All about dry cleaning
There's is no real mystery about dry-cleaning. Dry-cleaning
is simply the use of fluids to remove soil and stains from the fabric.
It is called "dry- cleaning" because the fluids contain
little or no water and do not penetrate the fibers as water does.
Dry-cleaning fluids actually dissolve greases and
oils and remove them from the garment. Water by itself cannot do
this. Natural fibers such as wools and silks can shrink, distort,
and lose color when washed in water, but will dry-clean beautifully.
Synthetic fibers such as polyesters also respond well to dry cleaning.
These fibers can retain oily stains after washing, but dry-cleaning
will remove such stains.
A dry-cleaning machine looks much like a very large
front loading home washer. It produces similar mechanical action
to loosen embedded dirt. At the same time the solvent is filtered
continuously to insure it's clarity.
How Does a Dry Cleaner Wash
Your Clothes?
There are two types of garment
cleaning: wet cleaning and dry cleaning. Dry cleaning is suitable
for delicate fabrics and other clothes which cannot be washed by
water. Dry cleaning is a method to wash dirt and stains by using
a solvent instead of water. This is a very effective way to remove
fatty stains, without changing the garment shape and altering the
texture and the color of the fabric materials. Dry cleaning is less
effective for washing dirts that are easily soluble in water.
What is Dry Cleaning?
Dry cleaning uses fluids to
remove soil and stains from fabric. In fact, the term "dry cleaning"
is misleading; it is called dry cleaning because the fluid contains
little or no water and does not penetrate the fibers as water does.
Among the advantages of dry cleaning is its ability to dissolve
greases and oils in a way that water cannot. Drycleaning helps to
return garments to a "like-new" condition using precautions to prevent
shrinkage, loss of color, and fabric distortion.
The dry cleaning process begins with the pretreatment of spots and
stains using special cleaning agents. The garments are then loaded
into a machine resembling an oversized front-loading home washer.
Throughout the cleaning process the fluid is filtered or distilled
to ensure its clarity.
Today, the solvent used by almost 90% of all dry cleaners is perchloroethylene,
commonly known as "perc." It is completely non-flammable and non-combustible,
of relatively low toxicity, and can be efficiently reused and recycled.
What is wet cleaning?
Wet cleaning starts with the
pretreatment of spots and stains using special cleaning agents.
Wet cleaning is the process of removing soils from garments and
other textile items through the use of water and additives (such
as detergent) and using precautions to prevent shrinkage, loss of
color, and fabric distortion.
What is laundering?
Special detergents, additives,
and finishes sets commercial laundering apart from home laundering.
This process enables your cleaner to offer consistent quality shirts
at reasonable prices.
Make the Following Checks
When Sending Clothes to a Dry Cleaner:
- Read care instruction
labels of clothes. Check garment materials and any handle-with-care
signs. If these are made of materials which cannot be washed in
water, they have to be sent to a dry cleaner.
- If there are any stains,
mark them by rough stitches with a white thread. If you know what
caused the stains, you should tell the cleaner about them. In
the case of two-piece or three-piece suits, they should be sent
together to the cleaner for best results.
- Empty all pockets.
- If you find an open seam
or a button missing, mend them yourself or ask the cleaner to
do so. In the case special buttons are used, take these off the
clothes before sending them to the cleaner.
- Keep the receipt from
the cleaner.
- When cleaned clothes are
returned, check the finish thoroughly. If you find the cleaning
to be unsatisfactory or find any damage, inform the cleaner promptly.
- Remove the plastic film
cover from the clothes, air them in shade for a while before putting
them in the closet.
What Are the Most Common Dry
Cleaning Troubles?
In 1997, the Laundry and Drycleaning
Association received 558 complaints from the public regarding damages
made to their clothes in cleaning. The breakdown of the damage complaints
and the parties who were found responsible are indicative. Among damages
for which the clients were responsible, the most common was the "change
of color" amounting to 66 % of the total cases. Cases of stains made
by spilled bleach or damages caused by inappropriate storage are on
the increase recently at individual homes. It is important that the
consumers also have the basic knowledge about how to clean and keep
clothes in good shape.
Professional Cleaning Steps
Professional cleaning involves
many different operations, all performed by skilled people and designed
to give your garments a fresh and clean appearance. Procedures include:
- Checking the care label
for instructions and fiber content
- Classifying the garment
according to fabric type, color and degree of soiling
- Removing spots and stains
using special equipment and stain removal techniques
- Dry cleaning, wet cleaning,
or laundering, only if so labeled
- Reapplying any sizing,
water repellency or other finishes when necessary
- Finishing the garment
on professional pressing equipment
- Replacing buttons or performing
minor repairs as necessary
- Packaging the garment
in protective wrapping
The Importance of Care Labels
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
requires that manufacturers attach a permanent care label to textile
garments to provide directions for their care. Manufacturers must
list at least one method of safe care for a garment. The rule covers
all textile clothing except footwear, gloves, hats, suede and leather
clothing, and household items such as linens. The rule stipulates
that the care label is easily found, will not separate from the garment,
and will remain legible for the garment's useful life. The label must
warn about any part of the recommended care method that would harm
the garment of other garments cleaned with it. It must also warn when
there is no method for cleaning a garment without damaging it.
Symbols also may appear on a care label to supplement written instructions.
If a label indicates dry cleaning, all components of the garment,
including the outer shell, lining, buttons, interfacing, fusing material,
and trim, should be colorfast and remain unaltered during cleaning.
If any such problem occurs, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer.
If you or your cleaner follow the manufacturer's instructions and
the garment is damaged, you should return the garment to the store
and explain what happened. If the store will not resolve the problem,
write to the manufacturer and send a copy of your complaint letter
to the FTC. The information you provide the FTC may reveal a pattern
or practice requiring the Commission's attention. If you purchase
a garment with no care label, you should contact the FTC, giving the
name and address of the store and manufacturer.
Occasionally, damage done in dry cleaning is the responsibility of
the dry cleaner and not the result of preexisting conditions or defects.
In such cases, the cleaner will usually settle the claim promptly
and fairly, often using IFI's Fair Claims Guide. If there is some
doubt about responsibility, the member cleaner can send the garment
to IFI's Garment Analysis Laboratory to determine the cause of the
problem.
How Can You Help Your Clothes
and Your Cleaner?
- Bring your garments in
for professional cleaning as soon as possible after staining occurs.
Stains or soils left too long may become permanent.
- Discuss any stains with
your cleaner.
- Keep perfumes, lotions,
deodorants, antiperspirants, and other toiletries away from your
clothes. These products likely contain alcohol which will damage
some dyes.
- Protect garment, especially
those made of silk, from excessive perspiration, as this can cause
dyes to discolor.
- Have matching pieces of
an ensemble cleaned together so any color fading will be uniform.
- Protect your garments
from prolonged exposure to direct light.
- Don't press stained or
soiled clothing, as the heat may set some stains.
| International Fablicare Institute |
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