Content about paint

CONCORD, N.C. — In order to honor reader requests and continue a tradition, this month’s column addresses some of the more common “land mines” awaiting the professional cleaner during the holiday period.

Party clothes can be a great source of income if you have earned the respect of potential customers and have built a reputation for reliable stain removal.

OIL AND BUTTER

When tablecloths and napkins containing oil and butter are put away, those substances will oxidize. This type of stain is relatively easy to remove when treated early, but the stain will turn deep yellow to brown over time.

Treat oxidized oil with paint-oil-grease remover (POG) on the dry side. Allow the garment to sit for at least an hour before dry cleaning as normal. If this procedure fails to completely remove the stain, repeat it. If the stain still remains, your last option is using KOH solution, made by mixing one-quarter tablespoon of potassium hydroxide into a quart of butyl alcohol. Apply the KOH solution on the dry side and allow the garment to sit for an hour. Tamp and re-clean the area to remove the remaining stain.

CONCORD, N.C. — A reader recently sent me an e-mail that contained several questions. I’ve decided that I’m going to use it as the basis of this month’s column, because the problems cited are common to many operations and my comments should provide guidance and options in your stain-removal efforts.

Q: I use _____ as my POG and lately it’s been leaving a chemical stain (ring) on the clothing that I dry clean…

A: Most paint, oil and grease removers (POG) should easily flush in the drycleaning system. The vast majority of POG can be divided into those that are based in alcohol and others that have an “oily” base (OTPR). It is important to know the contents of any chemical stain-removal agent, as some combinations of fiber, fabric and dye are extremely sensitive to the alcohol (pH).

When used on the dry side, POG is effective on chemically soluble stains such as cosmetics, paint and grease as well as aiding in the removal of difficult solvent-soluble stains. POG is generally ineffective on water-soluble stains.

SAN FRANCISCO — You may be experiencing pangs of envy as you congratulate this year's Plant Design Awards winners. A new plant can be a tremendous asset, but an existing plant can feel new again with some focused effort. Relatively minor revisions can improve productivity, boost morale, increase throughput and enhance profit.

Here are 10 ways to renew your existing plant:

10. REMOVE THE CLUTTER

Overcome the “pack rat” tendency to hold on to everything. This is a huge challenge for frugal owners, but clearly most excess/old equipment will never be re-activated. Even if you operate duplicate equipment and keep the defunct piece for parts, can the usable parts be more orderly?

How often have the boxes stored in the out-of-the-way places been opened? Do you know what they contain? Why are the contents being saved? Do they have any value that can be captured by use or sale?

Removing excess unused items of all kinds provides light, air and floor space for productive use and shows an organized approach to operating your business.

CONCORD, N.C. — The stain-removal seminar was arranged for operators with less than 18 months experience. Just back from a break, I had started my discussion of tannin stain removal. After going through the protocol for the first time, a lady raised her hand and stood. With the conviction of a Baptist minister, she said, “You can’t do that.”

I asked her to explain. “They told me that the stains all come out in the cleaning machine,” she said. “You are wasting time and money. You can’t stay in business spending that much time on a garment.”

I wish that what she said was true. If it were that easy, a lot more people would succeed in the industry. But there will always be garments that demand more time and attention to clean.

I just finished the last stain-removal test necessary to requalify for the Award of Excellence (AOE), a voluntary certification that helps cleaners distinguish themselves while demonstrating a commitment to the industry, the community and continuing education.

This year, the swatches — on white silk with a plain weave — were stained with nail polish, coffee with cream, ink, egg, spaghetti sauce, and red wine. These are stains every cleaner should be able to remove.

I’m sure she was once a beauty queen, and she’s still stunning in her designer blouse and pants. It just takes her a little more time to maintain the image she saw in the mirror back in 1989.

Thanks to the miracle of cosmetic chemistry, she has resources — foundation, blush, eye shadow, mascara, lipstick, nail polish and more. They’re part of many women’s daily routines, and they’re found on the garments we clean.

The ad promotes outdoor weddings by a lake. It doesn’t mention anything about geese, or what they might leave behind on the shore. Traditional wedding dresses are white, and many have long trains. Outside, lakeshore, geese, long train, white… “Does anyone know a professional drycleaner?!”

Is business down? Are expenses piling up and cash reserves low? Is your frustration level off the charts? It may be time to make some tough decisions.

One alternative is to lay off staffers. But another strategy might be more palatable for your operation and anyone in it who’s anxious to keep their job: going to a four-day workweek. Reducing wages and FICA costs 20% might just be what your company needs to get through tough times.

Q: I’m having difficulty spotting pigment-printed fabrics. They always seem to lose color.

A: Pigment-printed fabrics are created by mixing a powdered coloring agent (pigment) and an adhesive binding agent to the surface of a fabric using a variety of printing techniques. The print is then cured to make the design permanent. If the binding agent is mixed correctly, and if the print is cured for the proper amount of time, the print won’t “crock” off or fade during the drycleaning process.

There it is, all right. It’s a stain. The garment would look better without it. That’s why the customer brought it to you, the drycleaner. The vision the customer sees in their mind’s eye is of a pristine, like-new garment.

There are certain rules that must be followed when cleaning clothes — whether you use perc, high-flashpoint hydrocarbons, GreenEarth, water or whatever.

First, the clothes need to be classified into lights and darks, heavyweights and lightweights, fragile or special-care items, degree of soil, and of course, bleeders. Once the loads are assembled, they should be checked to see if they need any type of pretreatment.