No. The heat
from the iron may set a stain.
Yes, resulting
in fabrics which wear thinner, shrink more, and have lost elasticity.
Today's modern
fabrics contain fluorescent brighteners which may yellow when exposed
to sunlight.
Special
attention should be paid to uniform care as they are usually made
from synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester and spandex. Prior to
cleaning, test the garment for colourfastness to avoid colour pickup
on other articles. Wash in a low temperature to reduce the chance of
bleeding colours. Mud stains may require extra treatments before
washing. High temperatures may cause excessive shrinkage and
permanent wrinkles.
Before,
washing your sleeping bag, be sure to read labels. Most sleeping bags
can be either dry cleaned or laundered successfully. Before washing,
check the bag for heavy stains, rips and tears. Pretreat any stains
and repair damages before treatments.
Do not store
clothes in a hot attic or damp basement. Hang garments on padded
hangers to prevent creasing or stretching. Pad garments with tissue
paper to avoid excess creasing where folded. And remember, do not
store garments in plastic bags. Garments need to breath and plastic
bags can trap moisture.
Both men’s
and women’s suits may occasionally need minor alteration. The
pants or lapels of a man's suit can be narrowed to give a new updated
look. For a women's suit, consider shortening the skirt or jacket.
Check for
quality when you buy a suit, take care of your purchase and be
creative to get many seasons of wear from each one.
As you
purchase your new coat, check for durability, warmth, construction
and comfort. Remember to check the lining and be sure it hangs evenly
all around. Look to purchase tighter weave garments, as softer weaves
are more prone to problems. Hang coats in a well-ventilated closet on
padded hangers.
A spot clean
only label means that you can only clean this item by hand. It is
important when wearing that you are particularly careful not to get
the dress heavily soiled or spotted. One possible problem with a full
service laundry or dry cleaning is that such processing may cause the
embellishments to lose their finish.
Spot cleaning
(what we refer to as hand cleaning) involves removing each spot one
at a time with the proper cleaning agents to assure that no damage is
caused to the beading finish. Then the underarms and lining is wiped
down. Finally, the dress is hand pressed.
The white
spots you are experiencing are mold. Wiping the white spots only
removes the fungus from the surface. Spores will remain in the fibers
and the fungus will quickly return. Do not leave your clothes in the
plastic garment bags and you will need to address the humidity
condition that most likely exists in your closet.
One of the dry
cleaners worst enemies are "invisible stains" like spray
from a grapefruit or apple, hair spray or perfume. It is normally
these stains that a consumer sees on their freshly cleaned garments
and exclaims "That wasn't there when I gave it to you!”
What has
happened is that these types of stains are not visible until the heat
associated with the drying cycle or pressing made the stain visible.
The sugar of the apple stain caramelized and the oil stains oxidized
making them visible.
Dry cleaning
in and of itself will not remove these stains and depending on the
material some can be removed after showing up with only the most
expert of technicians. Some may never be removed.
If you know of
any such invisible stain conditions point them out to the dry cleaner
that he may flush them out before the dry cleaning and setting of the stain.
If your
clothes are returned to you from the dry cleaner and smell of
solvent, it's time to change cleaners. This smell is a sign of impure
solvent and bacteria growth in the system, not too strong a solution
as commonly thought. This bacterium holds on to the garments and the
solvent molecules and slowly releases the solvent, thus the smell.
It is often
thought that the cleaners start with new solvent on a particular day
of the week. Only a small amount of solvent is received and added to
replace that lost to evaporation. Distilled solvent should be used on
every load to properly care for your clothes. A properly maintained
dry cleaning system should produce odor free clothes with every
cleaning, as does ours.
The short
answer is only if you will be wearing them this season. It is not
advised for storing the garments for more than a season.
Plastic bags
inhibit the fabric from breathing and can promote the formation of
mildew and cause fume fading. Fume fading will yellow whites and
discolour coloured garments.
We recommend
storing garments in cloth garment bags which are breathable and will
provide some protection to insect and moth damage.
There is some
risk involved in using any care process not recommended by the
manufacturer. Hand washing involves manual removal of soils with
water, detergent, and a gentle squeezing action. A care label that
calls for machine washing, in a delicate or gentle cycle, indicates
the soil can be removed with water, detergent or soap, slow
agitation, and reduced time in a washing machine.
Hand washing
is a restrictive care process that minimizes the amount of abrasion a
garment receives in cleaning. If hand-washable garments are machine
washed in a gentle cycle, agitation may be further minimized by
putting the item in a net bag. Even this procedure is in violation of
the care label instruction, however, and places responsibility for
damages on the launderer rather than the manufacturer.
On the
contrary, frequent cleaning prolongs the life of a garment. Not only
do stains set with age, making the garment unwearable, but ground-in
dirt and soil act as an abrasive, like sandpaper, causing rapid wear
of fibers. Also, insects are attracted to soiled clothes and will
cause further damage.
