In daily operations, what laundry shops fear most is not difficult stains, but misidentifying fabrics. Acetate and silk have similar textures and luster. A single mistake may cause shrinkage, deformation, color fading, and shine marks. Garments may become difficult to restore.
Fabric Identification
The correct method is to first check care labels. Second, check fabric content. Third, check the weave and appearance. Fourth, do a sample test, and record details (such as fabric identification, colorfastness, suitability for wet cleaning, and stain removal precautions). If customer garments have no care labels or unknown content and their appearance shows signs of brittleness, shine marks, or pilling, inform them of the risks. Avoid direct washing.
Stain Removal
Laundry shops easily make mistakes in stain removal. The proper tool is a soft brush. Also, wrap a brush with a towel. Protect textiles from bristles. Scrapers can damage textile appearance. For example, it can cause pilling, creasing, and shine marks, especially on acetate, silk, satin, and velvet. During operations, gently brush or dab the stains from their edges toward the center. Put a white, absorbent cloth under the fabric. Also, monitor the color and fiber conditions.
Before stain removal, identify the stain types and choose proper stain removers. Don’t use acetic acid for tannin (tea, coffee, wine, and juice) and protein-based stains (blood, milk, and egg). Mild acetic acid can damage acetate when heated. Therefore, protect acetate from stain removers containing acetic acid. Do not heat when cleaning. Oil stains (grease and paint) require specialized removers, and dry clean the garment promptly.
Wet Cleaning
Regular washing is not recommended for most rayon and acetate. However, they can be wet cleaned with professional wet cleaning machines and specialized detergents.
Velvet, crepe, and gabardine are not recommended for wet cleaning. Otherwise, velvet can flatten and become deformed. Crepe can lose its crinkled texture, while gabardine can shrink, blister, and lose its shape.
Professional wet cleaning tips:
| Program | Delicate fabric program |
| Water temperature | ≤30℃ |
| Neutral detergent pH | 6.5-7 |
| Washing time | 3-5 minutes |
| Mechanical action | Low |
| Extraction speed | ≤400 rpm |
| Drying method | Lay flat to air dry, low-temperature drying(≤60°C) |
| Notes | Colorfastness test before handling |
Procedures for the Kingstar wet cleaning machine:
- Pretreatment & test
– Check care labels
If the care label states dry cleaning only, inform customers of the risks. Then decide whether to wet clean.
– Test colorfastness
Wet cleaning detergent:water=1:4. Dip and gently wipe it on an inconspicuous area. If the white cloth is stained, garments may lose color during wet cleaning.
– Identify fibers
Confirm the ratio (acetate to rayon). When handling blended fabrics, follow the standards for the most delicate fibers. For example, a cold-water wool wash cycle can be used for blended fabrics with 20% acetate and 80% wool. The total processing time is within 25 minutes with an extraction speed of 400rpm.
– Pre-treat stains
Use a soft brush or wrap a brush with a cloth. Gently dab from the stain edges toward the center. Protect acetate from stain removers with acetic acid. Mild acetic acid can damage acetate when heated.
- Loading & program selection
– Load
Turn the garments inside out. Place them into mesh laundry bags. The load of a wet cleaning machine should be between 50% and 60%. This can prevent excessive mechanical friction caused by overloading.
– Select programs
Acetate requires a specialized program. Add a program to the Kingstar wet cleaning machine.
– Sort
Acetate, rayon, and silk can be processed together. But don’t wash them with heavy-duty textiles (such as cotton and linen). Dark and light color fabrics should be separated to prevent color transfer.
- Parameter setting
| Parameter | Acetate | Rayon |
| Water Temperature | ≤30℃ | ≤30℃ |
| pH | Neutral (pH6.5-7) | Neutral (pH6.5-7) |
| Detergent | Neutral wool/silk detergents, specialized wet cleaning agents | Neutral wool/silk detergents, specialized wet cleaning agents |
| Washing Time | 3-5 minutes | 3-5 minutes |
| Wash Drum Speed | 15분당 회전수 | 15분당 회전수 |
| Rinse Water Temperature | 5-20℃ | 5-20℃ |
| Rinse Time | 2-5 minutes | 2-5 minutes |
| Extraction Speed | 400 rpm | 400 rpm |
| Extraction Time | 3 minutes | 3 minutes |
Detergents must be neutral or mildly acidic. The pH value should be around 6.5. Don’t use laundry powders or soaps. Alkaline substances can damage fibers. The wet strength of acetate reduces by 30%, and that of rayon reduces by 30%-50%. Thus, mechanical action must be kept to a minimum.
- Drying
Acetate should be laid flat to air dry. Also, use a Kingstar smart dryer for low-temperature drying (≤60℃). Do not hang it to air dry. This can prevent stretching and deformation. Avoid high-temperature drying. Acetate can be damaged during heating in the dryer.
Lay the rayon flat to air dry, and prevent it from exposure to sunlight. Otherwise, this can cause fiber brittleness or color fading.
- Finishing & check
Check whether there is shrinkage, color variation, deformation, and shine marks. The ironing temperature should be lower. And put a pressing cloth over the garment. Avoid high-temperature ironing. Do not directly spray the ironing steam onto the acetate. This can avoid localized deformation caused by heating.
Conclusion
Carefully identify acetate and rayon. Check care labels first, then do a test. During washing, use short-time, low-temperature, and gentle programs. Avoid using scrapers. Protect acetate from acetic acid and high temperatures. Laundry shops should not be limited to cleaning garments. They should retain the garment’s original appearance and texture after washing.
Q&A
Q1: What is rayon?
A1: Rayon generally refers to viscose fibers. Besides, modal, Lyocell, cupro, and acetate are also called rayon. Their washing methods are similar to those for viscose fibers.
Q2: Why are programmable functions important in a wet cleaning machine?
A2: A wet cleaning machine can achieve delicate washing. The cleaning performance relies on time, temperature, chemical action, and mechanical action. High programmability can ensure delicate washing for different fabrics. A premium wet cleaning machine can control wash cycles, water level, rotation action, extraction speed, rinse cycles, and automatic dosing signals. Otherwise, it fails to provide customized solutions for different fabrics.
Q3: What fabrics are suitable for wet cleaning? What should be specially cared for?
A3: Wet cleaning is used for most fabrics (such as wool, cashmere, silk, viscose fibers, cotton and linen, and sequins). It helps garments stay vibrant, soft, and fresh. However, wet cleaning may cause acetate to shrink or deform. Some viscose fibers’ wet strength can be reduced. They should also be carefully treated. Besides, after wet cleaning, ironing garments can become more difficult. Professional finishing equipment, such as form finishers and vacuum-air ironing tables, can restore their ideal shape.
