he Royaltone system
of load classifications for wetcleaning suede and leather
considers the type of leather, the color of the leather,
combinations of colors on the same leather item, the weight of
the leather and cloth items with leather trim.
Classification by type
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This separation is required because
painted and cuir savage leathers can lose surface finish color
and gloss as a result of mechanical action if wetcleaned longer
than five minutes. Suede and naked leather items will not lose
color if wetcleaned longer than five minutes using a detergent
conditioner like Royaltone’s Prosuede Wet. Painted and
cuir savage leather items will normally clean easily with a
five minute or shorter wetcleaning cycle.
Classification by color
The second classification is by color and
is accomplished by separating the suede garments and the
leather garments into light colors and dark/bright colors to
avoid unnecessary contact of light and dark items in
wetcleaning.
While two ounces per garment of the
Prosuede Detergent Plus Conditioner stabilizes color and
protects softness of both dark and light colored leathers, it
is always good practice to wetclean dark or bright colors and
light colors in separate loads.
Classification by weight
The third classification is by weight of
suede and leather items and is made on the basis of differences
in the weights of the various types of skins. Light weight
items made from sheepskin, lambskin, deerskin and trimmed
cloth, etc., are not normally wetcleaned in the same load with
heavy weight, stiff, cowhide
and pigskin items.
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It is always good practice to run separate
loads made up of heavy, rugged, stiff cowhide and pigskin
suedes rather than to mix them with the more delicate light
weight lambskin and sheepskin suedes.
Classification of combinations and trims
This classification begins by separating
leather garments made with combinations of different colored
panels of suede or leather from cloth garments trimmed with
suede or leather.
Separate cloth items trimmed with suede
from cloth items trimmed with painted leather. Then separate
cloth items trimmed with light colored suede and painted
leather from those with dark colored trims.
Combinations of light and dark colors on a
single item should be classified as a dark colored item.
The item with a dark colored suede or
leather trim must be wetcleaned as though it were entirely dark
colored. It doesn’t matter if the garment also contains
light colored suede or leather trim or any type of cloth.
The darkest colored suede or leather trim
is the critical factor that determines that the item will be
wetcleaned with similarly colored items.
Different colored panels
Separate combination items made from
different colored panels of suede from those made of different
colored panels of painted leather. Then separate items made
from combinations of different colored panels of light colored
suede and painted leather from those with dark colored panels.
Combinations of light and dark colors on a single item should
be classified as a dark colored item.
The item with a dark colored suede or
leather panel must be wetcleaned as though it were entirely
dark colored. If the garment also contains light colored suede
or leather panels, the darkest colored suede or leather panel
determines that the item will be wetcleaned with similar dark
colored items.
Separate trimmed and combination items
based on weight. For example, a stiff, heavy denim trimmed in
suede or leather would not normally be wetcleaned with a silk
blouse trimmed in suede or leather. Likewise, an item that
combines various colored panels of heavy cowhide or pigskin
wouldn’t be wetcleaned with an item that combines various
colored panels of light weight lamb skin or doe skin.
Separating by weight prevents damage by mechanical action.
Classification summary
The type of leather, trim or combination
on an item dictates the wash time — short for painted
leathers, trims or combinations and longer for sueded leathers,
trims or combinations. The color of the suede or leather, trim
or panels determines the items that should go into a load
— light colors or trims together and dark colors or trims
together.
The weight of the item determines the
other items with which it can be safely wetcleaned; light
weight items with light weight items and heavy weight items
with heavy weight items.
Frank Lucenta is president of Royaltone
Co., Inc., a firm that manufacturers the products he developed
to make it possible for any cleaner to safely and profitably
dryclean, wetclean and finish any suede, leather, fur and
trimmed cloth garment. He also wrote related instruction books
that document the process, entitled “Handling Leather and
Suede” and “Cleaning and Finishing Leather and
Suede.” He also teaches small groups of plant owners and
managers how to identify, accept, spot, dryclean and wetclean,
press and recolor suedes, leathers, and furs using his
Royaltone procedures and products. The next Royaltone Leather
training sessions are scheduled for Sept. 11-12 and Dec. 4-5 at
the Royaltone Suedemate Leather Cleaning Center in Tulsa, OK.
For more information on training sessions or on spotting charts
in either English or Korean, call (800) 331-5506, (918)
622-6677, fax (918) 665-6017, or e-mail frank@royaltone.com. Information is also available on the Royaltone
web site, www.royaltone.com.
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