Even gently
rubbing can cause breakage of silk fibers. Use tie spray. Expensive
silk ties are almost impossible to clean without spotting, unless
they have been sprayed with a food and drink repellent. A spray-protected
tie will wipe clean, eliminating the need for dry cleaning or
replacing it.
These delicate
summer fabrics require close attention to care label instructions.
Many knits require hand washing, some can be processed in a machine
with a gentle or knit cycle and others may require dry cleaning only.
Although linen is washable, it can shrink considerably unless it is
preshrunk in manufacture. Unless the label says "preshrunk",
wash the garment in warm water on a short cycle and hang to dry.
Some knits can be air-dried on a towel or tumble dried. Follow you
garment's specific care label instructions. In addition, it is
important to check knitted garment for unraveling and fraying which
may occur if the edges of the fabric have not been properly bound.
Secure any loose fibers so that the fabric can withstand normal use
and care procedures. Once significant unraveling has occurred, there
is no remedy.
Velvet
requires delicate care and should be finished very carefully and
gently to preserve fabric. While some velvets are denser and more
luxurious than others. All velvet is delicate when it comes to wear
and care. Velvets usually require dry cleaning. Because of the deep
colours, all matching items should be brought in at the same time.
Store velvet on hangers rather than folded, with space around the
garment to protect the "pile".
When caring
for your corduroy garments, first check the garment for stains, as
removal can be difficult, especially on darker colours. Blot stains
with a wet cloth, avoiding hard brushing on the "pile side"
of the corduroy for best results.
The safest
form of mild bleach for whitening all natural fibers is white vinegar.
Some water
spots on fabrics such as taffeta or silk can be removed by holding
the fabric over steam (as from a kettle) and then ironing gently
while damp.
Most people
don’t know it, but suede garments can be pressed. Either take it
to a trusted dry cleaner or try it yourself if you are the
adventuresome type. Use a pressing cloth (piece of muslin or cotton)
and an iron on low temp with NO steam. Also using a suede brush may
help. They can generally be purchased at a shoe repair store.
First we must
remember that rayon is a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated
cellulose derived from wood pulp or cotton linters. It is absorbent
and comfortable to wear. There are different forms of the fiber know
as rayon, viscose, cuprammonium, high-wet modulus and lyocel sold as Tencel™.
With the
exception of lyocel, rayon is very sensitive to water. Many dyes
applied to rayon are not colourfast and will bleed or migrate upon
contact with moisture. In addition, manufacturers often add sizing to
rayon in order to achieve a desired body or drape. Some sizings are
water-soluble, and washing will distort the shape of the garment. Dry
cleaning is recommended for most rayon garments. Although
substantially similar in chemical composition to rayon, lyocel can be
either dry-cleaned or washed. However, when caring for garments made
of lyocel it is important to follow the care instructions carefully.
If a garment made of lyocel is washed when should have been
dry-cleaned, it may result in excessive shrinkage and a wrinkled appearance.
Sometimes dark
marks appear for no apparent reason on the surface of leather or
suede. These spots usually have a splatter-like appearance where the
leather has become hard, shrunken, and puckered.
Testing the
area indicates a staining substance containing a salt residue is
present. This damage is caused by accidental contact with moisture
containing salt that has remained on the leather for a period of
time. Salt substances are not used in leather cleaning but are found
in many everyday solutions that the garment owner may have come into
contact with accidentally. For example, salt compounds are found in
many foods, beverages, blood, urine, deodorants, gutter splash, ice
melt, plain table salt, salt water, and various other matter
containing mineral salts. Contact with any of these substances can
eventually cause leather skin staining and damage.
Salt will
continually absorb moisture from the atmosphere, thus keeping the
stained area of the leather damp. Salt staining may be invisible
prior to cleaning and generally is not removed by regular leather
cleaning procedures. When the jacket undergoes normal drying and
finishing after cleaning, the salt-stained areas can shrink, stiffen,
and sometimes even crack the leather.
Usually this
damage cannot be prevented unless the garment owner knows when the
contact occurs and immediately rinses the substance off the leather
with some cold water and lets it air dry. If the stain is still fresh
and is visible, the leather cleaner can attempt to remove the
remaining residue prior to cleaning in order to minimize the damage.
To remove
chewing gum from kids clothing - harden the gum on the garment with
ice; it will become brittle, and can be chipped off, wash thoroughly
to remove any sugar.
Place the
stained area between paper towels, or pieces of brown paper, and
press with a warm iron to absorb the wax.
Yes, many of
them will permanently stain.
Do not attempt
to remove cosmetic stains yourself, as the colour in cosmetics runs
easily and can enlarge the stain. Bring it to us.
Never wash an
egg stain in hot water - this will cause the stain to set.
Hairspray and
water can remove ballpoint ink, but you may be trading one problem
for another. That’s because hairspray could contain alcohol and
oils such as resins and lanolin. The alcohol in the hairspray can
cause colour damage leading to a faded “raindrop” effect on
many garments, especially on silk; likewise, oils and other
ingredients could lead to additional stains.
