Tag Archives: clothing care

Beware of metal fiber garments!

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One of the advantages about being a member of the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute is they send out regular bulletins about garments and fabrics known to cause problems.  The latest is a pair of women’s’ gold colored pants made with metallic fibers available from www.ashro.com, according to a recent notice from the International Textile Analysis Laboratory.

Metallic fiber garments can be huge problems.  Typically, tiny strands of metal are woven into strands of fabric to make the garment  shimmer. This isn’t usually a problem as long as the proportion of metal doesn’t exceed around 10 percent and the care labels are strictly followed.  The main concern is controlling fiber distortion.  Metal fibers do not shrink, but rather bend and crimp like aluminum foil when agitated in the cleaning process.  During the cleaning process, the fabric may become hopelessly wrinkled and distorted from its original shape.

This example garment, however,  contains around 65 percent metallic fibers!   Basically, it is impossible to clean with any standard method – even any non-standard method.   It is essentially an uncleanable item.   There is a separate all-cotton lining.   The care label says, “Dry Clean Only” with no other instructions or any International Cleanability Code symbols.

As dry cleaners, we are often caught in the middle and similar considerations exist for any difficult-to-clean item. All the customer knows is their precious metallic item was fine when they brought it in, then destroyed when it came out of our process.  Under the “Care Label Rule”, the Federal Trade Commission advises that items like this be returned to the retailer where they were purchased. Sometimes, we will reimburse the customer, then seek compensation from the manufacturer under federal law. Often, we will advise the customer in advance the item will be problematic and they should have their receipt ready for return to the retailer if the item is damaged in the cleaning process. For a few items, like these pants, we would simply decline to clean them, knowing it will end in disaster.

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These pants wrinkled and puckered badly during drycleaning.

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This close up view of the pants reveals severe metal yarn distortion after proper professional drycleaning. 

 

 

As summer approaches, look out for sweat stains

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The Wall Street Journal has an excellent story on perspiration stains. No, not a very pleasant topic, but consider what it will do to your professional appearance to show up at a meeting, interview or evaluation with them. As a professional dry cleaner, we are able to deal with perspiration stains, which are actually from the deodorant, and there are a number of products people can use as well. Definitely worth a read.

Looking back on 31 years in the industry

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Thirty-one years ago today I started working in the dry cleaning industry at Chief Latah Cleaners. The first day I showed up on the job, two of the women working in the place were on break, smoking cigarettes at a table in the middle of the cleaning room – freshly cleaned garments hanging up all around them.

Things have changed a lot, needless to say. My dad owned the place and I was supposed to work for just two years, then go to college. I liked running my own business so much that after two years, I bought my father out and have stayed here ever since.

If I had to do it over again, I would change a few things. I would have been certified with the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute sooner. We first qualified in 2003, then in 2008 (you must recertify every five years). So far, only two dry cleaners in Idaho have attained this recognition. It requires passing very stringent tests on all aspects of your business.

One thing I think we did right was establishing ourselves as the premium clothing care service. We aren’t a discounter. Clothesline is for customers who demand the latest in technology, cleaning methods, environmental consciousness, convenience and service, and who are willing to pay a bit more for a superior service. Even in the current economy, there remain enough people interested in top-of-the-line clothing care service to keep us in business.

The business has changed quite a bit. In the early days, we dry cleaned at least half the stuff that came through the door. Thanks to improved wet washing technology, we now use water to clean most of our items, including many leathers and wools. In the old days, sorting clothing for pickup was a huge task and misplacing an item was a constant problem. We now put tiny barcodes in inconspicuous places on clothing and a computerized system tracks the exact location of every item; we can compile and print a complete care history for any garment brought to us. In keeping with the trend for automated services, we offer automated, 24-hour pickup and dropoff. We are proud to have adopted the leading practices of our industry as soon as we could.

I’ve raised my family and I work alongside my wife and two daughters. It’s been a great 31 years and I look forward to many more to come.

Care for those sweaters!

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Sweaters need special care to preserve their natural appearance and shape. With fall coming up, many of us will be breaking out our favorite sweaters, so it’s important to keep some rules in mind. Knitted fabrics, whether natural or man-made, are very sensitive and prone to distortion, shrinkage, stretching and pilling. The cost of most sweaters makes them an investment in your wardrobe so it is worth the extra effort to care for them properly.

