What to do if your cleaners says "that can't be cleaned"!

Like many of you, I watched the Oscars recently. I love looking at the gowns! But not for the usual fashion do's and don'ts. I check them out and try and figure out if they can be cleaned, how they can be cleaned, and how much it would cost to clean them (yes, I am that dull!). Last year, People magazine had an article that had three popular stars in gowns, with the drycleaning bill next to it. Cleaning prices ranged from $400 to a little more than $1000!

I heard several comments that the high cleaning price are because of the status of the star or the designer. I'm here to tell you -- the price of a garment has no bearing on its ability to be cleaned.

What these stars wear are really pieces of art! The artist gives ZERO thought to how it would be cleaned or maintained. They only care about how it fits, falls, reflects the light and looks on that one special day! Garments may have metallic components, bias cuts, very delicate weaves, embellishments and a host of things that just won't survive "drycleaning".

I recently had the privilege to clean a beautiful and unique Justin Avery wedding gown. It was a very delicate silk chiffon, with ribbons of silk that had unfinished edges. The gown had been custom made and then sent to an artist for hand painting.

This gown was a piece of art (I wish my photo did it justice).
This gown is not drycleanable. The artist did not give a thought to the fact that no cleaning machine can tell the difference between that paint and dirt!

And I'm glad he didn't - great art is shouldn't be practical.

I will guess that less than 5% of cleaners could clean this type of gown successfully. Most would (I hope) refuse to clean it - the others wouldn't clean it well - or worse case, ruin it!

Here are 3 pieces of must have advice:

1. Get recommendations
2. Talk to people who have used the service you are considering and
3. Tell the drycleaner what kind of risk you are willing or not willing to take.

Remember, once something is cleaned it cannot be uncleaned!

So the next time you are wanting to have something cleaned and are told that it can't be done, realize that you need to find a drycleaner who is also an artist, and be willing to pay a fair price for the time and expertise. So how do these 5% of cleaners do it? Hard work, a lot of time (15 hours in this case), constant training and a lot of experience. Im not saying that the gown was the same as new, but it was back 95% of new. Thank goodness the bride didn't spill red wine!

Maximize your drycleaning buck

By Zak Stambor
January 25, 2009
The simple process of getting your clothes dry-cleaned can be simply overwhelming.

Should you take your clothes to a giant chain dry cleaner that sends clothes to a "new state-of-the-art, centrally located plant"? Maybe drop them off at a discount outlet that offers limited services but charges only $2.29 a garment (and $1.19 for a laundered shirt)? Or should you frequent the mom and pop dry cleaner just around the corner or in your high-rise?

It seems almost impossible to make sense of all the options.

And the question for many families feeling the pinch of recession: Should you be spending money on dry cleaning at all?



We asked a few experts for smart tips on using the various dry cleaning options.

Find a reputable cleaner

"If you want your clothes to last a long time, you want to go to a dry cleaner that is knowledgeable and has experience," said Tom Barnett, vice president of the Illinois State Fabricare Association, a professional association of dry cleaners affiliated with the international Drycleaning & Laundry Institute.

Cleaners that are members of the Illinois State Fabricare Association are kept abreast of the industry's ever-evolving technologies and garment-care advancements. But the association only represents about 10 percent of all cleaners, and you can verify if yours is a member by looking for an association sticker on-site, simply asking your cleaner or searching on the association's Web site, www.ifi.org/consumer/search/index.php.

If you don't have a member cleaner nearby—or those in the neighborhood are too expensive—ask friends and neighbors where they take their clothes. Or, turn to user-review sites such as Yelp that allow people to post their experiences.

Evaluate your needs

Cleaning a men's button-down shirt is more straightforward than cleaning a leather jacket, said Barnett. Many discount cleaners offer limited services that cater to more common cleaning needs.

Most men's shirts don't need to be professionally laundered; most men simply don't want to press their own shirts.

