aldehydes and glyoxals epoxides and oxiranes carbonates arylating agents imidoesters carbodiimides anhydrides such as maleic anhydride and halohydrins carboxylate reactive groups for reaction with wool e g include diazoalkanes and diazoacetyl compounds carbonyl diimidazole and carbodiimides hydroxyl reactive chemical reactions for e g wool and cotton include couplings with epoxides and oxiranes carbonyl diimidazole n n u2032 disuccinimidyl carbonate or n hydroxysuccinimidyl chloroformate alkyl halogens isocyanates and halohydrins oxidation with periodate and enzymatic oxidization examples of thiol reactive chemical reactions for wool for example include couplings with haloacetyl and alkyl halide derivatives maleimides aziridines acryloyl derivatives arylating agents and disulfide forming reactions mediated by exchange reagents such as pyridyl disulfides disulfide reductants and 5 thio 2 nitrobenzoic acid for example durable press resins useful in the present invention include isocyanates epoxides divinylsulfones aldehydes chlorohydrins n methylol compounds and polycarboxylic acids which compounds are known to those of skill in the art n methylol compounds have been used the most examples include dimethylol urea dimethylol ethylene urea trimethylol trazine dimethylol methyl carbamate uron triazone and dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea dmdheu additionally in the case of cotton any compound capable of forming a crosslink between two hydroxyl groups may be used as the resin component in a presently preferred embodiment the durable press softener preparation comprises i.