To guarantee your sweater keeps looking like new for several seasons to come:

  • Never store a sweater away that is dirty. Perspiration will discolor underarms and food and beverage spills are a direct invitation to unwanted moths and carpet beetles.
  • Dry Clean or Hand Wash. Even if the instructions indicate that machine wash is OK, home washing machines can stretch and distort the natural shape of a sweater. Turn inside out to avoid pilling of outer layer. Use cool water and drip dry, do not wring out. Lightly sponge our excess water and lay flat to dry. Block to shape. Be extra careful of beading, attachments, and embroidery work etc.
  • Fold your sweaters. Don’t ever hang them because the knitted fibers will stretch and it will be longer than the last time you put it on.
  • Remove pills from your sweaters. Pilling is caused by rubbing during wear and is most apparent around elbows, armpits, and across the front. Small shavers, single edge razors and pumice stones are all effective in removing pills.
  • Remove dandruff, hair, and lint regularly. A baby’s soft bristled brush or hand held lint remover will work to keep dark knits looking fresh between cleanings.
  • Repair the sweater quickly. If a button falls off or a small hole appears, repair the area as soon as possible. Knits are prone to un-raveling and a small hole can become a big problem if left unchecked.
  • Give your sweater a break. Wearing it everyday even though you love it will cause it to lose shape and build up hard to remove perspiration stains. Alternate it with other sweaters or jackets.
  • Treat cashmere, angora, mohair, and other exotic fibers with extreme care. All of the above rules apply although professional care is recommended for your finer knits.

Please check your pockets!

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We recently received a thank-you letter from a customer after we found and returned a $3,000 hearing aid he left in his pocket. Although we are not responsible for items left in pockets, this hearing aid would have been destroyed if washed and we are happy to return these items when we discover them. We have found also credit cards, $50 bills, gold and diamond jewelry and wallets. Customarily, our drivers return items of value to customers, or we call the customer to inform them.

We also regularly check pockets because some items, such as ink pens and makeup containers, can be disastrous if they go through the wash or dry cleaning cycle.

However, looking in peoples’ pockets can be risky, even when people turn their clothes over to us. We have found nude photos by cheating spouses and illegal drugs either in pockets or in our machines.

We only want to provide you with great-looking wardrobe and excellent service. We have no interest in your personal affairs, so finding potentially embarrassing items puts everyone in a difficult position.

For your sake and ours, please take a look in your pockets before you send items to the cleaners.

Clothing Care Basics worth a refresher

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We have sent out our newsletter to our customers about “Clothing Care Basics.” This is good information for anyone:

Clothing care starts the moment you begin to shop. It ends when you retire or donate the garment. We follow the life of a garment, from the time of purchase to spotting, cleaning and, finally, storing for the season – with everything in between.

Start caring:

•    By choosing the right fabric and fit for your lifestyle
•    By reading the care label on each garment, before you buy
•    By recognizing spots – and their origins – and knowing if they require pre-treatment, and then dry cleaning or wet cleaning

Recognizing water-based spots

Water-based spots from soda, coffee, and wine usually have a ring around the outside.

Recognizing Oil-based spots

Oil-based spots from food oils, french fry grease, and mayonnaise are absorbed into the fabric and do not have a ring. These spots can be set by soap & water and usually require dry cleaning.

What to do with spots

If you identify these spots, take them to the cleaner within 48 hours or so, and point them out to the customer service representative. Most spots will come out!

Clothing Care Basics Tip

July 2010

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Clothing Care Basics

Clothing care starts the moment you begin to shop. It ends when you retire or donate the garment. We follow the life of a garment, from the time of purchase to spotting, cleaning and, finally, storing for the season – with everything in between.

Start caring:

  • By choosing the right fabric and fit for your lifestyle
  • By reading the care label on each garment, before you buy
  • By recognizing spots – and their origins – and knowing if they require pre-treatment, and then dry cleaning or wet cleaning

Recognizing water-based spots

Water-based spots from soda, coffee, and wine usually have a ring around the outside.

Recognizing Oil-based spots

Oil-based spots from food oils, french fry grease, and mayonnaise are absorbed into the fabric and do not have a ring. These spots can be set by soap & water and usually require dry cleaning.

What to do with spots

If you identify these spots, take them to the cleaner within 48 hours or so, and point them out to the customer service representative. Most spots will come out!

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