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This portion of our site is our very own blog. In here we will be posting tips on how to better care for your garments.
TIPS
Clothing Stains –
When talking about clothing stains, there are several causes and each of them needs to be identified properly in order to successfully remove them. Effective stain removal depends on the source of the stain, the type of fabric and the stability of the dye used. The most difficult, if not impossible to remove are ink and paint stains.
Have you heard about “Invisible Stains”? Stains caused by food, beverage, and oily substances may become invisible when they become dry. But when exposed to heat or left untreated for prolonged period, they will re-appear yellowish or brownish in color. This is because the substance has oxidized or caramelized on the garment. To avoid this from happening, it is best that you point this to your dry cleaner so he/she can treat the spots prior to cleaning since the heat of drying may cause the stains to set further.
Perspiration stains are also common problems specially for garments like silk and wool. That is because the acidic nature of the perspiration will cause to break down the garment’s fibers and oxidize the dye. The discoloration is most common seen at the underarm section and back of the garments. People who perspire heavily should consider having their clothes cleaned more frequently to prolong the garments’ life.
Be aware that your professional dry cleaners will always want your clothes to come out clean and neatly pressed in accordance with best industry practice. But despite their best efforts, not all stains can be removed. The more information you give the cleaner and the sooner you have them cleaned greatly improves the success of stain removal.
Caring for Silk –
There are many types of silk fabric but whether it is made for a tie, scarf, shirt, dress, blouse, skirt or another type garment, special care is needed to prolong its useful life. Here are some basic tips in caring for your silk:
- Don’t rub off stains, blot them. If you spilled drink, food, or something liquid on your silk, blot them with water and absorb it with clean soft cloth. Rubbing it will cause a whitening effect or color loss on your silk material. The important factor to remember is to dilute the concentrated stain to make it less aggressive in oxidizing on the silk material.
- Do not use bleach or any products containing chlorine. This chemical will certainly cause permanent color loss.
- Avoid perfumes, deodorants, hair sprays, facial cleansers, toothpaste from getting in contact with your silk. These chemicals cause color loss as you would normally experience around the collar and underarm sections.
- Prevent too much exposure of silk to sunlight or bright light. Storing them in dark closet helps avoid fading.
- Read manufacturer’s care label instructions. Some silk are washable and some are dry clean only. If in doubt, dry cleaning is the safest way to avoid shrinkage and color loss.
Facts About Shirts –
Shirts can be laundered and pressed using home washer and iron but the overall quality look is nothing compared to a professional service. Using commercial grade detergents, pH controlled and softened water, and machine agitation process effectively removes stains and soils that are sometime difficult to be achieved with household products. The result is a bright, clean, and crisp looking finish.
Shirts have a useful life regardless of how well they are constructed. The Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute study shows that the average life expectancy of a shirt is about 35-40 washes, or about two years. The constant agitation, exposure to the sun and abrasion during wearing and cleaning will eventually break the colors and fibers of the fabric.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Care Labeling Rule states that all components in a garment must withstand the recommended cleaning care procedures. Bleeding should not occur, regardless where you wash it, home or professional launder. If it does, you need to return it to the retailer. Early and significant dye failures are commonly attributable to poor quality manufacturing.
Most shirt buttons are made of plastic. Frequent pressing using hot metal plates will cause these plastic buttons to become brittle and eventually break apart. There is nothing that you or the cleaners can do to avoid this from happening other than replace them when broken.