Dry Cleaning FAQ's

 

Drycleaning

Drycleaning is the use of solvents to remove soil and stains from fabric. It is called "drycleaning" because the solvents contain little or no water and do not penetrate the fibers as water does. Drycleaning solvent is not harmful to any fabric, and drycleaning is the only safe method for cleaning many types of garments.

Natural fibers such as wools and silks will shrink and perhaps loose their color whom washed in water, but will dryclean beautifully. Cottons and linens, unless they are preshrunk in manufacture, will also shrink in home laundering. Drycleaning is particularly effective in removing greasy, oily stains from synthetic fibers, which have an affinity for oils.

But the professional drycleaner provides more than just drycleaning. This service also includes professional removal of problem stains that will not come out with simple drycleaning. It also includes professional pressing, careful packaging, and inspection at every step along the way to make sure that all stains have been attended to and the item has been properly pressed and finished.

Drycleaning can extend the life of your wardrobe, and your knowledge about drycleaning can bring you more value for your clothing dollar. Drycleaning does NOT reduce the life of your clothing.

 

Selecting Clothing

Buying new clothes is often an exciting event, related to special events, holidays, and great expectations. But it is also the time to think about the serviceability and cleaning requirements of the garment.

 

Care Labels

Before you buy, read the care label attached to the garment and any hang tag or care instructions on garment packaging, The Federal Trade Commission requires apparel manufacturers to attach permanent labels to garments supplying instructions for drycleaning or laundering. Look for this label when you are considering a purchase. The care necessary to keep a garment clean and attractive may be important in deciding whether to buy it in the first place.

 

Fabrics

Great technological advances have been made in both the improvement of natural fibers and the creation and development of synthetic fibers. Special finishes impart body, permanent press qualities, water repellency, and other qualities to fabrics. Fibers are blended to obtain fabrics with the best qualities of both natural and synthetic materials. But there is much you should know about the peculiarities of various fabrics and constructions.

- Many beautiful fibers may lack durability and should be purchased only with this understanding. These include cashmere, camel's hair, and mohair. Angora, another luxury fiber, can shrink excessively even with the most careful care in cleaning.

- Lightweight and loosely woven wools, gauzes, and loosely knit sweaters have a tendency to snag easily or become distorted in wear and cleaning.

- Suede and smooth leathers have a high incidence of color difficulties. Genuine suede and leather items require special processing to preserve their finish, feel, and color. These garments should only be handled by cleaners equipped for this specialized job.

- Imitation suede and leather may become stiff or peel in drycleaning. These items are often accepted for cleaning only at owners risk.

- Suede-like materials and other materials with a flocked finish may develop bare spots in wear and cleaning. The life expectancy for these garments is generally rather short.

- Many tailored garments contain interfacings in the collar and lapel that are fused rather than stitched to the shell fabric. In some cases, blisters and wrinkles develop when these items are drycleaned. This is the fault of the manufacturer.

- Some poorly constructed bonded fabrics may separate from the face fabric or lining, or there may be shrinkage, puckering, stiffening, or adhesive staining.

- Acrylic knits are inclined to stretch when wet or when exposed to steam in finishing after drycleaning.

- Some dyes and pigment prints may fade in drycleaning solvents. Others are water soluble and may fade when exposed to water in spot removal.

 

Color

It is impossible to determine simply by looking at the fabric whether the color will withstand exposure to sunlight, water, drycleaning solvent, or various spot removal agents or chemicals. Reading labels and tags may give you some information. Some blue jeans and other denim items are labeled "guaranteed to fade," for or example.

Colors are applied either as dyes, which are absorbed into the fibers, or as pigments, which adhere to the fabric surface. Usually both are reasonably colorfast. Some colors however, are totally unserviceable, not fast in either water or drycleaning solvent. And some colors "crock," or rub off on the skin or other fabrics.

Some dyes are called 'fugitive" dyes, because they will run, rub off, or bleed onto other fabrics. Pigment prints and metallic prints are held to the fabric with an adhesive, and may wear off over time, from wear as well as cleaning.

Some dyes fade on exposure to strong light, especially sunlight, but sometimes strong artificial light as well. Some dyes change color on exposure to combustion gases present in the air, This is called "fume fading," and is especially common in acetate fabrics,

 

Decorative Trims

In addition to fabric and color, you must also be concerned with how buttons, beads, sequins, and other decorations and fasteners will hold up to drycleaning.

