Spirits of turpentine were used to remove stains of an oily nature as far back as the beginning of the 18th century. The garment cleaning industry existed in both Europe and the United States prior to the mid-1800's. The trade was known as "dyer-scourer." The cleaners job was based on wet cleaning processes with solvents used for localized spot removal.
The process reversed itself in the late 18th century and relied primarily on the use of solvents for cleaning as opposed to water. Cleaners found that less shrinkage, dye loss, and wrinkling occurred making the finishing operations easier.
The first dry cleaning operation was Mr. J. B. Jolly's cleaning and dyeing firm in Paris, France. Primarily camphene solvent was used. This solvent was less than ideal as it left a lingering odor of turpentine. Other early solvents included benzole, kerosene and gasoline.
In 1928 W. J. Stoddard developed an acceptable petroleum based solvent which became known as Stoddard solvent. Because of its low flash point of 100 degrees, another similar solvent called 140degree solvent was developed because it was safer. This solvent remains in use today.
In the 1930's trichloloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride were being used starting a trend toward synthetic solvents. These solvents were advantageous because they were non-flammable and fast drying. Also in the 1930's perchloroethylene came into use and is still the primary solvent used today. One other solvent developed in the 1960's known as flourocarbon solvent has the advantage of its gentleness to fabrics and dyes. Because of the discovery of the detrimental effect on the ozone layer, this solvent was phased out of use in the US.
Today, petroleum solvents (often called organic, true, but there is no healthful advantage to a petroleum solvent), and perchloroethylene are the major solvents utilized for the drycleaning industry. Many alternatives are being developed, Silicone (Green Earth), CO2, Drysolve, etc. in an effort to clean and be more environmentally conscious.
Source Note: Drycleaning Laundry Institute, MD
Caring for Your Neck Tie
A favorite Christmas gift for men is the necktie. Neckties are also a way to add a fashion statement to men's business attire. Today I want to talk about what you can do to make you ties last for years to come!
AVOID STAINS: People don't realize that ties are specialty items and are not really intended to be cleaned too frequently. That said - the best way to avoid wear is to protect your tie when you eat. Pulling it to the side, removing it or covering it with a napkin are all good options.
UNTIE THE KNOT: Leaving the tie knotted between wearings may cause permanent wrinkles. Always store your ties untied! Be gentle when you tie and untie your tie. Do not pull the small end through the knot to untie as this action forces undue stress on the fragile bias material comprising most ties.
REMOVING WATER MARKS: Ties should not be rubbed to remove a stain with the exception of water marks. Some water marks can be removed by lightly rubbing the mark with the small end of the tie, use no moisture or agents. Be sure to rub gently and monitor progress from all angles to prevent damage to the finish.
REMOVING WRINKLES: After removing your tie for the day, if there are any wrinkles, roll the tie around a finger, slip the rolled tie off, and store overnight. Do not roll too tightly and do not keep it in the rolled up position for more than a day or two. If this is unsuccessful, try rolling the tie in the other direction. Never press a tie with an iron!
CLEANING TIES: Ties are very fragile and require experienced and competent care. Proper cleaning can only be achieved by a professional that will take the care to hand treat, very gently clean, and block the tie to its proper shape. Ties should never be ironed or pressed, as such actions will force the bias material out of shape and cause impressions, crease edges and generally remove life from the tie.
Inspect some finished work from a cleaner before entrusting one with such unique articles.
AVOID STAINS: People don't realize that ties are specialty items and are not really intended to be cleaned too frequently. That said - the best way to avoid wear is to protect your tie when you eat. Pulling it to the side, removing it or covering it with a napkin are all good options.
UNTIE THE KNOT: Leaving the tie knotted between wearings may cause permanent wrinkles. Always store your ties untied! Be gentle when you tie and untie your tie. Do not pull the small end through the knot to untie as this action forces undue stress on the fragile bias material comprising most ties.
REMOVING WATER MARKS: Ties should not be rubbed to remove a stain with the exception of water marks. Some water marks can be removed by lightly rubbing the mark with the small end of the tie, use no moisture or agents. Be sure to rub gently and monitor progress from all angles to prevent damage to the finish.
REMOVING WRINKLES: After removing your tie for the day, if there are any wrinkles, roll the tie around a finger, slip the rolled tie off, and store overnight. Do not roll too tightly and do not keep it in the rolled up position for more than a day or two. If this is unsuccessful, try rolling the tie in the other direction. Never press a tie with an iron!
