TRADE SECRETS Roger Cawood Finishing standards
Roger Cawood takes a look at trouser finishing in terms of what the final inspector should be focusing on and the technical points such as the correct positioning of the main creases
I
s your finishing good enough? In my experience the honest answer is, too often, no! While most cleaners genuinely believe their quality and in particular finishing is very good, few will have taken, say, 60 poly-robed garments at random from storage and systematically and carefully examined each one; this is time consuming but would, I am sure, deliver a few nasty surprises for many while at the same time showing where improvement is needed.
However, we are all human and in terms of finishing, perfection is not a realistic or attainable standard. While even new garments from the best manufacturers all have minor faults the vast majority of which will be of no consequence, there really is no excuse for a cleaner returning a garment with a serious and glaringly obvious fault, and the responsibility here lies firmly with final inspection (see also Jan/Feb 2025 ‘What Went Wrong’).
Trouser finishing criteria Trousers can be among the most difficult and problematic classification to finish
with the technical aspects of the finish not being generally well understood. It is therefore critical that final inspection is done only by the most experienced staff members. On all garment types, the final inspector should normally be looking for a standard of finish at least as good as that of a new garment and better than that of many mass-produced supermarket items – plenty of room here for much increased customer approval and satisfaction. In terms of the overall finish the inspector should, in particular, be looking out for: Centre seam, pocket flap and zip impressions.
Double topping faults - main crease impressions / tramlines, creases and nips between the creases in the crotch, seat and front.
Main creases at the front should be pressed into the darts. If there are no darts they should normally approach the front waistband loops.
Main creases at the back should be pressed at least to crotch level and be the same height and should be equidistant from the centre seam when pressed towards the waist.
Main creases should be crisp and sharp from bottom to top.
Double topping is a finishing method where, following the centre leg lays, the main creases are completed by pressing / ironing the tops of the creases two together at the top. Many years ago this pressing method was banned by a major UK cleaner on the pain of dismissal due to the number
DOUBLE -TOP: Poor joining up of a ‘double top’ lay – a common fault
of faults and complaints it generated. It is still used by many in the industry.
Technical faults
Incorrect crease positioning is a common serious fault and a contentious issue for many cleaners particularly when trousers will not sit correctly on the hanger; this is commonly associated with failure to press/iron centre leg lays leading to the main creases being incorrectly positioned relative to each other on the same leg.What it all boils down to is that, with certain exceptions, if for one reason or another, the main creases are incorrectly positioned, say by the customer, they should be correctly repositioned by the finisher. The exceptions to this are where: ‘Staycrease’ resin has been used to create a permanent crease.
The customer has finished the creases in the wrong position and they cannot be pressed/ironed out.
The colour has been worn away in the existing incorrect crease line. Professional cleaners should finish to professional standards and wherever possible, if the finish is wrong, it should be corrected and the excuse that I have heard many times that “we always follow the customers creases” is unacceptable. If you left a vehicle for servicing, and the brakes were incorrectly adjusted you would expect the problem to be put right.
In the next issue jackets get the Cawood treatment.
AUTO PRESS: Automatic trouser pressing equipment requires well trained staff, it is expensive but can produce excellent results
30 If you have topics you would like the
CRSIPLY SHARP: Main creases should be crisp and sharp, top to bottom
author to explore, please E:
kathy.bowry @
laundryandcleaningnews.com
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