CAREFUL Hand Laundry v2.08

This page contains helpful information about garment care. When you click on a topic, the answer will be displayed immediately below the topic.

Antiperspirant Stains

Allow enough time for antiperspirant to dry before putting on shirts and blouses. Tiny holes can appear under arms in the armpit area because these contain high concentrations of aluminum chlorides which can damage cellulose fibres such as cotton. The longer antiperspirant remains in the fabric , the more likely damage will occur. Shirts and blouses should be laundered frequently.

Bed Bugs

Dry Cleaning will kill bed bugs. The heat used in dry cleaning will kill the bugs and other insects. Bring the infested items to us in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Tell the Careful representative what it is. There is a surcharge for cleaning the items since they have to be isolated from other items.

Care Labels

Care Labels are a set of cleaning and finishing instructions that the manufacturer affixes to the garment. This information must be accurate. The recommended procedures must also have been tested for its accuracy. The specific Canadian statute that applies to care labels is the Textile Labelling Act, subsection 5(1).

Related topics:
• It's Damaged - Who do I Blame?

Cleaning all parts of an outfit together

Fluorescent dyes are used to increase the whiteness of an off white fabric or brightness of a coloured fabric. Many cottons and linen fabrics lose fluorescent dyes when they are dry cleaned. Often the manufacturer used two different fabrics and only one part of the suit changed colour. Some manufacturers have different factories making the different parts of the ensemble and if the factories did not use the same cloth with the same treatment, there could be a noticeable difference when the parts of the ensemble are worn together.

Colour Loss

Alcohol from hair spray can cause colour loss. Perspiration can react with dyes in garments and cause colour loss. This type of damage is not usually noticeable until after the dry cleaning because the loose colour dissolves in the dry cleaning solvent.

Does Dry Cleaning Harm my Clothes?

Dry cleaning does not harm clothes. It actually extends the life of the garments. Studies at the Department of Clothing and Textiles at North Carolina State University concluded that repeated commercial dry cleaning does not change the properties of wool fabrics and textile strength was not affected. To prove this to yourself, after having been outside for a few hours, take a white handkerchief and wipe your forehead. The hanky will become soiled and smudged. This is caused by the pollution in the air. These microscopic impurities are also embedded in your clothes and act like sandpaper, creating friction and wears out the fibers of the material. Frequent cleaning removes these impurities.

Dry Cleaners' Plastic Storage Bags

Some dry cleaners send your garments home in plastic to ensure it stays clean and dry in transit. Don't store them in the plastic. Moisture and humidity from inside your home can get trapped on the inside of the bag. The resulting condensation can create water spots which can result in brown stains on your clothes. These stains, if left unattended over time can become permanent. Remove the bag and cover the garments with a sheet to allow the garments to breathe and keep the dust away.

Careful Hand Laundry & Dry Cleaners now offers re-usable garment bags for the transportation of your garments from our stores to your home.

Related topics:
• Storage

Home Remedy Myths

Home remedies are not worth the risks. Dry Cleaners have specialized spotting agents to remove and neutralize most stains. You cannot remove a stain on a dry clean only blouse with Club Soda. Dry Clean Only does not allow for the introduction of water. It will only spread the stain or make it permanent. White wine cannot remove red wine. You will only make a bigger mess.

The best way to ensure a stain gets out is to get it to the dry cleaner as soon as possible. Let them know exactly what the stain is, where it is, and how long it has been there. Don't be embarrassed about what the stain is either. If it is vomit, don't say tomato sauce since stain removal for both are different.

REMEMBER, age sets stains, too. So do not leave it on the garment for weeks.

It's Damaged - Who do I Blame?

Responsibility can either be the dry cleaner, the manufacturer or the consumer. Manufacturers must place accurate information about caring for the garments on their care labels. The federal statute that applies is the Textile Labeling Act, subsection 5(1). It states " No dealer shall apply to a label or sell, import into Canada or advertise a consumer textile article that has applied to it a label containing any false or misleading representation that relates to or may reasonably be regarded as relating to the article."