When men's shirts are taken in, they're simple to clean and routine to press. Cleaning leather, however, requires a specialized method of wet cleaning, which is not a "dry" clean, but a technique using water and biodegradable soap

Think about what you need your cleaner to do, said Barnett. Discount cleaners often don't have a tailor on-site so they can't hem jeans or repair buttons, and some don't hand-spot garments for difficult stains. Before dropping off your clothes, ask what services the cleaner does and doesn't offer.

Divide and conquer

Most garments that end up at the dry cleaner are simple to clean—they're not stained, and they're not a difficult material to clean like suede or leather, said Yale Gordon, chief executive of DryClean Direct. His local chain of stores, like many cleaners that offer discounted prices, are able to handle most garments, such as slacks, button-down shirts and dresses.

To cut costs, divide your garments into those that require special care and those that don't, said Barnett. Discount cleaners such as DryClean Direct clean most garments for around $2.49 an item, sometimes significantly less than mom and pop cleaners. For the clothes that you don't take to the discount place, a smaller shop can provide more customized service or refer you to a couture cleaner.



Wear things twice

If a garment isn't soiled or smelly, you can probably wear it another time without hurting its longevity, said Darrell New, vice president of Michigan-based 1-800-DryClean, a national chain that picks up and delivers dry cleaning twice a week to customers' homes or offices.

"If you wear a pair of pants, and salt didn't splatter on it, and it's otherwise clean, there's no reason you can't wear the pants twice or three times," he said. "Just don't push it too much."

Be informative

The best way to rid your clothes of stains and get back clean clothes is to give your cleaner as much information as possible, said New. Where is the stain? What caused the stain? How old is it?

"The more information you give them, the better service you'll get," he said.

smart@tribune.com

Common chemicals in YOUR home that can cause garment damage!

The NCA’s Center for Garment Analysis has seen an increasing number of garments with chemical damage due to use or storage. Many common household and personal care products can cause color loss or fabric damage. In many cases, the color loss may not reveal itself until cleaning. Often discoloration is not visible until the heat of drying or finishing the garment catalyzes or oxidizes the affected area. Often, when color loss or discoloration appears after cleaning, consumers blame the dry cleaner for the damage.

Alcohol

Many products that contain alcohol may discolor or completely remove the color from may fabrics. Alcohol can be found in perfume, colognes, hairspray, topical medications, as well as hard drinks and food-stuffs. Since many alcoholic substances may contain a coloring matter or oil, the discoloration caused by this type of stain may not be visible until the stain is removed.

Oxidizing Agents

Products such as laundry, detergents and bleaches, cleaning agents, disinfectants, hair care products, topical medication as well as some oral care products (toothpaste and tooth whitening formulas) contain oxidizing agents. Contact with oxidizing agents. Contact with oxidizing agents may result in the gradual discoloration of the fabric or in a complete color loss. All too often, the heat produced during the reclamation and drying cycles or during the finishing process may accelerate the oxidation, causing the affected area to discolor. This type of damage is often impossible to detect prior to the drycleaning, wetcleaning or laundering of the garment.

Damage from Acids

Contact with acidic substances can cause discolorations as well as fabric degeneration. Many substances such as fresh perspiration, deodorants, and hair care products, fruit juices and other foods and beverages may be acidic, or become acidic with age. Many household, masonry or automotive products contain acid (such as battery acid) that may degrade the fibers in fabrics. The affects of this type of staining agent may be immediate, or may reveal itself after processing.

Damage from Alkalis

The fibers and dyes used in many fabrics, especially those found in protein- based fibers such as wool and silk, will easily discolor from their contact with alkalis. Alkalis are found in many house-hold products such as detergents, bleaches, shampoos, soaps, hair care products, tooth paste and many topical medication. As with acid based staining substances, the damage may be immediately visible or may develop over time or when exposed to heat.

Fading From Light

Many dyes are affected from their exposure to natural or artificial light. This type of color loss may occur with normal use (draperies or slipcovers) or when garments are stored. In severe cases, a fabric will degenerate when exposed to direct or indirect sunlight for a period or time. If a fabric is damp, and exposed to light, the fading will be more intense in this area. Common soil may camouflage this type of damage until the soil is removed during cleaning. When the soil is removed, the damage becomes apparent. If the item is hanging for a period of time, discoloration often follows the contour.