CLEANING TIES: Ties are very fragile and require experienced and competent care. Proper cleaning can only be achieved by a professional that will take the care to hand treat, very gently clean, and block the tie to its proper shape. Ties should never be ironed or pressed, as such actions will force the bias material out of shape and cause impressions, crease edges and generally remove life from the tie.
Inspect some finished work from a cleaner before entrusting one with such unique articles.
Live Longer, Look Younger
I mean your drapes, of course.
Nothing brightens a room like clean drapes and window treatments. And there are a few things to know in order to keep your drapes living longer, and looking younger.
Drapes and window treatments are made of a variety of cloths, from heavy durable fabrics, to light, transparent materials. But no matter what they are made of, a number of environmental factors will affect their condition and lifespan. These include:
Sunlight
Sun damage and fading strike unlined drapes the hardest. Sunlight will not only fade colors but also wear on the threads of the fabric itself. While man[made fibers such as polyester are more resistant to such damage, no material is immune
Oxidation
Fumes from pollution, cooking, smoking, etc., contain chemicals which will cling to curtains and drapes. When combined with humidity and oxygen, these chemicals can create a mild acid which hastens deterioration.
Shrinkage
Humidity and air quality can cause drapes to shrink 2%! Over time, this shrinkage can be progressive.
Dyes and Pigments
Drapery dyes, like all dyes, are subject to changes over time. These can include bleeding, cracking and running. Pigments held on fabric with a binding agent can also crack, stiffen and fade over time.
Humidity and Moisture
Often, condensation on windows comes into contact with drapes leaving permanent water marks.
It is important to protect your valuable investment with regular cleaning in order to remove the soiling and deposits of vapors and fumes that com from heating systems, fireplaces, cooking and dust. How often draperies should be cleaned depends on location and amount of sunlight. Kitchen draperies, or those in a household with smokers, should be cleaned annually, whereas those used in a guest room with minimal sunlight need cleaning only once every two to four years. Those near intake or heating agents, or close to windows which are often opened, need cleaning every one to two years.
If you would like to freshen up your home prior to the Holiday Season, please plan ahead to allow sufficient time for the entire process. Prior to taking down your window treatments - take a digital photo to document their layout and appearance. This helps to ensure that the decorator's original intent is preserved. Prior to cleaning the treatments themselves will be measured both before and after cleaning. 5% shrinkage is considered acceptable by the fabric manufacturers. And rehanging by an experienced professional can compensate for these sort of shortcomings.
So here's hoping your drapes and window treatments live a long and youthful life:-)
Nothing brightens a room like clean drapes and window treatments. And there are a few things to know in order to keep your drapes living longer, and looking younger.
Drapes and window treatments are made of a variety of cloths, from heavy durable fabrics, to light, transparent materials. But no matter what they are made of, a number of environmental factors will affect their condition and lifespan. These include:
Sunlight
Sun damage and fading strike unlined drapes the hardest. Sunlight will not only fade colors but also wear on the threads of the fabric itself. While man[made fibers such as polyester are more resistant to such damage, no material is immune
Oxidation
Fumes from pollution, cooking, smoking, etc., contain chemicals which will cling to curtains and drapes. When combined with humidity and oxygen, these chemicals can create a mild acid which hastens deterioration.
Shrinkage
Humidity and air quality can cause drapes to shrink 2%! Over time, this shrinkage can be progressive.
Dyes and Pigments
Drapery dyes, like all dyes, are subject to changes over time. These can include bleeding, cracking and running. Pigments held on fabric with a binding agent can also crack, stiffen and fade over time.
Humidity and Moisture
Often, condensation on windows comes into contact with drapes leaving permanent water marks.
It is important to protect your valuable investment with regular cleaning in order to remove the soiling and deposits of vapors and fumes that com from heating systems, fireplaces, cooking and dust. How often draperies should be cleaned depends on location and amount of sunlight. Kitchen draperies, or those in a household with smokers, should be cleaned annually, whereas those used in a guest room with minimal sunlight need cleaning only once every two to four years. Those near intake or heating agents, or close to windows which are often opened, need cleaning every one to two years.
If you would like to freshen up your home prior to the Holiday Season, please plan ahead to allow sufficient time for the entire process. Prior to taking down your window treatments - take a digital photo to document their layout and appearance. This helps to ensure that the decorator's original intent is preserved. Prior to cleaning the treatments themselves will be measured both before and after cleaning. 5% shrinkage is considered acceptable by the fabric manufacturers. And rehanging by an experienced professional can compensate for these sort of shortcomings.
