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FAQ, Resources and Information
Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association - Consumer
Page
International Fabricare Association - Consumer
Page
Textile Affairs Site - Understanding
Care Labels
How long does it take to have my dry cleaning done?
Usually we operate on a 2day cycle. At times certain
processes take more time. What can be
done when a shirts collar wears through? The shirt
collar can sometimes be reversed providing there is not too much
excess fabric on the under side of the collar. Can
you Clean Leather?
Yes, leather cleaning takes approximately 2 weeks and we use leather
specialty cleaners for this process. Can
anything protect ties from staining? We recommend
that all men's ties are treated with a stain/water repellent, like
Scotch Guard for greatest protection. When
a care label describes a cleaning process which includes "except
for trim," how should the garment be cleaned?
Unless the care label describes what must be done with trim, the
label does not meet the legal requirements for garment care labels
and should not be purchased, or if purchased and worn should be
returned to the retailer. At times trim can be removed, for additional
cost, and then reassembled. The Cleaners might ask the customer
for a release recognizing possible problems in cleaning.
Can I remove the care label from my clothing?
The care label is provided so that both the customer and the cleaner
have reasonable guidance regarding care and cleaning methods. Some
cleaners decline cleaning garments when care labels are removed,
others require a consent form before proceeding with cleaning.
How often should I have my feather pillows cleaned? Proper caring
for feather pillows depend on several factors. How often they are
used, whether a protective cover or covers are used, if there is
excessive perspiration causing stain and odor on the pillow? Generally
an annual feather pillow cleaning is recommenced for pillows in
regular use. What are stains?
Stains are generally of two types. One type is caused by water based
substances like food and body fluids, while other is caused by oil
based substances. Inks can fall in to both categories. Those that
are wet side, water removable and those that are dry side, solvent
removable. Specialized chemicals are used to accelerate the ‘freeing'
of certain stains and these chemicals are generally specific to
wet side and specific to dry side spotting and cleaning. Extreme
care should be used in applying chemicals to fabrics. Always used
a test area which is inconspicuous to see if color change will occur
before proceeding to the stain area.
Should I attempt stain removal at home? There
are several home remedy stain removal products on the market, and
there are home remedies formulas which have passed down from generation
to generation. Without knowledge of the strength and type of fibers,
color fastness, exact nature of the stain, home remedies can place
your garment at risk for effective stain removal and for fabric
damage. If you have a problem with a stain and want to do it at
home call your dry cleaner for advise. Stains should be removed
as soon as possible. One should use extreme care in using home remedies,
like hair spray as a stain remover. While the propellant may "blow
through" stain particles, the residual of lacquer often found
in hair spray may create even greater problems for removal. If you
must do emergency spot removal for a spill such as Mustard or red
wine.... Use Club soda or purified water and a clean white towel...
Do not use Tap water and paper towels which contain Chlorine and
Bleach and can remove color from fabrics. Dab lightly do not rub....
If a problem occurs in dry-cleaning who is at fault?
Dry cleaners who hold special credentials such as Certified Professional
Dry Cleaner, have solid working knowledge of fabrics, chemical usage
and the dry-cleaning process. They also are aware of manufacturers
who repeatedly issue to the market textiles which are failure prone
in wearing and or cleaning. The IFI, International Fabricare Institute,
the premier association for Launders and Dry cleaners maintains
an extensive data base accessible by your cleaner of items sent
to them analysis of problems which have occurred. Computer access
of this information and related articles is available at The Cleaners.
We may decline cleaning an item based on our knowledge of preexisting
problems. The Cleaners has direct access to most manufacturers and
importers and can contact them for clarity on the cleaning process.
Publications are periodically issued to members of IFI regarding
these items.
Customers often believe that if an item fails in the
cleaning process that, because "it was fine when I bought it,
it was fine when I wore it, and was fine before I brought it to
the cleaners, so the problem must have been caused by the cleaner".
Garments sent to analysis for failure problems are classified into
3 categories of fault. 1) the Manufacturer, 2) the Customer, 3)
the Cleaner. In 1999 garments seen for analysis of problems attributed
cause of those problems: 68% to manufacturer, 23% to the consumer
and 9% to the cleaner. When it is determined that the cause of the
problem rests with the manufacturer the customer should return the
item to the retailer for exchange or refund. When the cause is determined
to be with the Cleaners, generally the cleaners will use Industry
Standards, established by IFI in settling a claim. Type of garment,
age, and life expectance of use are several factors used in determining
fair settlement. |
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