Most troublesome in this respect are buttons and beads made of polystyrene, which softens or melts on exposure to drycleaning solvent.

Beads and sequins may be covered with a thin coating of color, which may come off during wear or cleaning. Beads or sequins may be merely glued on and come off during wear or in cleaning. Trim that is sown on with a single continuous thread may all come off if the thread is broken. Belts or other items that contain cardboard stiffeners or glues will require special attention.

According Federal Trade Commission care label rule, trims must be able to withstand the recommended care process, so if you do have a problem, you should return the article to the retailer.

 

Care In Use

Who has not had the experience of spilling something on a garment on its first wearing, fresh from the cleaners? It seems wasteful at such times to send an entire garment back to be cleaned again simply to remove one little spot. But spot removal at home should be undertaken only with great care. Improper use of water or chemicals in removing spots at home sometimes sets the stains or damages the color, water can loosen soil or sizing and simply displace it, causing a "ring" that looks worse than the original stain.

The resurgence of natural fibers such as silk and wool make it even more difficult to remove stains safely at home. Silk should never be rubbed when wet. This causes fibers to break, resulting in a permanent light area. Wool is difficult because often the staining substance will be absorbed deep into the fibers.

 

Spillage

Spillage of food and beverages is probably the most common cause of spots on clothing. Many of these are combination stains containing oils, sugars, and other staining substances. These stains may take more than one procedure to remove completely. Stains from beverages containing sugar may seem to disappear, but will show up later when the sugar caramelizes in response to age or exposure to heat.

Another cause of accidental stains is the many ordinary chemicals found in your bathroom cabinet. These agents may also leave stains that aren't visible at first but become visible later. This phenomenon is particularly true with protein fibers such as silk and wool. Such stains need immediate attention.

Alcohol in perfumes and colognes can be damaging to silk, It is a good idea to use these products and let them dry before you get dressed.

Skin care preparations containing benzoyl peroxide also require special care in use. Benzoyl peroxide is a bleaching agent and can cause permanent areas of color loss on towels and clothing.

Be careful, also, in handling chlorine bleach. Bleach spillage can cause color lose and can weaken fabric to the extent that holes appear when an the garment is next washed or cleaned. Exposure to acids, such as in car batteries can also cause disintegration of fabrics.

Good first aid for stains is to blot up the staining substance at once. Don't rub a stain. This may make it penetrate further into the fibers and may damage the fabric surface. Consult a stain removal guide or call your drycleaner before attempting further action at home. And never return a stained garment to the closet. Spots and stains can set with age, and food spills attract insects, which can do permanent damage.

 

Getting the Most from drycleaning

If you have been alert at the time of purchase and careful while wearing your clothes, you can help your drycleaner to give you the very best service. Be sure to inform the cleaner of any spots or stains, especially if they are colorless spills. The cleaner will want to treat some stains before the drycleaning process.

Bring with you any hang tags that contain extra care instructions or fiber information. Acrylic knits, for example, are difficult to identify and are inclined to stretch with the heat of cleaning and finishing. So if you know what fibers the garment contains, tell the cleaner. Point out the presence of items containing glues plastics, or cardboard stiffeners. And point out any special trims you are concerned about.

Outfits its with several pieces and any accessories, such as belts, should all be cleaned at the same time to avoid any color discrepancies resulting from cleaning.

Knits that have shrunk can often be shaped back to size if you ask for this service. Sizing, which is applied during manufacture to give a garment body or shape, can be removed after one or more cleanings, as can water repellent and spot repellent finishes. These finishes can be re-applied if you ask your cleaner to do so. Your cleaner can also provide professional repairs and alterations, garment storage, and other clothes care services.

 

After Cleaning

You may not always be completely satisfied with the way your clothes come back from the cleaner, even if you have followed our suggestions. Look at your drycleaned clothes as soon as they are returned to you and point out any problems right away. Some problems may be curable, such as a spot that was missed or an inadequate pressing job. Some wools and synthetics may show pilling, the appearance of tiny balls on the fabric surface. Cleaning may increase their number, but sometimes your cleaner can remove them.

Although drycleaning does prolong their Iife, clothes, like people, eventually show their age, and some problems the cleaner can do nothing about.

