Can my dry cleaning give me cancer?

Posted October 27, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Dry Cleaning
Tags: , , ,

There has been a lot of negative publicity over the past 20 years about the dangers to humans of the dry cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene (perc). According to the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), much of the hype is scientifically unfounded.

Alternative petroleum based solvents are often cited as green alternatives, when in fact the opposite is true. According to the ACSH, “The advantages of perc compared to other such compounds include that it is not flammable, has low toxicity to humans, does not accumulate in humans and other living creatures, does not deplete the ozone layer, and is not persistent in the environment. Thus, it can be used beneficially without the negative effects on human health and the environment that are characteristic of some other solvents, such as petroleum products.”

At extremely high levels, perc is toxic to humans and can cause effects on the nervous system, liver and kidneys. However, according to the ACSH, “Critical analysis of the results of the many studies on perc show that there is no credible animal or epidemiological evidence that perc can cause cancer in humans. On the contrary, careful scientific examination of claims shows that it was the unique characteristics of rodents and their very high exposures to perc that led to their cancers, and that the results of such laboratory-animal studies do not apply to humans.”

So, don’t be afraid of your dry cleaning, its not going to give you cancer! You can read the full story for yourself on the ACSH website.

Comments: 1 Comment

Do home dry cleaning kits really work?

Posted October 26, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning
Tags: , ,

Home dry cleaning kits like Dryel, Custom Cleaner and FreshCare can be an effective way to stretch your dry cleaning dollar. By “freshening” your clothes between visits, they reduce the frequency of going to the cleaner. These kits use the heat in your dryer to generate steam inside special dryer bags, which activate perfumed sheets that mask any unpleasant odors on your clothes. They also include a water based stain remover for pre-treating spots on your clothes, before placing them in the dryer, which works well at removing water based stains like cola, wine and milk. 

However, the instructions for Dryel explain that its designed as a complement to professional dry cleaning, not a replacement. Dirt removal is limited to the pre-treatment step. Home dry cleaning kits don’t remove your sweat residue or the natural body oil excreted from your skin that build up on your clothes as you wear them.  They also fail to remove things like ground in soil, ketchup, lipstick, makeup, ink, lint, vegetable oil, butter, shoe polish and pet hair. Also, people who dislike strong fragrances should avoid using these kits. The odor of the perfume used in these products will cling to your clothes for weeks.

Have you tried these kits? If so, please share your experience in a comment and I’ll post it!

Comments: 5 Comments

Clothing Care Label Symbols Defined – Washing

Posted October 25, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Laundry
Tags: , ,

The symbols on a clothing care label can provide valuable information about the best way to clean the garment, but only if you understand what they mean. Here are a few common labels and their definitions. 

Machine Warm

Machine Warm

Garments with this symbol on their care label can be safely machine washed in warm water.
Machine Hot

Machine Hot

Garments with this symbol on their care label can be safely machine washed in hot water.

Hand Wash

Hand Wash

Garments with this symbol on their care label can be safely hand washed in luke warm water.

Do Not Wash

Do Not Wash

Garments with this symbol on their care label should not be washed in water.

Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine Bleach

Garments with this symbol can be cleaned with chlorine bleach safely.

No Chlorine

No Chlorine

Garments with this symbol on their care label should not be cleaned with chlorine bleach.

A complete chart of FTC approved care label symbols can be found at Fabriclink.com

Images courtesy of Visual Dictionary

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Why does my dry cleaner charge more for silk and linen?

Posted October 23, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Dry Cleaning
Tags: , ,

In the dry cleaning industry, the practice of charging more for certain fabrics is called “upcharging”. When cleaners upcharge, they are passing along an increased cost of production to their customers. Some fabrics are very difficult to work with and take significantly more time, labor and skill to process properly. For this reason, most cleaners upcharge for clothes made from silk or linen. Both fabrics are made from natural fibers and present unique challenges for the cleaner.

Successful stain removal is a critical step in the production process for cleaners. Many stains are removed by the dry cleaning machine and require no additional resources from the cleaner. A group of stains, called stubborn stains, require the attention of a stain removal specialist. The art of removing stains is called “spotting” and the person doing the stain removal is called the “spotter”. The spotter is typically one of the highest paid employees in a dry cleaning plant. To remove them, stubborn stains often require a combination of stain removing solutions and a significant amount of mechanical action.

