Wearing dry and wet cloth and disposable diaper materials has certain effects on the degree of skin wetness. These, in turn, affect the coefficient of skin friction, the skin's susceptibility to abrasion damage, its permeability, and its support of microbial growth. These effects were explored using an adult model wearing forearm patches. The adult model was validated by comparisons of skin wetness and friction values for infants and adults determined under similar conditions. Skin wetness was proportional to diaper wetness. With increased skin wetness, there were increased coefficients of friction and increased abrasion damage, skin permeability, and microbial growth. Cloth diaper material produced wetter skin than did disposable diaper material at equivalent loadings.

All‐cotton work trousers finished with two pad‐vapor‐set processes, a conventional pad‐dry‐cure, and a proprietary pad‐dry‐cure durable press treatment were exposed to wear and/or laundering and evaluated at intervals with regard to different performance characteristics. Thirty men em ployed in maintenance positions at Texas Woman's University served as the wear panel for 20 wear‐laundering periods. The results of the study showed that, generally, the pad‐vapor‐set pro cesses were evaluated as being the most desirable finishes for work trousers. Trousers thus finished were acceptable to the men who wore them as far as appearance and durability were concerned. Although the conventional pad‐dry‐cure and the proprietary finishes excelled in appearance, the short wear‐life of the trousers finished by these methods made them inappropriate for such end use.