WHAT WENT WRONG: READER QUERY
SPLIT OPEN: None of the selvedges on this badly made dress had been overlocked and one split open during cleaning
We would also recommend the following: The settings on fusible interlining bonding machines are strictly controlled to conform to the interlining manufacturer’s specifications. Fibre content labelling is clear, concise and easily read.
Care label instructions are unambiguous, easily read and carry, for example, the appropriate or symbols for drycleaning or symbols for wetcleaning, with pictograms for washing and finishing).
Under UK law, all garments and household items must carry a fibre content label but surprisingly there is no requirement for an aftercare label. However, under the 2015 Consumer Rights Act and the 1979 Sale of Goods Act, goods must be of’ Satisfactory Quality’ and ‘Fit for Purpose’. Any textile item sold without an aftercare label should be considered unfit for purpose, because all clothing and furnishings need to be cleaned. The customer might therefore have a claim against the retailer. There is an international labelling standard and the care labelling in a great many items would be deemed substandard when judged against this, which is unarguable and a powerful aid in any court of law. The cleaner should also be aware of the following:
Manufacturers often remove brand names from garments sold as ‘seconds’. The mechanical action imposed during cleaning may result in the further deterioration of any original defects. Some customers remove aftercare and fibre content labels, possibly because they have had the item rejected by another cleaner because of unsatisfactory or misleading aftercare/fibre content label information.
Homemade items are unlikely to carry any fibre content or aftercare labels and in the case of poor make-up, such as failure to overlock the selvedge, this may result in split seams during cleaning. In most cases this is probably not the fault of the cleaner.
Trims, adornments and embroidery on any unlabelled item should be regarded as highly suspect and if possible, removed. Where this is not an option, the trim should be carefully checked for any adverse reaction to solvent and water. If an item is accepted at “Owners Risk” it is critical that the risks are fully
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discussed with the customer, clearly identified and recorded on an appropriate form signed by the customer. In the event of a claim, ‘Owners Risk’ written on the back of the shop ticket is very unlikely to stand up in court! There is now a burgeoning trade for second hand designer clothing, meaning that designer items can be picked up at a fraction of their original cost. Cleaners need to be aware of this when negotiating a claim and insist on evidence of the price paid for the garment.
Where a claim appears to be caused by a manufacturing fault, we recommend that the cleaner provides their customer with an account, to pass on to the retailer, of why this is the probable cwause, together with full details of the cleaning process used to clean the item.
Advice for manufacturers Ensure that your manufacturing processes conform to the aftercare requirements of ISO 3175 with examples of your specific garment types submitted to an accredited testing house to verify conformity.
Advice for retailers You are responsible under the 2015 Consumer Rights Act for the products you sell. In the case of a customer complaint relating to failure to respond satisfactorily to cleaning or say the absence of aftercare advice, it is your responsibility not the customer’s to liaise with the manufacturer. When ordering stock:
Check that items have been tested against the relevant National or International Standard by an accredited Testing House. Check that, in addition to fibre content labels, items also have a clear and concise aftercare label that uses the correct international symbols. Finally, customer complaints relating to an item’s response to cleaning, where the cleaner believes a manufacturing fault is responsible, can leave the customer caught between the retailer and the cleaner. In the eyes of the public this can reflect very badly on both. We recommend that in the interest of the customer, the retailer contacts the cleaner and requests written details of the cleaning process used, before forwarding the complaint to the manufacturer.
GOOD AND BAD: Quite good and very poor examples of care labelling: the left label appears to conform to international standards, although the wetcleaning symbol is missing. The right hand one is probably correct for drycleaning, but the rest of the symbols are missing
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