So here's hoping your drapes and window treatments live a long and youthful life:-)
For the guy who is sick of his shirt buttons breaking
Imagine you are on a business trip. It is 6am and you are getting dressed in your hotel room. You pull out your dress shirt that was, cleaned, pressed and folded for travel by your drycleaner. You are going to look like a million bucks for this presentation/sales meeting/etc.
As you are buttoning up your shirt, it happens. The button is either missing - or it breaks in your fingers. You frantically search for the little sewing kit that hotels always put in the room. The button is a different size and your sewing capabilities are limited.
CURSE THAT DARN DRYCLEANER or LAUNDRY you think to yourself.
Sound familiar?
Let me tell you why this happens. Buttons are made off-shore. China, India, Pakistan, etc. And quality control is often non-existent. These cheap plastic buttons are not made to survive the temperatures of commercial laundry. I believe many buyers for the garment industry are just not aware of the problem. If the button looks good, and the price is right, they buy. After all, they have no responsibility once the end customer has purchased the garment.
How to prevent broken buttons: Ask your cleaner to replace all the buttons when the shirt it new. Cleaners buy high quality aftermarket buttons that stand up to the cleaning process. Also, many original buttons are unable to be matched. If you replace them all up front, any lost buttons will be a non-issue in the future
we have developed a men's shirt program that will replace all the buttons on a shirt for $20. We remove all the buttons and replace them with buttons that are quality made and will withstand the heat of commercial laundry. Like most quality cleaners, we replace buttons that break during cleaning/pressing. But they do not always match exactly.
Replacing all the buttons at once has several benefits: There is no mix-mash over time as buttons are replaced one by one - often a shirt will end up with several different looking buttons and/or thread, and most important, you will avoid the scenario of being in a hotel room with no button on your shirt.
As you are buttoning up your shirt, it happens. The button is either missing - or it breaks in your fingers. You frantically search for the little sewing kit that hotels always put in the room. The button is a different size and your sewing capabilities are limited.
CURSE THAT DARN DRYCLEANER or LAUNDRY you think to yourself.
Sound familiar?
Let me tell you why this happens. Buttons are made off-shore. China, India, Pakistan, etc. And quality control is often non-existent. These cheap plastic buttons are not made to survive the temperatures of commercial laundry. I believe many buyers for the garment industry are just not aware of the problem. If the button looks good, and the price is right, they buy. After all, they have no responsibility once the end customer has purchased the garment.
How to prevent broken buttons: Ask your cleaner to replace all the buttons when the shirt it new. Cleaners buy high quality aftermarket buttons that stand up to the cleaning process. Also, many original buttons are unable to be matched. If you replace them all up front, any lost buttons will be a non-issue in the future
we have developed a men's shirt program that will replace all the buttons on a shirt for $20. We remove all the buttons and replace them with buttons that are quality made and will withstand the heat of commercial laundry. Like most quality cleaners, we replace buttons that break during cleaning/pressing. But they do not always match exactly.
Replacing all the buttons at once has several benefits: There is no mix-mash over time as buttons are replaced one by one - often a shirt will end up with several different looking buttons and/or thread, and most important, you will avoid the scenario of being in a hotel room with no button on your shirt.
Pay less to clean your shirts!
I want to illuminate one of the most frequent complaints I hear about drycleaners.
“I wanted my shirt laundered. Why did you dryclean it? I don’t want to pay 3 or 4 times what you charge for the laundered shirt!”
Even worse – the public often get the impression that their cleaner charges more for women’s clothing than men’s. That is illegal! Unfortunately, the clerks working at many cleaners don’t understand why the prices are what they are. Poorly trained Customer service reps re-enforce this common misconception.
Before I address the WHY, here are my tips for buying shirts so that you won't experience this:
First: Buy 100% cotton! Rayon, spandex blend, silk, etc. CANNOT BE Machine Finished! The machine has 400F plates that close on the WET material. These materials melt, tear or otherwise cannot withstand the process!
Third: Do not buy shirts with pleats, tacks, ornamentation or linings that can flop around.
Shirts can be finished by 3 methods: Machine Only (Least costly), Touch up - Machine and then touched up with an iron (More Labor intensive), Hand Finish - Ironed the old fashioned way (If you have ironed your own shirts, you know what I'm saying when I say this is the most labor intensive. A skilled finisher with the best equipment can still take up to 15 minutes to properly iron a linen or cotton blouse!)