Silk and linen are notoriously prone to stubborn stains. For silk in particular, because of its extremely delicate nature, when attempting to remove the stains, the spotter is limited in the types of stain removing solutions he can use and the amount of mechanical action he can apply. The risk of dye loss and fabric damage during stain removal is very high. It routinely takes multiple cycles of spotting, machine cleaning, and re-spotting to safely remove stains from silk and linen. This process requires a high degree of skill to avoid damaging the fabric.

Removing wrinkles is another critical step in the production process for cleaners. The removing of wrinkles is called “finishing”. Most garments require a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing to achieve the desired finish. The more hand ironing required, the more time and labor expense goes into finishing. Finishing silk and linen requires significantly more hand ironing than most fabrics. Linen in particular is very challenging. Some wrinkles in linen become so “set” that they are virtually impossible to safely remove. Linen holds wrinkles so well, that manufacturers sometimes intentionally give a wrinkled finish to their linen fabric. They intend for the garments never to be pressed!

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Why are women’s blouses more expensive to clean than men’s business shirts?

Posted October 22, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , , ,

The reason cleaners charge more for women’s blouses than men’s business shirts is because they are passing along their increased cost of production to their customers. Depending on the cleaner’s equipment, it costs them between three and four times the labor expense to properly “finish” a women’s blouse compared to a men’s shirt. Here’s why…

The biggest production cost for a cleaner is their labor expense, the money they pay their employees. Most of their labor goes into the “finishing” of a garment. Finishing is a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing. Most garments require a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing to achieve the desired finish. Many cleaners have special “assembly line style” machines that can finish the typical men’s business shirts without any hand ironing. These machines greatly reduce the time and labor needed to finish a shirt compared to a women’s blouse which sometimes requires as much as 100% hand ironing to achieve the proper finish. Depending on their equipment and the skill of the presser, most cleaners can finish three to four men’s business shirts in the same time it takes to finish one women’s blouse.

You may be thinking, why not make similar machines for finishing women’s blouses? Well, I’m sure they would if they could. The problem is that women’s blouses come in an extremely wide variety and combination of different patterns, fabric types, trims and ornamentation. Plus, these variations can change dramatically from season to season with the latest changes in fashion. This prevents the machine manufacturers from developing presses that will fit the majority of women’s blouses. Where as men’s shirts have basically looked exactly the same for more than 100 years and they’re almost always made of 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend. This stability in style has enabled the machine manufacturers to develop shirt presses that will fit the majority of men’s business shirts. The classic men’s business shirt is called a Pin Point Oxford and has the common features in the diagram below…

ShirtDiagram

Here is an educational video on how to press shirts, courtesy of YouTube and produced by The DryCleaning & Laundry Institute. It shows these machines in operation and the proper way to use them. Sorry, I couldn’t find a video showing how to hand finish a women’s blouse, but it is very similar to the way you would do hand ironing at home.

Most models of shirt machines are limited in the range of sizes that will fit on them. The standard range is medium through extra large. Shirts outside of this range, i.e. small and double X shirts, require extra hand finishing. A shirt that doesn’t fit on these machines is typically charged the same price as a women’s blouse. There is a women’s version of the Pin Point Oxford business shirt, but they rarely fit on the machines. If a women’s shirt will fit on the machines, the cleaner should charge her the same price as they charge for a men’s business shirt.

Diagram courtesy of Visual Dictionary

Comments: 1 Comment

What to do if clothes bleed?

Posted October 21, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , , ,

The Garment Manufacturer’s Dilemma

When making clothing, the manufacturer is torn between two opposing desires. On one hand, they need to create a garment that is serviceable. By serviceable, I mean a garment that can be safely cleaned repeatedly without causing damage or excessive wear to the fabric.

On the other hand, they need to create a garment that is aesthetically pleasing. In order for it to sell successfully, a garment must be made from fabric, patterns, and dyes that are fashionable and in style. Clothing fashions can change quickly and dramatically. These changes often cause significant challenges for the garment manufacturers and the dry cleaners that service the garments.

Manufacturing Defects are Inevitable

Because of the garment manufacturer’s dilemma, serviceability cannot always be given top priority. It must be balanced with aesthetics, which ultimately results in manufacturing defects that don’t show up until the first cleaning.