Fluorescent brighteners, used by garment makers to make colors brighter or whites whiter, may become dull or yellowed with exposure to sunlight. This may not be apparent until a good cleaning job removes surface soil that may have masked the condition,

Insects often finish their meal leaving the skeleton of the fabric intact. The weakened fibers are flushed away in cleaning and the garment comes back full of holes- Chemical damage sustained in use may also not be obvious until after cleaning.

If you feel that damage to your garments was caused through no fault of your own, read the following section carefully.

 

Liability

If clothing comes back damaged from the drycleaner the drycleaner is often blamed as the last to handle the garment. But the responsibility may lie with the manufacturer or retailer, or with you - the consumer,

As mentioned before, care information must be permanently attached to all garments. If this information is not present and the garment is damaged as a result, or if care instructions are followed and the garment or some component part fails, the responsibility is with the manufacturer. Your best recourse is to go to the retailer who sold you the item. Good retail practice requires that a store exchange a defective item or refund the price.

If the information was available to you but you did not follow it, for example washing a garment that should have been drycleaned, then you are at fault.

If your drycleaner fails to follow care instructions or did not exercise reasonable care, then the cleaner is at fault.

Some stains simply can't be removed by any known method, and while no one is to blame, there is no remedy. This is also true of the damaging effects of age on all fabrics.

if your drycleaner is to blame, you are entitled to recover the value of the garment's remaining life expectancy. According to the International Fair Claims Guide for Consumer Textile Products, published by the International Fabricare Institute, suits are expected to last 2 4 years, dresses 1 to 5 years, coats 4 years (fur coats 10 years), and dress shirts 2 years. The guide assigns such life expectancy ratings to all categories of textile products, and it provides tables by which to determine the worth of a product based on the unused portion of its life expectancy and its condition at the time it was lost or ruined. It is up to you to negotiate an adjustment with the cleaner.

If there is disagreement about the party responsible for the adverse condition, it is suggested that the item be sent to the Textile Analysis Laboratory at the International Fabricare Institute for testing and determination of the party responsible. Such items can be submitted by the member drycleaner, retailer, Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency, or textile affiliate. Items cannot be submitted directly by the consumer. Most cases are successfully settled, however, when the customer first returns the article to the cleaners.

 

 

Draperies

Draperies have a number of invisible enemies. The sun can fade and streak them. (Sometimes you will not notice this until the soil is removed.) Draperies are also affected by gases, fumes, and humidity. Open fireplaces, wood stoves, and smoking also contribute to the staining of draperies.

You can expect some shrinkage from laundering or cleaning unless the fabric has been totally preshrunk, Sometimes the drape shrinks more than the lining, causing a puckered effect.

A variety of draperies are combined with insulating backings or linings. In selecting these draperies, make sure you know the specific care procedure the manufacturer recommends. Some of these coatings react adversely in both drycleaning and washing.

The International Fabricare Institute recommends that glass fiber draperies be washed and air dried rather than drycleaned, to avoid color loss and chalky streaks. Care must be taken to subject them to as little abrasion as possible.

If you make your own draperies the following suggestions may be helpful.,

 

 

• Pick the right fabric for the job, For sunny locations, use fabrics that are resistant to deterioration from sunlight. Synthetics are more resistant than cellulose fibers, while silk is least resistant.

• Line all draperies for protection against fading and fiber rotting.

• If you are using cotton and rayon fabrics, allow for changes in length caused by atmospheric changes. These fibers tend to expand when the relative humidity is high and contract when it is low.

• Remember that synthetic fibers pick up dust due to static electricity and that cotton and rayon tend to yellow as they age.

 

 

Shirt Care FAQ's

Disappearing Pinstripes

Drycleaners and launderers all over the U.S. have, for the last seven years, witnessed the mysterious failure of the colored yarn in men's 100 percent cotton shirts. Close examination of the shirts, under a strong light, reveals that the colored yarns are missing, leaving a skeletal framework of the white yarns. This problem first surfaced in the early '80s when men's fashion changed to include bright-colored striped shirts. Reactive dyes are the only dyestuff which can be used to achieve these bright colors.