The reason drycleaning is expensive is because of the time, supplies, labor and utilities involved.
So the natural question would be "Why don't they make machines for other types of clothing?" Well there is no garment as uniform and frequently used as a man's dress shirt.
I hope this photo of the shirts as they come off of the machine (no touch-up) make my point. Every one is a different brand. Some are short sleeve, some are button down. But they are notably all alike.
Try this with women's blouses and you will begin to understand your drycleaners dilemma!
So let's review why these shirts are so inexpensive: First off, shirts are not dried. There are no utilities necessary to dry the shirts, because they are pressed wet. The shirt machine is “dressed” with a wet shirt, and then 2 400 degree hot metal plates close on the shirt drying and pressing it at the same time.
So besides the savings in natural gas (which is huge, by the way!) one person can press over 50 shirts an hour!!!! Try that on your ironing board at home. Even with all the fancy technology, pressing a rayon, silk or even (I should say especially) a cotton or linen blouse takes up to 10 minutes. Cotton and Linen hand pressed shirts are even more time consuming.
That being said, shirt pressed by machine feel different. They are a little stiffer than hand finished shirts – That is the your preference.
Also, shirt that are machine finished only last (according to the Laundry & Drycleaning Institute) 52 washings. That is a life of one year if you wash your shirt weekly. Hand finished shirts will not wear out that quickly.
The key to avoiding this:Communication!
“I wanted my shirt laundered. Why did you dryclean it? I don’t want to pay 3 or 4 times what you charge for the laundered shirt!”
Even worse – the public often get the impression that their cleaner charges more for women’s clothing than men’s. That is illegal! Unfortunately, the clerks working at many cleaners don’t understand why the prices are what they are. Poorly trained Customer service reps re-enforce this common misconception.
Before I address the WHY, here are my tips for buying shirts so that you won't experience this:
First: Buy 100% cotton! Rayon, spandex blend, silk, etc. CANNOT BE Machine Finished! The machine has 400F plates that close on the WET material. These materials melt, tear or otherwise cannot withstand the process!
Second: Select shirts with standard buttons. - Pearl buttons, snaps, etc. will break or melt!
Third: Do not buy shirts with pleats, tacks, ornamentation or linings that can flop around.
Lastly: Buy your shirts between a size 6 and 12 - anything too large or too small SHOULD cost extra because it won't fit on the machine.
Shirts can be finished by 3 methods: Machine Only (Least costly), Touch up - Machine and then touched up with an iron (More Labor intensive), Hand Finish - Ironed the old fashioned way (If you have ironed your own shirts, you know what I'm saying when I say this is the most labor intensive. A skilled finisher with the best equipment can still take up to 15 minutes to properly iron a linen or cotton blouse!)
The reason drycleaning is expensive is because of the time, supplies, labor and utilities involved.
So the natural question would be "Why don't they make machines for other types of clothing?" Well there is no garment as uniform and frequently used as a man's dress shirt.I hope this photo of the shirts as they come off of the machine (no touch-up) make my point. Every one is a different brand. Some are short sleeve, some are button down. But they are notably all alike.
Try this with women's blouses and you will begin to understand your drycleaners dilemma!
So let's review why these shirts are so inexpensive: First off, shirts are not dried. There are no utilities necessary to dry the shirts, because they are pressed wet. The shirt machine is “dressed” with a wet shirt, and then 2 400 degree hot metal plates close on the shirt drying and pressing it at the same time.
So besides the savings in natural gas (which is huge, by the way!) one person can press over 50 shirts an hour!!!! Try that on your ironing board at home. Even with all the fancy technology, pressing a rayon, silk or even (I should say especially) a cotton or linen blouse takes up to 10 minutes. Cotton and Linen hand pressed shirts are even more time consuming.
That being said, shirt pressed by machine feel different. They are a little stiffer than hand finished shirts – That is the your preference.
Also, shirt that are machine finished only last (according to the Laundry & Drycleaning Institute) 52 washings. That is a life of one year if you wash your shirt weekly. Hand finished shirts will not wear out that quickly.
The key to avoiding this:Communication!
AND
You get what you pay for (and what you want)!