For example, consider fabric dye. Each color of dye has a slightly different chemical composition. These chemicals react differently to different fabrics and new types of fabric are being developed all the time. Some dyes simply adhere to some fabrics better than others.  To compound the problem, sometimes during manufacturing, mistakes are made by humans and errors are made by machines. Fabric is made in giant rolls, similar to rolls of carpet. These rolls are called ”lots”. When a mistake is made in manufacturing it creates what is known in the industry as a “bad lot”.  As a result, dye bleeding is one of the most common manufacturing defects. To top it off, to keep costs low, manufacturers typically do not pre-wash garments before selling them, so if the dye is not “colorfast”, bleeding will occur during the first cleaning.

Steps You Can Take to Manage the Problem

1. Buy Department Store Clothing - Ironically and somewhat counter-intuitively, the more expensive a garment is the less serviceable it may actually be. Very expensive clothes that you may find in small boutique stores or in strip malls are often the most trendy and elaborate. For these clothes, in the dilemma between aesthetics and serviceability, aesthetics normally wins out. Amazingly, some of the most expensive garments sometimes have care labels that say both Do Not Dry Clean and Do Not Wash! This type of clothing is notorious for having defects.

The clothing you find on the rack in your local major department store is typically the best value for your fashion dollar. Large retail chains have close relationships with the garment manufacturers and they instruct them to strike a conservative balance between aesthetics and serviceability. If you follow the care label’s recommended cleaning procedure, you can expect the clothes you buy in the major department stores to hold up nicely when cleaned repeatedly.

2. Return Defective Clothes to the Retailer - Unfortunately, even the most reputable department stores may occasionally sell a defective garment from a bad lot. Some examples of the most common manufacturing defects are; shrinking, stretching, seam  separation, dye bleeding, loss of ornamentation and trim destruction. You should return defective garments to the store right away. Surprisingly, most department stores have a policy of accepting returns with no questions asked and without a receipt! They will in turn get a refund from the manufacturer. They often give their customers a choice between replacing the garment, a store credit, or reversing the credit card charge. 

3. Track Down the Manufacturer - If returning the garment to the retailer is not possible, you can contact the manufacturer directly. All care labels are required to have a Registration Number (RN) identifying the manufacturer. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains an online database of garment manufacturers where you can look up the manufacturer’s contact information using the RN on the care label. After you find the manufacturer on the FTC website, send the garment to the manufacturer via registered mail and include an explanation for the return. If the contact information on the FTC website is incomplete, try a Google search using the manufacturer’s name. Most major garment manufacturers have websites.

4. Test the Fabric for Colorfastness - Before cleaning a new garment, you should test the fabric to make sure its not going to bleed. Simply take a clean wet washcloth and gently rub a corner of it on an inconspicuous inner part of the garment. If the fabric is not colorfast, some of the dye will transfer to the washcloth. This dye is called ”fugitive” dye. If this happens, do not wash the garment with other clothing. Either wash it alone or return it to the retailer for a refund. Sometimes only a small amount of dye will bleed in the first wash, then there is no bleeding on subsequent washings. However, some garments known as “bleeders” will continue to bleed with repeated washings. Of course, if none of the dye transfers to the washcloth, then its most likely safe to clean.

5. Try to Set the Dye - The best way to stop a garment from bleeding is to use a “dye fixative”. There are several brands available through mail order (Retayne, Raycafix, Dharma Dye Fixative). A good source of information about using these products is Paula Burch’s “All About Hand Dyeing“.

6. Use a Dry Cleaner - A good “full service” dry cleaner should be able to set the dye for you. To find a good cleaner go to 1-800-DryClean.com or call 1-800-379-2532. If there isn’t a 1-800-DryClean franchisee servicing your area, the next best place to look is on the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s website.

Have you ever had any luck setting the dye of a garment that’s bleeding? If so, please share your experience in a comment and I’ll post it!

Comments: 4 Comments

Clothing Term Word Origins

Posted October 20, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips
Tags: ,

Since I was a young boy, I’ve found word origins fascinating. Here is a small collection of clothing term etymologies that I have gathered through the years. I hope you find them as interesting as do…

Button- Originally from Middle English spelled “boton” and meant “bud” of a flower. Buttons look like flower buds.

