Washing procedure for wetcleaning
he washing procedure
for wetcleaning suedes, leathers and trimmed cloth items
includes the following steps:
 | ||
2. Prewashing to fix or set dyes.
3. Washing to remove soil and stains.
4. Prefinish rinsing (a) to condition and
soften the skins and to enhancing colors; (b) to add body and
firmness to the skins, (and c) to impart repellency and added
softness.
Testing for color fastness
Testing for dye colorfastness determines
the serviceability of the leather dyes in the wetcleaning
process. Some suede or leather garments may be colored with
dyes that are sensitive to water. They could bleed if
wetcleaned.
Be especially concerned about
colorfastness when the garments contain multicolored panels or
multicolored suede or leather trims on cloth, or care labels
that specify, “Dryclean Only by Professional Leather
Cleaner” or if the garments contain bright vivid colors
like red, maroon, yellow or blue. These garments are prime
candidates for dye colorfastness testing.
Colorfastness testing includes testing of
all chemicals that will be used on the garment in the dilution
in which they will be used.
For example, to test the effect of the
detergent water mix like Royaltone’s Prosuede Wet
wetcleaning detergent-/conditioner on color, mix it with cool
water under 100°F in temperature, in the same proportion
that will be used in the wash water.
Apply this water/detergent solution to an
unexposed inconspicuous area of the suede or leather to be
wetcleaned. Allow about five minutes to see if the color is
affected because the dyes are sensitive to the water/detergent
mix.
 | ||
If the color bleeds, then the suede or
leather should not be wetcleaned unless it is prewashed using a
dye fixer like Royaltone’s Leather Fix prewash dye fixer
which is made to set the dye before wetcleaning with a
leather/cloth wetcleaning detergent like Royaltone’s
Prosuede Wet.
The effect of the prewash solution on the
leather or suede can also be tested on a specific garment by
following the same procedure described above and substituting a
product like Leather Fix dye fixer in place of the wetcleaning
detergent. This procedure will determine if the garment should
or should not be wetcleaned. In most cases wetcleaning will be
possible if the dye fixer sets the dye in the test.
Prewashing to fix the dye
An important part of the leather
wetcleaning process is to ensure that dyes do not run.
The purpose of the prewash cycle in the
Royaltone Wetcleaning Process for suede and leather is two
fold. First, to set the dyes and, second, to loosen surface
soils. This is accomplished by adding a product like Leather
Fix which requires the addition of four ounces per suede or
leather garment to the wash water at the beginning of the
prewash cycle
Fill the tub to a low level with cool
water at a temperature of 100°F or less. Load the washer
with up to one half of its rated poundage capacity with dry
suede or leather garments and prewash for three minutes to
stabilize the color in items that are water sensitive and might
bleed in wetcleaning. The dye fixer can be added to the wash
water manually or by injection.
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.
 |
