More back to basics:
Classification
Since the enforcement of stringent
environmental protection laws have caused fabric and garment
manufacturers to refrain from total rinsing of excess
dyestuffs, the trend has been to pile more dye onto the fabric
and garment. This procedure avoids sending the excess hazardous
waste down the drain, causing the excess dye to become fugitive
when the garment is drycleaned or wetcleaned.
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With the popularity of wetcleaning due to
operators being more prone to observe care labels in order to
reduce the amount of drycleaning and the generation of
hazardous waste (perc and petroleum solvents), the need for
garment classification is now extended to the wetcleaning
process. This is even more popular today due to the advent of
detergents, conditioners, washer development and controlled
humidity drying.
In addition to the reinvention of the
“wind whip” to dry wetcleaned garments in their
original size and shape, the availability of tensioning form
finishers in the finishing department allows the wetcleaned
garments to be finished with ease and in much less time than
before.
Although most of the fugitive dye problems
occur in the drycleaning department where garment
classification and individual dye testing is now more critical
than ever, we must also adhere to rigid garment classification
in the wetcleaning department as well in order to cope with
fugitive dyes and unusual trim, etc.
Although some care labels are mislabeled
as to the proper process, they are usually reliable when
followed, and if damage results from following the care label,
and your process is not negligent, you are usually relieved of
liability.
However, the customer feels otherwise, and
you are then usually subjected to great amounts of aggravation
from both the customer and the retailer. Therefore, if the care
label calls for home care (washing and drying), the garment
must be wetcleaned; but if the care label calls for
drycleaning, the garment must be drycleaned.
I remember, on several assignments, while
working in the drycleaning/spotting department, we encountered
numerous damaged garments that were drycleaned when the care
label prescribed washing and drying (home). The difficult part
was the fact that the garments looked
like dryclean-type garments,
and they bled profusely in the drycleaning machine. I remember
one situation in California where a light blue, heavy weave
ladies’ suit was cleaned with other light-colored
garments, and the whole load was evenly dyed light blue. The
suit came out a very light tan. Sure enough, the care label
said to wash and dry the garments.
What if the garment’s care label
calls for drycleaning, but it is so full of water-soluble
stains and perspiration odor that it must be wetcleaned?
In that case the experience and
professionalism of the operator must come into play, but also
the operator must protect him/her self in the final analysis.
This means that in addition to testing of the fabric and dyes,
and applying all the new techniques of the wetcleaning process,
the operator must get a liability release from the customer.
A simple phone call to the customer if the
problem garment wasn’t caught at the counter by the CSR
can save much aggravation and cost of a claim if damage
results. A notation should be made on the invoice of the date
and time of the phone call and the facts of the transaction.
Although it is better to invite the customer to come in and
sign a release form, that customer may find it too inconvenient
to do that.
However, I would at least make the attempt
to bring the customer in, especially if the garment looks
expensive or unusual.
At the counter, the CSR would have a
rubber stamp available and apply it to the invoice for the
customer’s signature. An elaborate form is not necessary
to make the transaction legal. In my operation, my stamp merely
stated: “I have been explained the possibility of damage
to this garment, and I accept full responsibility for its
process.” Signed _______________.
The garment would then be carefully
wetcleaned and handled according to its stability or fragility.
The important facts about wool and other animal hair fabrics
are that shrinkage can occur from two of the following: water,
heat, mechanical action — one of which must contain
mechanical action. Felting, or harsh shrinkage with distortion,
can occur from all three: water, heat and mechanical action.
One very unusual consulting assignment was
back in 1989. That operator was one of most progressive and
successful of all my clients. He employed me to design a
complete wetcleaning department and train two persons to
operate it.
The program began at the customer service
and marking area. All garments’ care labels were read by
the marker and then separated into two major groups: dryclean
and wetclean. If a garment had no care label it was then placed
aside for the supervisor to decide the process. Classification
for washing and cleaning was performed by the appropriate
department. The wetcleaning department had the latest
equipment, including two spotting boards, and slick rails
leading into the central finishing department.