Collar – Comes from the Latin word for “collum” which means neck.

Cummerbund – Originally a Persian word “kamarband” which they wore around their loins.

Denim – The fabric that blue jeans are made from was called “serge de Nimes” after the manufacturing town of Nimes in southern France, where the fabric has its origins. Overtime, the words de and Nimes merged together into denim.

Drawers – In Old English the word “dragan” meant to “draw something toward you”, which is what you do when you pull on a pair of drawers.

Jacket – The root word “jack” in Old English was originally a coat of mail and a “jacket” was a little coat of mail.

Leotard - Named after the French trapeze artist, Jules Léotard (1830-1870), who wore leotards when he performed.

Linen – Originally linen fabric was used as a second layer to ”line” the inner side of a garment. 

Pants – Originally a French word “Pantalone” who was a common character in French comedy. Pantalone always w0re a particular type of trousers. His trousers gave us the name pantaloon, now shortened to pants.

Shirt and Skirt – Shirt and Skirt originally meant the same thing and came from the Old English word “scyrte” meaning any short garment.

Slacks – Comes from the Latin word “Laxus” which meant spacious and loose.

Starch – The word starch is derived from the Middle English word sterchen, meaning to stiffen.

Stocking - From the Old English word stocc, meaning trunk or log. Its most likely a reference to the resemblence of legs to tree trunks.

Sweater - Originally, a sweater was a woolen vest or jersey made to be worn during rowing to produce sweat in an effort to lose weight.

If you know of any other clothing related word origins please post them in a comment and I’ll add them to my list!

Thanks in part to Online Etymology Dictionary

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Garment Care Labels Defined – Ironing

Posted October 13, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , ,
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that all garments sold in the US have a care label attached. Below we have defined four common symbols found on care labels indicating the appropriate heat setting when ironing the garment. 
 
Iron Low Setting

Iron Low Setting

Garments with this symbol on their care label can be safely ironed with the iron’s temperature set to “low” heat.

Iron Med Setting

Iron Med Setting

Garments with this symbol on their care label can be safely ironed with the iron’s temperature set to ”medium” heat.

Iron Hi Setting

Iron Hi Setting

Garments with this symbol on their care label can be safely ironed with the iron’s temperature set to ”high” heat.

Do Not Iron

Do Not Iron

Garments with this symbol on their care label should not be ironed.

A complete chart of FTC approved care label symbols can be found at Fabriclink.com

Images Courtesy of Visual Dictionary

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Clothing Stain Removal Guide

Posted September 15, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , ,

THE BASICS

1. TAKE QUICK ACTION – The sooner a stain is treated the better. Time can “set” stains. Almost any stain can be removed if action is taken quickly enough, however almost any stain will become permanent if left untreated too long. Ideally, all stains should be treated within the first 24 hours.

2. BLOT & SCRAPE – Whenever possible, immediately after the stain occurs, blot up any excess liquid with a paper towel or clean white cloth. Scrape solids from the fabric if the stain is dry.  Try to remove as much excess as possible before further stain treatment.

3. DO NOT APPLY HEAT – Do not apply heat of any kind to stained fabric. Heat can “set” stains. Before ironing, pressing, or drying a garment in a dryer, check to make sure that the fabric is completely free of stains. If you don’t know the origin of a stain, don’t use hot water.  Hot water can set protein stains such as blood, egg, and milk stains.

4. TEST THE FABRIC – Before attempting to remove a stain, test the stain removal agent on an inside seam or hidden area of the garment to make sure it doesn’t damage the fabric.  Sometimes the stain removal agent may damage the fabric more than the stain itself.

5. READ CARE LABELS – Garment manufacturers normally attach a “care label” inside the garment, usually at the back of the neckline or at the waistline, indicating the recommended cleaning method. Read the garment care label carefully.  The recommendations are based on the fabric, trim, elastic, interfacing, or adhesives. If garments are labeled “dry-clean only” don’t attempt to remove stains from them yourself, immediately call 1-800-DryClean for free pick-up & delivery service. If garments are labeled “washable”, it may be possible to remove stains from them yourself. Many natural fabrics, such as silk, wool, linen, leather, suede, and fur garments must usually be dry-cleaned. 