It was not until 1992, and after extensive interindustry effort-including the International Fabricare Institute, shirting manufacturers, and dye experts-that a remedy to the problem was found. It was identified that reactive dyes, for reasons still not completely understood, cannot withstand normal commercial laundering procedures. These shirts need a special rinse cycle when commercially laundered to avoid damage. Only now are the manufacturers recognizing the need to add these instructions to the care label. Launderers, in an attempt to satisfy consumers, can modify their wash formula. When these shirts are laundered in a special formula, which includes a "pH controlled" or "buffered" sour, the damage can be prevented.

IFI has informed their members that they should make this recommended modification to their wash formula. Commercial laundering is one of the best ways to give striped shirts that "professional crisp look." If the care label in your shirt does not state "Commercial Launder in a pH Controlled Sour" and many do not, request that your launderer do so. This will ensure that your shirts will be more serviceable and last longer.

 

Previous Damage

Current shirt failure problems are the result of a progressive weakening of the fiber from previously acceptable laundry procedures used by the laundry industry. Laundries are now using special wash formulas, which were not specified until mid-1992, to avoid future damage. However, some shirts will continue to show damage because of previous washings.

The manufacturer should accept responsibility for those failures, which are beyond the control of the launderer. Laundering with a buffered sour now does not necessarily relieve the shirt manufacturers of the responsibility of the fabric damage.

 

Holes and tears in Oxfords

Tiny holes can appear at random throughout an oxford shirt due to the weaving process. These should not be confused with damage from bleach. Oxford consists of two, thin warp yarns to every soft, thicker yarn in the filling direction. The unbalanced construction causes the thin yarns to break, leaving tiny holes. Manufacturers could use a higher twist in the yarn to retard the development of holes, but eventually any oxford weave will develop tiny pinholes.

In addition, tears in oxfords occur in the direction of the softly twisted, thicker yarns. All the yarns in an oxford receive the same care process, but the constant abrasion in wear causes the thin yarns to weaken and tear.

Most dress shirts are difficult to shrink. The manufacturer has already allowed for the normal two percent and progressive shrinkage requirements. This shrinkage is usually not enough to cause a complaint. Shrinkage beyond this is usually due to poorly stabilized materials.

 

Shrinkage

Shrinkage complaints can easily be resolved by measuring the collar and sleeve length. Measure the collar from the end of the buttonhole to the center of the button. Measure the sleeve length in a straight line from the center of the back of the collar at the seam to the end of the cuff. If these measurements correspond to the shirt size, it has not shrunk.

 

Wear Life expectancy

Determining how long a shirt should last is difficult due to the variances in frequency of wear. However, industry experience shows that, on average, shirts have a two year wear life expectancy. The number of launderings is a better measuring method. The average shirt should have a wear life of 35 to 50 washings. This will fluctuate depending on the amount of abrasion and strain placed on the shirt during wear, the fiber content, the type of fabric, and the laundering procedure.

 

Perspiration & Anti-perspirant damage

Perspiration, if allowed to stay in a shirt, will eventually stain and also weaken the fabric, allowing the weakened area to be removed during washing. Aluminum chlorides found in antiperspirants will also weaken the fibers under the arm. Controlled use of antiperspirants and frequent washings, immediately after wear may minimize this type of damage.

 

Interfacing Defects

What causes puckering and excess fabric in the shirt collar after laundering? This is caused by shrinkage of the interfacing (within the collar). If the shirt is laundered and the interfacing shrinks excessively, it will cause the puckering of the outer fabric. The manufacturer must select an interfacing which is compatible with the shirt fabric.

What causes the collar and cuff to have a mottled gray or shiny look in specific areas? This occurs when excess adhesive is used to fuse the collar or cuff fabric and the interfacing. This excess adhesive softens in pressing and penetrates the outer fabric of the collar and cuffs. This can be prevented by the correct selection of an adhesive that is compatible to commercial laundering.

Why does yellowing occur? Because some interfacings on shirts react adversely with chlorine, laundries often use other oxygen-type bleaches which do not react with chlorine retentive resins. If chlorine bleach is used on this type of fabric, yellowing could occur.

 

Buttons

Buttons may crack during pressing even though the press padding is in excellent condition and the procedures used are correct. The reason for this is that there is an inherent problem in the button or the way the button was applied to the shirt. The majority of shirt buttons are made from a polyester resin. The strength of the button depends on the amount of polyester in the resin; some imported buttons contain less polyester.

