Puffa problems

Puffa jackets have been around for well over 50 years and at one time were commonly referred to as ‘Michelin’ jackets, due to their similarity to the tyre company’s Bibendum Michelin Man logo of the time. Puffa jackets have always presented a potential problem for cleaners, particularly when drycleaned, and our advice would be to wash or wetclean these items, where the care label allows and to avoid drycleaning. Unfortunately, they are not all washable and where drycleaning is mandated, precise processing conditions are required, to avoid the development of sweals on the outer shell.

Drycleaning case study

We would advise against cleaning this type of garment in hydrocarbon solvent and that only items carrying the d or D labels are accepted. Due to the lower volatility of hydrocarbon solvent and the very thick padded nature of puffa jackets, there is a very high risk of solvent being retained within the padding after the drying cycle is complete.

Cleaning problems are mainly confined to swealing that develops during the drying stage; this often follows the quilt stitching lines on the outer shell, but may also be in the form of rings and sweals distributed over the surface in a random manner. The problems are due to either soluble impurities in the solvent and/or loose dye, which leave behind in the outer fabric non-volatile substances that cause the sweals. It is also possible that dark coloured feathers may show through the outer shell following cleaning; this can easily be mistaken for staining, it is not the fault of the cleaner and cannot easily be rectified.

If a problem develops, the best advice is to re-clean the item on its own. Use a two-bath process in distilled solvent, with a one-minute inter-spin and a 3-minute final spin, to remove as much of the contamination as possible. After final extraction, tumble the garment for 2½ minutes before starting the fan and the air heater. This is to allow the solvent retained in the padding (rather than accumulated at the seams) to distribute evenly throughout the garment before drying starts. The air temperature for drying should be reduced to around 45C. The lower the temperature the better, as this allows the solvent to evaporate slowly and evenly from the shell surface, substantially reducing the risk of rings or sweals. This does of course mean that the drying time will need to be extended.

Wetcleaning case study

This £1,400, mainly polyamide, puffa jacket was washed according to the care label on a 30C delicate cycle with an 800rpm spin using a non-bio domestic detergent. The care label also carried a d symbol. When removed from the machine, the jacket was hung to dry (the care label actually recommended dry flat).

When dry, the jacket was shaken and fluffed by hand to bulk it up, and handed to the customer, who returned the jacket, complaining of “a flat finish – not puffed up enough”. With the customer’s permission, the jacket was then tumbled cold, with four tennis balls, for 45 minutes. The cleaner recovered the original loft, but the customer then phoned to say they thought the garment “had been ruined”.

In our view, the fact that the jacket had been hung to dry was unlikely to have influenced the final result. Following water-based processes, the use of tennis balls in tumble drying to improve the finish, is an accepted industry practice that is known to be effective in correcting the loft of the infill of this type of garment. Based on the evidence supplied by the cleaner, the jacket was processed correctly and it is unlikely the appearance could be improved further. Going forward we would suggest cleaners make themselves aware of the maker’s customer reviews online. ­