Evening star., 1951-08-31
Know Focts About Fabrics
What to Expect of Cleaner
By Betty Miles

BY Betty Miles
Many a dry cleaner has been
maligned unjustly when cleaning
cataStrophes occur, DR.. Dorothy
Lyle, director of consumer educa-
Ition for the National Institute of
Cleaning and Dyeing, explained
lin an interview which appeared
last Tuesday. Often the fault that
has been laid at the cleaners
door belongs to the manufacturer
instead. Customers should learn
from the store about a fabric and
its cleanability before purchasing
lit, DR.. Lyle believes. And manu-
facturers should not use materials
that deteriorate in cleaning.
The services a quality cleaner
should give a customer, however,
can be sharply defined, the NICD
points out. and should be checked
by the customer.
Quality cleaning begins with the
proper classification Of garments
and the selection Of the proper
cleaning formula for each classi-
fication. 1t also depends upon the
correct use of cleaning aids and
the proper maintenance of solvent
and equipment.
Very important is the amount
of "spotting" done. Some plants
do little spotting, and expect the
amount of spot and stain removal
that takes place when the dry
cleaning solvent is used to be sat
Iisfactory. Others have one or two
simple spotting agents available.
The high quality plant uses a wide
range Of spotting agents, and en-
ployS spoilers with a high degree
of skill and a knowledge Of fabrics,
dyes. and the nature of spots and
stains.
Finishing VitoI
Another factor that plays a
part in the quality OF the job
done is the finishing. A quality
plant considers the texture of
the fabric in each garment. For
a soft. nappy fabric, no pressure
at all is used, but it is finished
by steaming and brushing. A
special device is used to press
dull crepe so that the crepey
effect will be preserved. Smooth
satin is finished on equipment
with a smooth polished surface.
Fascinating are some of the
finishing devices used to turn out
a garment that looks like new.
In a silk finishing department,
for example, there is a device
known as a "bagsleever" which
consists Of a bag over which a.
sleeve Of a dress is drawn and
which is then inflated with air
and steam to bring the sleeve
to its original shape. The prin-
ciple involved utilizes steam to
make the fabric .pliable and air
to dry it to its original shape.
Whole garments and household
articles are sometimes finished
in this manner. There is no
danger of altering the texture of
the fabric, because no pressure Is
used.
Employees in a low priced
plant must handle many more
garments per hour, of course, and
cannot take time for special at
tention to any garment. When
you pay for quality cleaning, you
can expect a check to have been
made on several things before the
garment leaves the plant. EN-
ployees should see that:
The garment is perfectly clean
and its colors bright.
1t is odorless.
1t is free from spots and stains
that can be removed without
injury to the fabric or color.
The shape of the garment is
restored and it hangs properly. |
It is free from wrinkles, seam,
pleat and button impressions.
Pleats are sharp, perfectly
aligned. and evenly spaced.
Decorative trim and details
are finished to give their orig
inal effect.
Rips, tears, broken seams, and
hemlines are repaired.
Buttons, ornaments, or acces-
sories have been replaced cor
rectly.
Special instructions of the
customer have been carried out. |
Check These Standards
If you would be sure you are
getting your moneys worth from
quality cleaner, see that the job
done meets these standards:
For wool finishing: Woman's
suit: A well-done skirt must be |
Tree Of wrinkles, must be free of /
shine and seam impressions, /
should be free of leave off"
marks. inside seams should be
Strengthened out, it should have !