CONCORD, N.C. — When I’m around fabricare colleagues, they often say a certain competitor “just doesn’t know how much he doesn’t know,” or a variation on that theme. Little things can make a big difference, and I’m going to remind you of a few that will help you offer more effective and safer stain removal.
It’s unfortunate when color loss happens during stain removal, and it’s even worse to present to a customer a garment with color loss that easily could have been corrected.
A change in color due to the pH of the spotting tool is usually correctable. As soon as you notice the color around the stain changing, pull the area over the vacuum nose of the spotting board and begin flushing with wet steam. Apply tannin/acid formula to neutralize a protein/alkali spotting agent, or protein/alkali to neutralize a tannin/acid spotting agent. The surrounding color will usually return to the original color quickly.
WHEN USING RUST REMOVER
A stain removal tool that must be neutralized immediately is rust remover. The most common type is dilute hydrofluoric acid.