6. DRY-SIDE vs WET-SIDE – Stains can be divided into two main groups, dry-side and wet-side. Wet-side stains are water-based. Consequently, it takes some form of water to remove these stains. Examples of wet-side stains include soft drinks, milk, ice cream, wine, coffee, tea, mustard, grass, and most food stains. Dry-side stains are oil based. Special dry cleaning fluids or powders are needed to remove these stains. Examples of dry-side stains include rouge, mascara, foundation, ballpoint ink, rubber base adhesives, cooking oils and greases, oil and tar, candle wax, and salad oil and dressing. There are also “combination stains” that dissolve partially in cleaning fluid and partially in water. Lipstick is an example of this. It contains wax and dye. When treating combination stains always use the dry-side stain removing agents before you use the wet-side stain removing agents. Other examples of combination stains are shoe polish, gravy, paint, and salad dressing.

 

STAIN REMOVAL SUPPLIES

Drycleaning Fluid – Oil based stain and spot removers are available at grocery and hardware stores. Look for products that contain petroleum solvent, petroleum hydrocarbon or petroleum distillate.

Laundry Detergent – 1 tablespoon per cup of warm water

Household Ammonia – 1 teaspoon per cup of water

White Vinegar – 1 part vinegar to 3 parts of water

Oxygen Bleach – 3 percent hydrogen peroxide

Chlorine Bleach – 1 part chlorine bleach to 4 parts water

Enzyme Detergent – Laundry detergent with enzymes added for presoaking 

 

TREATING COMMON STAINS

PROTEIN STAINS – Blood, chocolate, egg, ice cream, milk, baby formula, vomit, perspiration – Blot with water and a clean cloth. Then treat with an enzyme detergent. If the stain remains, treat with household ammonia. If the stain remains, treat with white vinegar. If the stain remains, treat with oxygen bleach.

TANNIN STAINS – Coffee, tea, mustard, wine, soft drinks, tomato sauce, soy sauce – Blot with water and a clean cloth. Then treat with laundry detergent. If the stain remains, treat with white vinegar. If the stain remains, treat with oxygen bleach.

OIL STAINS – Butter, furniture polish, grease, lipstick, foundation makeup, mayonnaise – Blot with drycleaning solvent and a clean cloth. If the stain remains, treat with laundry detergent. If the stain remains, treat with household ammonia.

WAX & PAINT - Candle wax, crayon, paint – Blot with drycleaning solvent and a clean cloth. If stain remains, treat with laundry detergent and household ammonia. The last traces of color matter may be removed with oxygen bleach.

INK STAINS – Apply drycleaning solvent. Blot until all bleeding stops, moving the stained area as the towels absorb the ink. If the stain remains, treat with laundry detergent and household ammonia.

MILDEW – Wash with chlorine bleach. Be sure to test the fabric before using chlorine bleach. Never use bleach on silk, wool, nylon or spandex.

NAIL POLISH – Never use this method on acetate fibers and test the fabric before proceeding. Blot the stain with acetone, moving the stained area as the towel absorbs the nail polish.

Comments: 6 Comments

What if the dry cleaner ruins your clothes?

Posted August 17, 2009 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning
Tags: , , ,

Though many garments can be cleaned and pressed at home, using the services of a professional drycleaner is simply a must to properly care for most of today’s fine garments. The look and lifespan of your clothes can be greatly enhanced by having them serviced regularly by a clothing care expert.

 However, not all drycleaners are created equal. The drycleaning industry has transitioned through many major changes over the past 50 years, some for the better and some for the worse. The good news is that there have been significant advances in the machinery and the chemicals used by drycleaners. Good drycleaners are doing a better job nowadays! The bad news is that while the number of drycleaning stores has been growing, the number of true clothing care experts has been shrinking. Servicing fine garments properly is not simple and there is a shortage of experienced talent in the drycleaning industry. This has lead to an unfortunate trend. According to the “DryCleaning & Laundry Institute”, an increasing number of garments are being damaged by inexperienced drycleaners!

 So, what can you do to protect yourself?  Here are three steps you can take before a problem arises…

 1. PICK A GOOD CLEANER – To find a good cleaner go to 1-800-DryClean.com or call 1-800-379-2532. If there isn’t a 1-800-DryClean franchisee servicing your area, the next best place to look is on the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s (DLI) website.  The DLI provides its members with advanced technical training on expert clothing care. Members are educated on the latest industry information, cleaning techniques, solutions for problem garments, finishing procedures, new regulations, and operating information. If members need help, DLI’s experts are just a phone call away.

