Sometimes it is possible to reverse shrinkage. It all depends on the garment’s fabric. Some fabrics are much easier to unshrink than others, but with all garments, the goal is to ”relax” the fabric’s fibers. For dry clean only garments, applying steam is the most effective method to relax the fibers. In the dry cleaning industry the process is known as “blocking”. [...]
Archive for the ‘Dry Cleaning’ category
Can you unshrink clothes?
December 15, 2010What is Wet Cleaning?
December 8, 2010Wet cleaning is the process of professionally cleaning “Dry Clean Only” clothes in water, instead of using a chemical solvent. Plain water, that would otherwise damage ”Dry Clean Only” clothes, is treated with special chemicals that make it safe to use; similar to the way “Woolite” works. While professional cleaners have always employed some form of water-based cleaning methods, often [...]
Does Dry Cleaning Kill Bed Bugs?
October 13, 2010Yes! Dry cleaning does kill bed bugs. Hot water washing and high-temperature drying will also be sufficient to kill the bugs. The temperature in the cleaning process must reach a minimum of 120°F (49º C) for 20 minutes. Heat from steam finishing will also kill the bugs. Toys, backpacks, or other small items can be placed in [...]
Clothing Life Expectancy
August 18, 2010Nothing lasts forever, including your clothes, but how long should you expect a garment to last? According to the International Fair Claims Guide for Consumers Textiles Products, assuming normal wear, you can expect most of your clothes to last somewhere between two and three years. Here is a list of garments and their life expectancy.
Free Drycleaning Arbitration Service
May 4, 2010Are you in a dispute with your dry cleaner? If so, I’d like to help! Over the past 21 years, I have had the privilege of experiencing the drycleaning industry from a very unique vantage point. In a way, you could say that I am a “super customer” for the drycleaning industry. I have worked with hundreds of cleaners and spoken on [...]
How do you read clothing care labels?
January 27, 2010Even dry cleaners sometimes have trouble deciphering clothing care labels! As part of “Project Clean” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established a set of universal symbols for garment manufacturers to use on their clothing care labels that should explain at least one safe method of cleaning the garment. At a minimum, the instructions include four symbols: washing, bleaching, drying, and [...]
Does frequent dry cleaning shorten the life of a garment?
November 19, 2009No, unlike washing your clothes in water, dry cleaning does not cause the fabric to slowly fade and does not shorten the life of a garment. On the contrary, frequent dry cleaning actually extends the life of a garment for the following reasons. 1. Dirt Removal – Frequent dry cleaning removes ground in dirt that acts like abrasive sand paper and causes rapid [...]
Can dry cleaning shrink clothes?
November 12, 2009Under normal conditions, the process of dry cleaning should not shrink your clothes. The process is called ”dry” cleaning, because rather than use water to wash your clothes with, dry cleaners use a chemical solvent in a machine that both washes and dries your clothes. Among other things, these machines are specifically designed to avoid causing fabric shrinkage. In fact, your clothes [...]
Does dry cleaning kill dust mites?
November 12, 2009Yes, dry cleaning kills 100% of dust mites! Having your bedding regularly cleaned by a professional dry cleaner is an effective way of removing dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic bugs that live on dead skin cells shed from people and their pets. Skin cells are often concentrated in your bedding and carpet. A typical mattress can contain tens of thousands of [...]
Why can’t the dry cleaner remove every stain?
November 1, 2009Unfortunately for everyone, some stains are permanent. They simply become part of the fabric. Continued attempts to remove them will cause dye loss or fabric damage, known as chafing or fraying. Many stains are removed by the dry cleaning machine and require no additional effort from the cleaner. A group of stains, called stubborn stains, require the attention of a stain removal specialist. The art of [...]
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