A Matter of Life or Death Denim
Content taken from Dr Denim
"According to the experts, denim/jeans should not meet detergents or washing machines for the first six months after purchase. That's why (he) decided to write this blog and document the life of (his) new jeans for the first six or so months of their life"
Dry cleaning your jeans is OK, and as far as I understand, won't shorten their shelf life. However, you need to find a dry cleaner that knows what they're doing. It's the same with everything in life. You don't go to the first car mechanic you find. You look around a bit, and ask people who have used dry cleaners in your area before.
"Dry-Cleaning in certain solvents will return the jeans looking like new or better with no shrinkage." If you're living in the US, have a look at http://www.americasbestcleaners.com/, for the top 50 dry cleaners. According to Dependable Drycleaners in Denver, they did a test for a local TV station, where they dry cleaned a pair of pants 10 times, and washed an identical pair 10 times. When they compared them side by side, the dry cleaned pair looked as good as they did on day one, only softer, where the pair that was washed looked older and lost color.
My test, however, has nothing to do with washing vs dry cleaning. It has to do with "wearing in" the jeans for 6 months, and then washing them, in water, for the first time, so that the raw denim would shrink the 1-5%. That will, according to the experts, give me a really good fit -- Darryl De Necker
"According to the experts, denim/jeans should not meet detergents or washing machines for the first six months after purchase. That's why (he) decided to write this blog and document the life of (his) new jeans for the first six or so months of their life"
Dry cleaning your jeans is OK, and as far as I understand, won't shorten their shelf life. However, you need to find a dry cleaner that knows what they're doing. It's the same with everything in life. You don't go to the first car mechanic you find. You look around a bit, and ask people who have used dry cleaners in your area before.
"Dry-Cleaning in certain solvents will return the jeans looking like new or better with no shrinkage." If you're living in the US, have a look at http://www.americasbestcleaners.com/, for the top 50 dry cleaners. According to Dependable Drycleaners in Denver, they did a test for a local TV station, where they dry cleaned a pair of pants 10 times, and washed an identical pair 10 times. When they compared them side by side, the dry cleaned pair looked as good as they did on day one, only softer, where the pair that was washed looked older and lost color.
My test, however, has nothing to do with washing vs dry cleaning. It has to do with "wearing in" the jeans for 6 months, and then washing them, in water, for the first time, so that the raw denim would shrink the 1-5%. That will, according to the experts, give me a really good fit -- Darryl De Necker
Americas Best Cleaners
I am in NYC right now learning from many of America's best cleaners. We are discussing topics that range from "The fashion industries sustainable future" with presenters including Doug Shriver from Brooks Brothers and Nicholas Regine from Swarovski Crystals (As a side did you know that some of the Cristal used for ornamentation on garments are still made with lead?!), to "The Green Economy" and Bogner Winter 2008 Ski Wear and Why I only trust ABC by Edwin Abreu of Brioni.
I know that just talking and sharing ideas with this diverse group makes my business more valuable to my customers. I recommend that you look for a cleaner with affiliations. This sort of training and continuous improvement is something less than one in ten drycleaners bothers to do. Any cleaner that cares enough to invest time in this sort of growth, is delivering their customers greater value. I also believe it is a huge benefit to our employees, making us a better community citizens.
America's Best Cleaners is one way we can regulate or "certify" the quality of the cleaners in the association. The group is there to serve the garment industry and is currently partnered with Hugo Boss, Brioni, and Brooks Brothers. In exchange for these clothiers recommending America's Best Cleaners, the organization created an objective program to ensure that the customers (you) will have the best dryclean experience and value.
What makes a cleaner one of America's Best?
Drycleaning aside, it is fascinating to by in NYC right now discussing business!
I know that just talking and sharing ideas with this diverse group makes my business more valuable to my customers. I recommend that you look for a cleaner with affiliations. This sort of training and continuous improvement is something less than one in ten drycleaners bothers to do. Any cleaner that cares enough to invest time in this sort of growth, is delivering their customers greater value. I also believe it is a huge benefit to our employees, making us a better community citizens.
America's Best Cleaners is one way we can regulate or "certify" the quality of the cleaners in the association. The group is there to serve the garment industry and is currently partnered with Hugo Boss, Brioni, and Brooks Brothers. In exchange for these clothiers recommending America's Best Cleaners, the organization created an objective program to ensure that the customers (you) will have the best dryclean experience and value.
What makes a cleaner one of America's Best?
- Review of all aspects of production before cleaner is accepted
- Monthly solvent testing - for cleanliness and ph
- Quarterly secret shop for quality
- Quarterly secret shop for service
- Direct customer service surveys
Drycleaning aside, it is fascinating to by in NYC right now discussing business!
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