DE1444038

Textiles consisting wholly of, or containing more than 50% by weight of, natural and/or regenerated cellulose fibres are creaseproofed by impregnating them with an aqueous solution containing at least one methylol compound of a cyclic alkylene urea and/or a cyclic hydroxyalkylene urea or an ether of such a methylol compound with a low monohydric alcohol having 1-5 carbon atoms, and a strong acid having a first dissociation constant of more than 10-3, drying them to a reduced moisture content of 4-30% by weight, leaving them in this condition for 1-30 hours at 50 DEG -10 DEG C. and then finishing by rinsing and drying. The cyclic alkylene urea may be ethylene urea, propylene urea, dihydroxyethylene urea, hydroxypropylene urea or acetylene diurea or the ethers thereof with methanol, ethanol or propanol, and the strong acid may be hydrochloric, sulphuric, nitric or oxalic acid. The aqueous solution may contain 6-25% by weight of the methylol compounds or their ethers. The methylol compound or ether thereof may be replaced by up to a maximum of 50% by weight by a nitrogen-free formaldehyde reaction product with a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol having up to four carbon atoms preferably with ethylene glycol. The treating solution may also contain hexamethylol melamine resin, etherified with methyl alcohol. After impregnation the textiles may be left rolled at 10 DEG -30 DEG C. for 4-30 hours or for 1-8 hours at 30 DEG -50 DEG C. and then rinsed preferably with the addition of a weakly alkaline substance to the rinsing bath and dried. Fabrics comprising cotton or viscose rayon fibres alone or in admixture with polyester fibres may be treated.