In the laundry industry, dry cleaning is an important service but it is also a job with extremely high technical requirements. The improper dry cleaning operation not only cannot realize the ideal cleaning effect but also does irreparable damage to the clothes. As a result, the laundry shop operators should master the core technology and key precautions to ensure a high-quality dry cleaning service for the customers. The details are as follows.
Identify the Clothes which cannot be Dry-cleaned:
When receiving clothes, the material and composition of the clothes must be carefully inspected. There are several kinds of clothes which are not suitable for dry cleaning.
- Clothing made of coated chemical fibers: The coating of this type of clothing will harden under the influence of high temperature and organic solvents, losing its original softness and luster.
- The electrostatic flocking fabric clothing: after dry cleaning, flocking fabrics, the suede is easy to fall off, leading to a damaged clothing appearance.
- Artificial leather and artificial leather clothing accessories: dry cleaning leather easy open after fission hard, affect the service life of the clothes and beautiful.
- Down clothing: Down is prone to degreasing during dry cleaning, causing it to harden and affecting its warmth retention performance. It is recommended to be washed with water.
- Clothing with many beaded ornaments: Article Beads are prone to falling off, deforming, or getting damaged during the dry cleaning process. Dry cleaners usually remove such accessories for customers, clean them, and reinstall them.
- Striped and checked garments with large color differences and loose dyeing: This type of clothing is prone to color bleeding during dry cleaning, resulting in color mixing and affecting the overall appearance of the garment.
- Clothes dyed with printing instead of dyeing: this kind of design and color of clothing is done by printing instead of the dyeing process. Dry cleaning can lead to design fade or deformation.
Inspection of Accessories before Washing
Before dry cleaning, careful inspections must be done to ensure the security and fullness of the accessories.
- Check your pockets and trouser pockets: Make sure there are no items left in your pockets, such as blades or pens, to avoid damaging your clothes or causing accidents during the washing process.Buttons made of organic glass, inlaid with bright beads, coated with bright films, pigment films, paint films, as well as oddly shaped cloth buckles, are prone to problems such as glass breakage, bright bead detachment, film color fading or oxidation discoloration, irregular damage, buckle detachment, and glue dissolution during dry cleaning. It is recommended to remove them and store them properly.Buttons with plastic glue or glass teeth bonded to a metal base are prone to fall off during dry cleaning due to the failure of the glue or the dissolution of the plastic surface, leaving only the metal base. It is recommended to remove them and store them properly.
Pre-treatment of Water-soluble Dirt and Special Stains before Washing
Although dry cleaning can effectively remove oily stains, it is less effective in removing water-soluble dirt and some special stains. Therefore, it is very necessary to pre-treat these stains before dry cleaning:
- Water-soluble dirt
Clods, vomit, grain, sugar, soy milk, milk, dough residue, body fluids… This dirt may not be completely removed during dry cleaning and may even become more stubborn and difficult to clean after drying.
- Special Stains
Bloodstains, ballpoint pen stains, lipstick, ink seal, coffee, tea juice, red wine, fruit juice, tomato sauce, glue, ink, plasters… After going through the drying process of the dry cleaning, these stains may undergo denaturation or solidification, firmly adhering to the fibers, increasing the difficulty of stain removal and even making it impossible to remove.
As a result, it is suggested to use proper pre-treatment ( local wiping, spraying special stain removers…) to remove these stains to ensure the dry cleaning effects and cleanliness of the clothes.
Correct Classification and Sorting of Clothes before Dry Cleaning
The sorting of clothes before dry cleaning is the key step in ensuring the washing effect and avoiding damage to clothes. The right sorting can optimize the laundry process and improve washing efficiency.
- Classify by the color
- Classify by the thickness
Clothes of different thicknesses have different washing and drying times. Thick clothes require longer washing and drying time, while thin clothes need shorter time. Washing clothes of different thicknesses separately can prevent incomplete washing or over-drying caused by time differences.
- Classify by the degree of dirtiness
Classifying clothes according to their dirtiness can help adjust the amount of detergent used and the washing time reasonably. Clothes with heavy dirt require more detergent and a longer washing time, while cleaner clothes need less detergent and a shorter washing time. This can ensure the washing effect and at the same time prevent excessive use of detergent from causing damage to the clothes.
- Classify by fabric
Clothes made of different fabrics require different detergents and washing techniques. For example, the detergents and processing techniques for cotton and linen fabrics and silk fabrics are different. Washing clothes made of different fabrics separately can ensure that each fabric receives the most suitable treatment and avoid damage to the clothes caused by improper detergent or processing.
- Special classification
For some special materials or clothes with specific requirements, they need to be classified separately based on washing temperature, time, concentration, mechanical force, and pH value (i.e., the five elements of washing). For instance, some high-end fabrics or clothes with special decorations may require special washing conditions to ensure their safety and cleaning effect.
Remove easily damaged marks and accessories: Marks on suit lapels, accessories on work uniforms, etc. are prone to damage during washing. It is recommended to remove them and store them properly to avoid loss.Check the resistance to solvents of the buttons: Some plastic buttons and cloth buttons are prone to dissolving in dry cleaning oil (you can test by dropping a small amount of dry cleaning oil on the inconspicuous back of the button; if it is sticky, it indicates that it has dissolved).
