Softening finishing: refers to the process of making up for this defect and making the fabric feel soft when the textile is treated by various chemical agents and subjected to mechanical tension during dyeing and finishing.

There are mechanical and chemical methods for softening and finishing.

Mechanical softening finishing mainly uses mechanical methods to knead and bend the fabric several times under tension, so as to reduce the rigidity of the fabric and restore it to an appropriate softness.

The chemical method is to use the softening agent to reduce the friction coefficient between fibers to obtain the softening effect. Chemical methods are commonly used, sometimes supplemented by mechanical methods. Usually, the fabric is soaked in the softener solution for a certain time, then de-liquid and dry. Sometimes softeners can also be used together with other finishing agents. Some softeners can produce washable finish after baking.

Softeners are divided into anionic, cationic, amphoteric and nonionic types according to ionic types. Some softeners have long hydrocarbon chains, and the finished products feel soft and plump. Some softeners are silicone polymers, and the finished products feel smooth. Sometimes they are mixed to make the finished product feel plump and smooth. Anionic softener is mainly used for cellulose fiber products. The treated fabric has good water absorption and sewing performance, but its softening effect is worse than that of cationic treatment. Cationic softener is suitable for all kinds of fibers and has the best effect for acrylic products. The treated fabric is soft and smooth, but it will reduce the light fastness of some dyes. Amphoteric softener can be used in a large pH range, but the softening effect is low. Non-ionic softener has good compatibility with other preparations and is used for the same bath treatment with resin.

There is no unified test method for the softness of textiles, which is mainly based on the hand feeling.