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Published 02/26/2010 - 9:24 a.m. CT
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Q: Whenever a customer brings in a coat with a care label that reads “Clean by Pile Method,” I’ve sent it out for processing. Is it possible for me to clean these in my own plant?
A: Yes. Garments that have this type of care label are usually constructed of modacrylic fibers, and processing them doesn’t require any type of specialized equipment.
To process a coat with a “Clean by Pile Method” care label, you can use any type of solvent. Use a short cycle — around 2 minutes should do it — and a high solvent level. Reclaim the solvent at the lowest temperature that you can, depending on the type of solvent you’re using.
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Published 01/13/2010 - 9:30 a.m. CT
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| Photo: iStockphoto.com/webking |
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Q: I recently had a “lipstick load.” Since I had to work on each piece, it took me hours to restore the entire load. Is there an easier way to handle the mess that results when accidentally running a load with ink or lipstick?
A: The majority of pieces in a lipstick or ink load can be corrected by manually filling the loaded machine to half of its normal solvent level and adding half a gallon of oily-type paint remover (OTPR) or paint, oil and grease remover (POG) for every 25 pounds of the machine’s rated capacity (for example, ½ gallon for a 25-pound machine, or 1½ gallons for a 75-pound machine).
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Published 12/04/2009 - 9:56 a.m. CT
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| Photo: iStockphoto.com/stocksnapper |
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Q: What’s the best way to prevent the white break lines that sometimes appear when wetcleaning silk? What’s the best way to repair the breaks that do appear?
A: When “breaks” or “spider webbing” occur after wetcleaning silk fabrics, it’s usually the result of:
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Published 11/11/2009 - 10:48 a.m. CT
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| Photo: iStockphoto.com/John W. DeFeo |
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Q: Khaki pants seem to be a good candidate for wetcleaning, but I often have trouble removing grease and oils without drycleaning them. What’s the best, most efficient way to get them clean?
A: It isn't necessary to dryclean khaki slacks before wetcleaning them. Almost every manufacturer of wetcleaning and laundry detergents has a degreasing agent that can be added to a wetcleaning or laundry formula. Have your representative set up a “khaki program” that includes this type of degreasing agent.
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Published 10/14/2009 - 8:35 a.m. CT
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| Photo: iStockphoto.com/Sarka Pistekova |
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Q: A customer brought us a tablecloth that was stained with candle wax. What’s the best way to remove this type of stain?
A: First, you’ll need to gently scrape the excess wax from the surface of the fabric with a spatula or the edge of a spoon. Some of the wax will have worked its way into the fabric, however, so you’ll need to take care of that as well.
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