In the daily operations of laundries, clothes with leather trims (leather-trimmed coats, leather-buttoned shirts, leather-panelled dresses…) have always been high-risk items for laundry services. As leather generally has lower color fastness than textiles, improper washing methods can easily cause color fading and staining incidents. To help laundries handle such clothes in a scientific manner, this article introduces color fastness testing and laundry protection methods to help ensure safe cleaning and care.
Color Fastness Testing
Leather trims are mainly divided into two types: coated leather and dyed leather.
The former has good color fastness, while the latter mostly has poor color fastness. It is recommended that laundries do the following tests after receiving clothes and before washing, to determine the suitable washing method.
- Wash Fastness Test
Dampen a cotton swab with clean water → rub it repeatedly 5–10 times on the surface of the leather trim → observe the color transfer on the swab
– Slight
It is washable. Clothes must be washed separately. It is better to do the color fixing treatment.
– Obvious
It is not suitable for water washing. It is better to do dry cleaning or further risk assessment.
- Dry Cleaning Solvent Fastness Test
Dampen a cotton swab with perchloroethylene or hydrocarbon solvent → rub it 5–10 times on the trim surface
– Slight
It can be dry-cleaned with isolation protection measures.
– Obvious
It is not suitable for dry cleaning with this type of solvent. Alternative cleaning solutions are required.
Laundry Protection Methods
After doing the test and making sure that it can be washed, laundry shops should use different protection measures based on the degree of color fading. The core principle is to prevent moisture or solvents from directly contacting leather and causing color bleeding and spreading.
- Slight Color Fading
– Use a dry-cleaning net bag for full isolation. Delicate clothes can be put in a cotton bag during washing to avoid friction and color transfer.
- Severe Color Fading
– Trims and Piping Decorations
Place in a net or cotton bag for isolated washing.
– Detachable External Decorations (buttons, zipper pulls…)
Wrap tightly with aluminum foil or clean waste cloth to ensure no parts are exposed.
– Decorations on Bag Openings and Seams
Cover with a waste cloth and temporarily secure with sewing thread to prevent contact with other parts of the clothes during washing.
Kingstar Equipment
To realize the safe washing and care of this kind of clothes, professional equipment is also necessary, despite a standardized operating process. Kingstar washing machine SHS-2025P can precisely control the water level and spinning speed. This provides a gentle and sufficient cleaning environment for the leather trims and avoids excessive wear or color fading due to strong water flow. Its low-temperature washing programs can effectively control the water temperature and reduce the risk of fading.
The washing of leather trims shows a laundry shop’s understanding of materials and risk control abilities. Through the professional processes of testing, protection, and equipment, laundry shops can greatly reduce laundry accidents and improve customers’ trust. Kingstar will continuously use stable and intelligent laundry equipment to provide reliable technological support.