If the dry cleaner follows the label, and the consumer has done no wrong, then the manufacturer is at fault. If the dry cleaner contravenes the care label without the consumers risk, then the dry cleaner is at fault. If the dry cleaner contravenes the care label with the consumers risk, then the consumer is at fault and has no recourse.

Optical Brighteners

Cotton in its natural state is not white.It is blue, grey or white. Optical brighteners and fluorescent dyes are added to cotton to make it white. Sometimes, the brighteners break down and the cotton reverts back to its natural state.

Shirts - Care

Read the care label and follow the instructions. For stains, always blot the area, never rub and speak to your dry cleaner as soon as possible. Allow perfumes, deodorants and antiperspirants to dry before putting on your shirt. These items can affect the dyes in your clothing as well as, weaken the fabric. Wear the shirt only once before washing. This will prevent buildup of perspiration stains. Pay attention to watches and jewelery worn on wrists. These items can accelerate the wearing out at the ends of the cuffs.

Shirts - Purchasing

What to look for: Finished button holes. Even stitching around collars. Good quality buttons. Check underneath collars to make sure there is no excess material. A care label is attached to garment.

Signing Releases for Beaded Garments

Care labels on garments apply to the entire construction of garments. This, also includes buttons, zippers and any trim or beading. In some cases, the manufacturer puts the beading on the garment after the label has been affixed to the garment. The cleaner can never be 100% that the beading can survive the cleaning process. Testing of the beads for solvent solubility is not always foolproof. Mechanical action in the dry cleaning machine can not be tested for. Beads could still dissolve, lose their lustre, break or crack even though they tested safe for the dry cleaning solvent. As professionals, we are informing the customer that there are risks involved in cleaning garments with beading.

Spot Cleaning

Leave the Spot Cleaning to the professionals. Some garments today are not fully serviceable by standard cleaning or laundering methods. There may be a trim or some beading that will be damaged by the mechanical action involved in any method of cleaning. There may be a loose dye in the garment that will bleed if exposed to water or any solvent.

Spot Cleaning will not remove general soiling, perspiration or odours throughout the garment. Avoid buying garments that are spot clean only.

Stain Removal

Sometimes 100% stain removal is not always possible. Give the dry cleaner enough time to work on the stains. Never rub a stain. Always blot the area with a dry cloth. Never use soda water or any abrasive. Bring the garment to the dry cleaners and point out the stain in order for us to use our expert stain removal techniques.

Storage

Store garments in a cool, dry place. Clean and dry garments completely before storage. Mildew is caused by moisture. Insects are attracted to stains. Do not store garments in direct light because the garments could fade. Use moth balls to deter insects. Do not store items near a furnace, heater or in the garage because the fumes could cause fume fading on the garments. This type of damage is irreversible. Do not store garments in plastic. The moisture from the relative humidity in the atmosphere can form on the inside of plastic bags and lead to yellow stains on a garment. Use a sheet to keep the dust off.

Related topics:
• Dry Cleaners' Plastic Storage Bags

Trims - What to look for

Be cautious of care labels that say "Exclusive of Trim" and check that the trim is sewn down, not glued. Glue will dissolve in dry cleaning solvent. Look for trim with well bound edges. This will prevent the trim from premature damage. Check to see that the trim is tightly sewn down to prevent it from coming off. Polystyrene beading and trim can dissolve in dry cleaning solvent. Vinyl and leather trims can stiffen, pucker or crack.

What is DRY Cleaning

Dry cleaning uses a non-aqueous solvent to remove soils and stains from fabric in specially designed machines. The solvent contains little or no water. Additional stain removal occurs before the items are cleaned for most of the stains. Detergent and a fabric finish is added to the solvent to enhance its cleaning ability and stain removal. Once the solvent carries away the soil, it passes through a series of filters and the dirty solvent is distilled to purify the solvent so it can be used again.

What is WET Cleaning

Wet cleaning is a another tool used by professional dry cleaners to remove soils from garments using water as a medium. These wet cleaning machines have computer controls that precisely control water level, temperature and mechanical action. It uses specially designed detergents and additives to minimize the potential for adverse effects. Not all garments can be successfully wet cleaned. Shrinkage and dye bleeding can occur. We do not recommend that garments with care labels listing "Dry Clean Only" be wet cleaned.

Garment Care Library