Garment classification for drycleaning
For best results, garments for drycleaning
should be classified by both weight and color. The
classification by weight is necessary to achieve
drying/recovery efficiency and to eliminate residual solvent
odor, especially in hydrocarbon and perchloroethylene solvents.
There are three basic weights of garments:
(1) Light; (2) Medium; and (3) Heavy. If the load contains both
light weight and medium weight, which one will dry quicker?
That’s right, the light weight will dry quicker, and the
heavier garments will actually blot off solvent onto those
light-weight garments causing circles and streaks.
Each weight classification employs a
different drum inlet and drum outlet drying/recovery
temperatures for hydrocarbon and perchloroethylene. If you must
combine the weights due to under capacity or small volume, then
combine the medium-weight with the heavy-weight and use the
drum inlet and drum outlet drying/recovery temperatures for the
heavy weight. Most operators ignore the weight classifications
and merely classify by color only. They then become puzzled
when they experience odor and uneven drying/recovery. The drum
dry/recovery temperatures recommended are shown in the chart:
There are actually four color
classifications: (1) White; (2) Light; (3) Medium; and (4)
Dark. It is important to clean whites by themselves in
absolutely clean and color-free solvent since even very light
pastels can bleed onto the whites if cleaned together.
If you must combine any color
classifications, then clean the light and medium together, but
never clean the darks with any other color classifications. If
possible and practical, I recommend testing darks with volatile
dry solvent (VDS), rubbed with a white cotton cloth, to
determine the degree of dye bleed expected.
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Classification for wetcleaning
Garments are classified for wetcleaning
into the following groups: (1) Hard finish whites; (2) Hard
finish light and medium colors; (3) Hard finish dark colors,
(4) Fragile for line dry; (5) Soft finish whites; (6) Soft
finish light and medium colors; and (7) Soft finish dark
colors.
Note: The soft finish garments require
different wash formulas and drying cycles than hard finish
garments. Bleaching is recommended for whites only.
All dark colors should be tested for dye
bleed by rubbing neutral synthetic detergent (one part
detergent to three parts water) with a white cotton cloth on an
unexposed area. Garments are inspected for spots before
washing, and those spots that are not removable in the wash
cycle are pre-spotted, especially inks, dyes, paint, oil and
grease. If your wash formula does not begin with a flush and
then an acid bath, then all tannin and beverage stains must be
removed before washing since the alkaline suds bath will set
the tannic acid and reducing sugar contained in those stains.
All garments are inspected for spots before being sent to
finishing.
Note: My spotting video, “The Caplan
Method of Stain Removal,” which includes my comprehensive
text and the handy spotting board reference, is available in
English, Korean (video only) and Spanish (video only) from the
Golomb Group, c/o Dennis McCrory, 7664 Plaza Court,
Willowbrook, IL 60521, phone (800) 679-5856. A lecture and
demonstration are presented similar to my classes over the
years at IFI and SDA. This video and text are ideal for
training inexperienced spotters as well as a good review for
experienced spotters.
Also available from the Golomb Group, in
English and Spanish, is my video on step-by-step shirt
finishing which includes my comprehensive text in loose-leaf
form (English only) outlining each procedure for a
single-operator and two-operator cabinet shirt unit using a
cabinet sleever. Proper forming of the collar using heated
collar formers is demonstrated. Each lay is demonstrated for
top quality with very little effort by the operators.
Attractive detailing and packaging of the hangered shirt,
padding, steam pressures and timing are all discussed. A unique
wash formula to give whiter whites, brighter colors and total
removal of grease and body oils is included in the loose-leaf
note book.
Stan Caplan has over 35 years experience
in his own high volume dry-cleaning, laundry and tailoring
plant and two package plants with adjoining coin-operated
laundry and drycleaning. Stan is the former chief instructor at
the International Fabricare Institute, the Southwest
Drycleaners Association and various other trade
association-sponsored schools throughout the US and courses in
Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong. Stan
offers consulting, training and engineering services in all
areas from customer service area to the boiler room since 1981.
His complete system withtotal quality management will produce
maximum efficiency, economy and product excellent quality. Stan
can be reached at 7341 Amberly Lane, Suite 310, Delray Beach,
FL 33446, phone/fax (561) 496-2548. His e-mail address is stancap100@aol.com.