 2. GET TO KNOW YOUR CLEANER – Just like a good barber, a good cleaner will make an effort to get to know their customers. Not all customers are the same. Each one has individual preferences and special needs. Your cleaner should be interested in your unique needs. By establishing a relationship with the owner or manager of your cleaner, you will open up the channels of communication and fair much better if a problem arises down the road.

 3. HELP THE CLEANER HELP YOU – Be sure to look over your clothes before you send them to the cleaner. If you notice anything that needs attention, like a stain or some repair work, point it out to the cleaner when you drop off your clothes. Especially, when it comes to stain removal, the more information you can give the cleaner, the better service he can provide you. This simple step will also greatly reduce the “blame game” if damage shows up after the clothes are cleaned. You want the cleaner to know that you routinely inspect your clothes before sending them in.

 Even the best cleaner will occasionally damage garments. A certain amount of mechanical action is necessary to effectively remove the dust, body oil, and grime that build up on your clothes as you wear them. So, what should you do if your favorite cleaner ruins your shirt? By doing the following you will increase the likelihood of a positive outcome…

 1. INFORM THE CLEANER ASAP – Bring the problem to the cleaner’s attention as soon as possible. Often garments that appear to be hopelessly damaged can be fixed. For example, residual soap stains on cotton shirts often appear to be burn marks, but they can be removed relatively easily. As time goes by, all stains become harder to remove, so immediate action is necessary.

 2. REMAIN CALM & PATIENT – Having one of your favorite garments damaged can be very upsetting. However, there is no need to become overly frustrated before you talk to the cleaner. Most reputable cleaners take great pride in their work, they value their customers and they are very interested in keeping them happy. They don’t want to lose your business. Showing your frustration to the cleaner is usually unnecessary and can be very counterproductive. A little kindness, respect, and patience will go a long way and often makes a big difference in how the cleaner reacts.

 3. LET THE CLEANER SUGGEST A SOLUTION – Rather than immediately make a demand for cash reimbursement. Give the cleaner some time to resolve the problem and let him suggest a solution. You may be surprised at the options that are available. For example, the cleaner may be able to contact the manufacturer and order an identical replacement garment for you. Cleaners are also often able to give much larger reimbursements if you are willing to accept a store credit rather than insist on a check.

 4. GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT – Sometimes it’s not entirely clear whether the cleaner is negligent or if the damage was caused by something else. Especially if it’s the first time the garment was cleaned, it’s likely the damage was the result of a manufacturing defect. In order to keep costs low, manufacturers typically do not pre-wash garments before selling them. Sometimes during manufacturing, mistakes are made by humans and/or machines. If a manufacturing defect caused the problem, the garment should be returned to the place of purchase for a refund. Good cleaners will often offer to return the garment to the store for you, free of charge. If returning the garment to the retailer is not possible, you can contact the manufacturer directly. Wearing apparel is covered by the Federal Trade Commission’s Care Label Rule. Garments sold in the United States must have a permanent care label attached. All parts of the garment must be able to withstand the recommended care procedure. All care labels are required to have an RN (Registration Number) identifying the manufacturer. Using the RN, look up the manufacturer on the FTC website. Send the garment to the manufacturer via registered mail, return receipt, and include an explanation for the return.

5. GET THIRD PARTY TESTIMONY – If the cleaner is not eager to find a mutually agreeable solution, seeking an unbiased opinion from a knowledgeable third party should be your next step. 1-800-DryClean national headquarters in Ann Arbor Michigan offers laboratory analysis services for damaged garments through the International Textile Analysis Laboratory. For a fee of $36, they will literally put your garment under a microscope, run chemical analysis tests, and render their opinion on what caused the damage and who is ultimately responsible, all in a detailed summary report. This report can be very persuasive, especially if you end up in front of a judge in small claims court. They will also attempt to repair the damage if possible. To send your garment in for analysis, call 888-700-6177 ext 700 and ask for Darrell New. 1-800-DryClean can also provide you with the International Fair Claims Guide for Consumer Textiles Products, which provides guidelines for responsibility for claims adjustment purposes for textile products.

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