Solvent condition
When developing your own programmes, it is important to bear in mind that at least 2.5 litres of solvent must be distilled per kilogram of work processed in order to maintain the base tank solvent in good condition. In the types of hybrid processes described, that are in common use today, the ratio of solvent/kg dry textiles is mainly governed by the height of the first stage dips. You can verify the ratio by checking the volume of solvent taken from the working tank to generate low, medium or high dips against the capacity of your machine.
Factors influencing cleaning efficiency
Should you decide to have a go at developing your own programmes for, say, extremely fragile or very heat sensitive items you need to know the physical effects of variations in cleaning time, dip levels, cage speed, and intermittent slow speed cage rotation. This is very important as, for example, too much mechanical action on silk garments may cause severe fabric damage.
If you have problems you would like the authors to examine, please send with a good quality, high resolution (300dpi/1MB at least) pic of the item to
kathy.bowry@
laundryandcleaningnews.com
Avoid damage due to mechanical action
1. Cleaning time - doubling the cleaning time doubles the amount of mechanical action.
2. Dip level - a low or no dip gives the greatest mechanical action, a high dip gives the least.
3. Cage Speed - normal slow speed cage rotation provides the most mechanical action; very slow rotation where items just tumble around in the bottom of the cage gives very low action.
4. Intermittent normal slow speed rotation - substantially reduces mechanical action in line with the dwell period.
Important note: very specific processes have been developed by wetcleaning machine manufacturers, which are absolutely critical to the safe, water-based processing of personal wear items, many of which are not specifically designed to be cleaned using water. We would therefore strongly advise against any attempt to alter or modify the manufacturer’s set wetcleaning programmes.
SEVERE DAMAGE: This silk coat suffered severe abrasion damage due to excessive mechanical action during drycleaning in perc
WHAT WENT WRONG: READER QUERY Stained cushion cover
A customer with a set of ornately embroidered cushion covers, with a coffee stain, has requested advice. None of the covers have manufacturer, fibre content or aftercare labels
Advice to the customer In the absence of aftercare information, unless you have both practical and technical experience with textiles, it is most unwise to attempt cleaning (or even limited stain removal) yourself. Bearing this in mind, our advice would be to take the covers to a reputable cleaner who should be able to identify the major fibre
content and dependant on any associated risk (such as fugitive dyes), accept the items for cleaning (possibly under Owners Risk authorisation for a specific risk), or refer you back to the retailer, who could be held responsible for failing to ensure his products conformed to the relevant Sale of Goods and Consumer Rights legislation.
Advice to cleaners
It is not unusual to find household items without any form of labelling. This is often due to customers buying the fabric and making up curtains themselves or having it made up into curtains and/or covers by a local tailor, either way the labelling being discarded or lost in the process.
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