Fume Fading

Fume fading is a color change or color loss caused by the action of airborne gases (pollutants). The action of these airborne gases combined with humidity, form an acid condition that deteriorates the dyestuffs in fabrics. The lack of sufficient air flow or air change promotes the build-up of these pollutants in closets and drawers. The discolorations caused by fume fading may appear after the drycleaning or wetcleaning processes, or after finishing, since heat often accelerates the chemical deterioration caused by the airborne pollutants. This type of damage is often seen in lengthwise streaks, and may be more apparent in the folds of the garment.

Damage From Chloride Salts

A variety of foods, beverages, topical medication, perfumes, colognes as well as perspiration and antiperspirants contain chloride salts. Chloride salts not only discolor fabrics, but have a degeneration affect on protein based fabrics such as silk. Contact with chloride salts often causes the weakening and eventual disintegration of the fibers within the fabric.

Damage From Plastic Bags

Long term storage in plastic bags should be avoided. The plastic bag can trap humidity and airborne pollutants, causing color loss, discolorations, fume fading as well as providing a breeding ground for mildew growth.

Damage From Perspiration

It is a well known fact that acids and chloride salts in perspiration may discolor dyes and eventually degenerate fabrics (see chloride salt damage). If a fabric is adversely affected by contact with perspiration, the extent of damage depends largely on the physical chemistry of the individual, the condition of wear, the type of antiperspirant used, as well as the characteristics of the fabric and dyestuffs. Silk garments will often discolor in the underarm areas. If the damage is severe, these areas will disintegrate. Garments that contain cotton (especially golf shirts) are often sulfur dyed. Sulfur dyed garments often develop orange discolorations form the affects of the acids contained in perspiration.

13 Secrets About Drycleaning

I LOVE this article - it is a no BS, reality of drycleaning. If you take this advice - your drycleaning experience will improve!

1. Lots of "dry" cleaning isn't. "We do about 24 percent of garments in water," says Chuck Horst, president of Margaret's Cleaners in La Jolla, California. Perspiration doesn't come out otherwise. ----Sasha's note: "we do closer to 40% wetcleaning - Dockers, polo's, shorts, fleece - are all often better cleaned in water - but it is NOT the same as "WASHING!"


2. It's not your gender, it's your clothes. Women's clothes—silk, special trims, buttons, slacks without a crease—can take more work and cost more too.

3. Yes, we use perchloroethylene (perc), and it's a probable carcinogen. But it's the best thing we have right now. If you can smell it on your clothes, they weren't cleaned correctly.

4. Most green cleaning is more green than clean. "Green Earth, a silicone-based cleaner, is safer and friendlier," says Steve Boorstein of clothingdoctor.com, "but it doesn't remove the multitude of stains that hydrocarbon and perc do."

5. People never remember to pick up their comforters. That's why this place sometimes looks like a Bed Bath & Beyond.

6. You blame us for damage, we blame your clothes. Instead of court or the Better Business Bureau, we'll suggest the International Textile Analysis Laboratory (SASHA's NOTE: Now called DLI, http://www.ifi.org/), run by our trade association. It's independent (honest!), and both sides get a report.

7. We've got our own definition of replace. We follow the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute's Fair Claims Guide. For a dress shirt that's a year old, that means 40 percent of the actual replacement cost. Sasha's Note: And 2 years/45 cleanings is the gaments full life!

8. Your lost clothes are probably in someone else's closet. We'd really prefer not to write you a check. (And if we say we have to get in touch with our insurance company, we could be stalling, hoping the clothes will turn up.)

9. Many of us will reuse your intact hangers and clean shirt cardboards. (Thanks.)

10. If we're charging you premium rates, please … let us sew that button on.

11. We're not raking it in. The machinery is expensive. The people who press your silk shirt get up to $20 an hour. It's a skill.

12. We've heard stories about dry cleaners who borrow a customer's dress for a weekend. But we're sure they return it clean.

13. The best clothing store in town can recommend the best dry cleaner in town.


From Reader's Digest - February 2009