Off-quality buttons are graded because they do not meet the requirements in one or all of the following criteria: color, visual inclusions, chips or cracks, and uniformity of size. Some manufacturers use less expensive, off-quality buttons to save money, but this sometimes results in higher than average breakage.

 

Fugitive Dyes

• The Care Label Rule states that the color in a garment must withstand the recommended care procedure. If the dyes in a multicolored shirt are not colorfast to water, bleeding will occur. The dye will migrate into adjacent areas during the washing process. This migration of the dye into the surrounding areas is not acceptable unless the fabric is a madras (plaid or stripe that is guaranteed to bleed).
  
  Some dyes dissolve in water and are partially removed during laundering. After the first laundering, the lightening of color may be apparent, or it may be progressive and only noticeable after several care procedures.

• Household products like medicinal agents, strong acids, and acid residue of some food-stuffs and beverages, or liquid chlorine bleach can easily damage a shirt. Spillage of a strong household product causes localized fabric weakness or color loss in the area of contact with the fabric. This type of damage may not show up until after washing. This type of staining is not unique to shirts.

 

 

Stain FAQ's

 

Stain Removal

Clothing stains are one of the main reasons people seek the help of their drycleaner. With their special solvents, equipment, and training, drycleaners can remove some of the most disastrous -looking stains with relative ease. Successful stain removal depends largely on the nature of the stain, the type of fabric, and the colorfastness of the dye. Ink stains and dried paint, for example, can be impossible to remove. Also, some fabrics and dyes are not made to withstand the use of cleaning or stain removal agents.

 

"Invisible Stains"

Many stains that are caused by food, oily substances, or beverages may become invisible when they dry. But later on, with exposure to heat or the passage of time, a yellow or brownish stain will appear. This is caused by the oxidation or caramelizing of the sugar in the staining substance. It is the same process that makes a peeled apple turn brown after exposure to air.

 

 

You can help the drycleaner do a better job by pointing out such stains when you take a garment to be cleaned.

The cleaner often treats these stains prior to cleaning, since the heat of drying or finishing may set the stain.
When an oily substance is exposed to heat or ages in a garment for an extended time, it also oxidizes. This type of stain can be distinguished by the irregular "cross pattern" the oil makes when it follows the fabric fibers. Oily substances are successfully removed in drycleaning unless they are left to oxidize. Once they become yellow or brown, they become much more difficult to remove.

 

Perspiration Stains

Perspiration can also cause problem stains, particularly on silk and wool garments. Perspiration left in a silk garment can eventually cause deterioration of the silk fibers. This invisible stain became visible after aging or from the heat during the drycleaning process.

Repeated exposure of a garment to perspiration and body oils can create a permanent yellow discoloration and an objectionable odor. In addition, perspiration can react with the dye or sizing in the fabric, making it even more difficult to remove the stain. People who perspire heavily should have their clothes cleaned more frequently and might consider using perspiration shields. Clothing frequently worn or heavily stained also requires frequent cleaning.

 

 

• The Drycleaner's Responsibility

  Drycleaners are responsible for attempting to remove stains in accordance with professional practice. Not all stains can be removed, despite the drycleaner's best efforts.
  In some cases:

   

  • stains are oxidized and set in the fabric.

  • the type of dye or delicacy of the fabric can limit the degree of removal.

  • the dye in the fabric is soluble (prone to bleed); removing the stain would also remove the dye from the fabric.

  • The more information consumers give the drycleaner and the sooner a garment is brought in, the greater the chance of satisfactory stain removal.

 

 

To help your drycleaner do a better job of stain removal, we suggest the following

 

• Never put a garment away with spills or stains on it. The warmth of a closet and exposure to natural or artificial light and to the atmosphere can contribute to setting a stain.

• Bring in a stained garment as soon as possible, preferably within a few days, to prevent the stain from setting.

• Do not iron stained or soiled clothes; this will set stains and drive the soil deeper into the fabric. Always have soiled clothes cleaned or washed before ironing.

• Do not attempt home spot removal with either water or a cleaning fluid without testing first for colorfastness. Wet an unexposed area, such as an inside seam, and blot with a paper towel to make sure the color is fast.

• Never rub a stain, especially when attempting to remove a stain from silk. Blot the stained area. This will help remove the staining substance without spreading the stain and will avoid damaging the fabric.

• Inform your drycleaner of the location of specific stains and any procedures you have used to remove them, even if the stains are no longer visible.