Most cleaners at one time or another will have had to deal with complaints that knitted garments have become misshapen, shrunk or stretched.
These fabrics are not dimensionally stable and some may easily be distorted during the drycleaning process.
In most cases the solution is to clean the garment in a net bag, but this will not always prevent stretching, particularly if the bag is too large to contain the garment properly.
A poor fit could also result if the customer has lost weight through dieting and failed to realise this is the cause.
Measuring knitted garments before cleaning and recording this information will help to avoid arguments about size after cleaning.
While it is not practical, or even necessary in every case, I would particularly recommend that it is done for designer or high value garments.
Ideally the garment should be measured at the counter and in the presence of the customer. As some people could be sensitive to this, the customer should be advised that measurements on some garments are checked to ensure they are re-finished to the correct size.
In my view, such a check is not only helpful in dealing with complaints but demonstrates the cleaner’s professionalism.