Many people do
not realize that prolonged contact with deodorants and
antiperspirants may cause permanent damage. Combined with the effects
of perspiration, the damage can be extensive. The most frequent
damage is caused by overuse of these products, or infrequent
cleanings. This leads to the buildup of a stiff, caked-up residue or
to fabric damage.
To prevent
chemical damage, do not overuse the product and allow it to dry
before dressing. Wear dress shield with silk garments.
Never iron
fabric with a deodorant stain, as this will permantly damage the fabric.
To remove the
residue on washable garments, wash as soon as possible after wear in
the hottest water safe for the fabric. Soaking in a detergent
containing enzymes or an enzyme presoak may be necessary. If the
stain remains, try using three percent hydrogen peroxide or chlorine
bleach, according to fiber type or care label instructions. Before
using, test for colourfastness.
Crayon stains
appear as built up, shiny and stiff stains in a variety of colours.
Normally, drying--not washing--will cause these kinds of stains.
Your first
discovery of the stains will occur when you open the dryer door to
find otherwise clean clothes covered with a myriad of coloured
stains. The stains appear after drying because the heat from drying
melts the crayon material.
The easiest
way to solve this problem is to take the garments to your drycleaner,
who usually can remove them by running the garments through a dry
cleaning machine. If any of the stains remain after cleaning, they
can generally be removed by your drycleaner through traditional stain
removal procedures.
When
attempting to remove ink, mascara, and similar stains, it is
suggested you *blot* the area when working with dryside agents. This
process involves placing the garment over a towel, and then applying
volatile dry solvent, oily type paint remover, and/or amyl acetate.
Next, take another towel and wrap an area around your finger, and
blot/press the towel-wrapped finger on the stained area. Lift your
finger, and examine the towel to see if any of the oily residue has
softened and transferred onto the towel. If the stain starts to
spread, flush with volatile dry solvent, reapply oily type paint
remover, and blot. Continue this process until the stain no longer
blots or transfers onto the towel.
While
performing this process, make sure you move the towels frequently to
prevent the staining from transferring back onto the garment. When
the stain no longer blots, dry-clean or flush thoroughly with
volatile dry solvent to remove all traces of the dryside agents.
After the oily
residues have been removed, it may be necessary to continue onto
wetside stain removal procedures to remove the remainder of the stain.
Unless you
know exactly what you are doing, you could irreparably damage a
dry-clean-only garment.
Dry cleaning
silk garments is still the safest method to prevent colour loss,
textural changes and fabric damage.
Be extremely
careful if attempting any home stain removal of silk garments. Never
rub silk while wet. Gently blot the affected area and take the
garment to your dry cleaner for further remedy. To help extend your
garments life, use dress shields whenever possible and avoid contact
with sprays and solutions containing alcohol when dressing.
A common fatal
error is the use of acetone in home stain removal. Acetate fibers
will dissolve in acetone - Don't attempt your own stain removal.
Ink on a suede
garment is a difficult stain to remove even for experienced suede
cleaner. Dyes on suede and leather garments are not as colour fast as
one would desire. Often it is necessary to remove some dye along with
the ink then replace the dye. This is a difficult process depending
on the colour of the suede. Be sure to ask your leather cleaner how
they do with ink before intrusting them with the item.
International
Fabricare Institute, the premier trade association for garment care,
utilized its research and testing expertise to gauge the
effectiveness of home dry cleaning kits, and found that in general
they do not provide complete removal of all types of stains. They
also cannot remove ground-in soil. These products can freshen
garments by removing odors and imparting a pleasant fragrance.
Garments are
freshened when they are placed inside the dryer with the cloth, which
is activated by the heat of the dryer. Up to four garments can be
placed in a bag (along with the dryer-activated cloth) when using one
of these products. The stain removal solution (which is dispensed
form a plastic bottle) is applied directly on the stain, while the
user holds an absorbent pad underneath the stained fabric.
Consumers are
instructed to apply the solution until the stain is no longer visible
or until it is evident that the stain cannot be removed. For kits
that employ only a dryer-activated cloth, consumers are advised to
use the cloth to remove stains. All kits recommend removing stains
before garments are placed in the dryer.
In general,
most of the products work well on freshening or removing odors such
as smoke. Therefore, these products can be successfully used to
freshen garments; for example, removing odors from sweaters after
winter storage.
In terms of
stain removal, the International Fabricare Institute, the premier
trade association for garment care, has found that most of the
products work well on water-based stains such as cola. Stains that
are oil-based (ketchup, lipstick) presented more of a challenge for
the home dry cleaning kits. In some cases, these products caused the
stain to spread, which created a bigger stain. None of the products
removed ground-in soils, which consumers typically see as "ring
around the collar" or dirty cuffs.
When using a
home dry cleaning kit, consumers should beware of the following types
of damage they could induce when using the stain removal solutions:
rings, chafing, and broken fibers on a loose weave, local shrinkage
on crepe or water-sensitive fabrics.
The
International Fabricare Institute’s testing found that home dry
cleaning kits failed to completely remove stains such as ketchup,
lipstick, and cuff soil, resulting in a less-than-satisfactory appearance. |