Untreated knit and woven woolen fabrics, soaked in a constant-temperature bath at 40°C up to 10 days in the presence of a detergent and an enzyme preparation used in home laundry formulations, were weakened. The loss in strength is related to soaking time and enzyme concentration and is accompanied by a loss in weight. In the case of knits, a semi- logarithmic plot of strength loss against soaking time is biphasic. In the case of woven fabrics, loss in strength is a nearly linear function of soaking time. These results suggest that repeated use of enzyme-containing detergents for soaking and washing wool fabrics and garments may be damaging.
