individual testers and results differed with the fibre content; poly‐cotton presented the most difficulties. Nevertheless it was possible to discern for each textile, a moisture content band below which goods could be declared acceptably dry. Implications for the indoor drying and storage of laundered articles were reviewed. Dryness acceptable to the majority (90% of the sample) could be achieved within a normal indoor atmosphere (50% r.h., 20°C) for poly‐cotton but not for wool or cotton. For these, a reduced humidity or an elevated temperature would be required, necessitating the expenditure of energy such as is commonly available in the domestic airing cupboard. Results were applied to a psychometric chart to make recommendations for effective temperatures within such cupboards.