Your wrinkle releaser works because a fiber relaxer a.k.a. “wetting agent” is used to lower the surface tension of the liquid. This upgraded liquid then better covers your fabric when sprayed and aides in the reduction of wrinkles by penetrating and spreading evenly and thinly for fast drying.
What is a Fiber Relaxer?
A
fiber relaxer is a wetting agent (a type of surfactant) that lowers the surface tension of water. By lowering the surface tension of water, your
wrinkle releaser liquid covers considerably more fabric versus using plain water with normal properties. By covering more of the fabric’s fibers, the liquid has a greater ability to naturally reduce wrinkles. By making the fabric fibers more pliable, gravity will help pull out the wrinkles and reset the shape of the fiber to its natural state.
What is a Wetting Agent Then?
As mentioned above, wetting agents are surfactants that lower the surface tension of water. We like to joke here at Natural Citizen that wetting agents “make water wetter” because wetting agents increase dispersal and penetrating properties of water. Hence the name “fiber relaxer” because the liquid better covers and penetrates the fibers resulting in better behaved fabric. Think of a water molecule as having a shell. The wetting agent lowers the tension of that shell, making the molecule less rigid.
Okay, So What is a Surfactant Then?
Surfactants do a variety of things other than perform as a fiber relaxer in wrinkle releaser. There are emulsifiers, wetting agents, and foaming agents.
Emulsifiers mix two or more substances together that normally wouldn’t mix. A great example of an emulsifier is xanthan gum. This ingredient is often used in salad dressings to mix water and oil.
Wetting agents, again, help make liquids easier to disperse and increase the penetrating properties. One common use is in gardening products. Soil naturally has some water repellent properties so wetting agents in gardening products can help water penetrate soil and improve plant hydration.
Foaming agents are another common surfactant. Foaming agents are very popular right now in hand soaps. Those nice hand soaps that foam up and when they are pumped out of the dispenser are doing this with the help of foaming agent surfactants. Who wants plain old slimy hand soap when you can have a nice foamy soap that cleans better and feels smooth and foamy?
About Our Fiber Relaxers
The wetting agents in our wrinkle releaser formulation is made from plant-based ingredients. With the aid of an emulsifier, our wetting agent helps Cold Iron Wrinkle Release Spray by Natural Citizen, penetrate deep and evenly into fabrics and knock out those wrinkles. Try some today!
