Why you should read Garment Care Labels

Ever wonder what those strange symbols are in the labels of your garments?

Well you should! Taking just a minute to review that label may make the difference between a favorite peice and a nightmare at your drycleaners!

One of the best tips I can give you is ALWAYS look at the label before you make a purchase . . . For example; Prada has just come out with several gorgeous pieces - if you look at the label it says "do not dryclean, do not wash, no steam." If you get any soil or spills on this item, it very likely may be the end of the garments life.

$500 is a lot to spend for a garment you will only be able to wear a handful of times. You may still want to purchase the item (they are gorgeous!). And now you are making a fully informed decision.

In the US, garment care labeling is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. They REQUIRE manufacturers to list at least one acceptable means of care for the garment. NOTE: There is NO requirement that the label needs to be correct, there is NO requirement to indicate what should not be done to clean the item ("Do no dryclean" for example). However, even with these shortcomings, at least in the US, we have care labels. Other countries often have no care/content label at all.

Better dryceaners will always read care labels. However, because of the shortcomings listed above, they may not always follow them exactly. They are really used as a guideline. For example, many silk and some cashmere sweaters can be cleaned with water. They feel and look wonderful when cleaned that way properly. However the label may have said "dryclean". BEWARE - the water temp, agitation and detergents must be carefully controlled. I am not suggesting you throw your cashmere sweater in the washer with some Woolite!

So now onto explaining how to read those little labels.
A circle typically indicates drycleaning. Letters inside the circle represent the type of drycleaning solvent. Tub shaped symbols are often a form of machine or hand washing.
Numbers within the tub represent temperature in degrees Celsius. The iron symbol of course relates to ironing and the dots inside the iron correlate to temperature. An "X" over any of these symbols prohibits the use of that process.
There are some fabrics that tend to be difficult to care for regardless of the care label and require special precaution. These include:

1. Sueded or Sand washed Silk (think Tommy Bahama)
2. Appliqued, beaded or otherwise embellished garments (I once had a metal piece that melted in the dryclean machine! I still wonder what that "metal" was made of!)
3. Brightly died pigskin sued (it cannot be repainted like leather)
4. Printed fabrics that only have print on on side

Better drycleaners use creative cleaning methods not normally in use by conventional drycleaners. They also have considerable ongoing training for new materials and experience. There is no substitute for desire and experience

Save Money On Your Wardrobe

It seems that everyone is feeling the pinch of our downward economy. Talk of doom and gloom is all around. It looks like 2009 will be a bad year for most of us financially.

So it is natural that we are all watching our spending. I have noticed that there are fewer people out at the restaurants during the week and stores seem to be closing daily. If you are watching your finances, you probably want to make all your investments last, including your clothing investment.

I have noticed a significant drop in clothes going to the drycleaners. I have talked with cleaners around the country and the trend is everywhere. While I understand why many people have no choice but to reduce spending, cleaning clothing after use is still the best investment for your clothes. As long as you are conscientious, and follow care labels and detergent directions cleaning your clothes yourself is a much better option than just wearing them more frequently between cleaning, or not cleaning them and putting them in their closet.

If you want your garments to last and look sharp like when you bought them, ALWAYS clean them after wearing. When you store soiled garments, many things can happen. Also keep in mind that just because a garment looks clean, it may not be.

Please, if you want your garments to last, the important thing to remember is you will almost always clean garments after you wear them. How you clean them is up to you.

3 Common Types of Damage Caused by NOT Cleaning After Wear:

1. Body oils are often not readily visible, but perspiration and other things that we exude from our pores are often acidic and damage fibers over time. This can create holes or color loss. Men's shirt collars can be especially problematic. Those oils around the neck may be nearly invisible, but if they have time to oxidize, the shirt may not recover!
2. Some spills like white whine or 7up dry completely clear. However, if they are not removed they will oxidize and turn brown the same way an apple turns brown after you take a bite and leave it out. Once these stains turn brown they are very difficult, and sometimes impossible to remove.
3. Insects such as moths are really after the soils in the cloths, and they will cause damage.