Case studies: Looking back

Velvet touched by mould

Fault: When removed from storage this vintage velvet dress had sporadic dark marks over multiple areas of the fabric.

Cause: When tested, the discoloured areas were to yield a positive test result for mould. The discolouration noted was a result of staining from the growth of mould in those areas. Although the dress had been stored in a wardrobe, it is typical in the UK that, due to the climate and weather conditions, many homes have some degree of damp. Even small, barely detectable amounts can be enough to trigger mould growth.

Responsibility: It would be unfair to blame the cleaner for unsuccessful removal here as the damage stems from conditions of storage.

Rectification: Sunlight and fresh air is very good at remedying issues related to mildew. However, due to the staining that has occurred here, treatment with a mild peroxide might be necessary. Due to the delicate nature of velvet, this would be a difficult task and should only be attempted by a skilled cleaner with authorisation from the owner before commencing.

Relaxed stitching creates tension

Fault: This jacket was returned to the cleaner due to the wavy appearance of the zip and the puckering noted around seams.

Cause: Although the main fabric itself had not shrunk, puckering around the seams and waviness to the zip had occurred due to additional tension caused by relaxation of the cotton stitching used around the panels. It is the differential shrinkage of the stitching and the fabric, due to different relaxation potentials, which has resulted in the fault.

Responsibility: Drycleaning will almost always result in some shrinkage during the first few cleans due to the relaxation of any tension set into the fabric during manufacture; this is unavoidable by the cleaner. It is unusual for the stitching itself to relax more than the fabric. The fault is only mild suggesting any shrinkage which has occurred is not beyond that allowable by the relevant British and International Standard.

Rectification: None is possible. Relaxation of the main fabric during further cleans might lessen the appearance.

Neither wet nor dry

Fault: After drycleaning, this set of cream curtains now exhibits an overall pink hue due to colour run from the red printed details into the cream fabric.

Cause: The curtains here were not labelled. The retailer advised that the fabric should be drycleaned, however, the manufacturer states that the fabric should be hand-washed. Although this seems like a tall order for such a large item, the fabric was tested for its resistance to both water and drycleaning solvent; it was not colourfast to either medium.

Responsibility: The responsibility for the dye bleed should be taken by the manufacturer. The fabric cannot be cleaned in water nor solvent without detriment to its overall appearance.

Rectification: None is possible.

Tumbling too harsh for embroidery

Fault: The terminal ends of the embroidery on the overlay of this wedding dress began to protrude after cleaning.

Cause: The dress was labelled for a standard drycleaning cycle. Poor stitching on the terminal ends of the embroidered outer detail resulted in multiple protrusions over the dress when tumbled inside the machine.

Responsibility: The responsibility here lies with the manufacturer. This dress would be better suited for a much milder process. The construction should have been made to withstand cleaning.

Rectification: The protruding terminal ends can be re-stitched to the dress although this will be a time consuming task.

Getting too hands-on with curtains

Fault: The leading edge of both curtains appeared to have broken down during cleaning. The degradation is localised to approximately the centre of the leading edge.

Cause: The tensile strength of the fabric in this areas of was significantly lower than that of the undamaged fabric. It appears that the silk has become weakened in damaged areas. Judging by the location of the damage it is most likely that this has been caused due to chemical damage via natural oils and moisture on the hands. Opening and closing the curtains results in transfer of said oils and moisture which can weaken the silk fibres as seen here; any weakened fibres are susceptible to breakdown during cleaning due to the mechanical action of the process

Responsibility: The responsibility here lies with the end user.

Rectification: None is possible.

Too puffed up for to day-to-day use

Fault: A black padded jacket was removed from the drycleaning machine with significant areas of white discolouration predominantly along the seams.

Cause: This is a common issue with highly padded item. This sheer amount of padding within the garment results in rubbing of the outer fabric against itself. When drycleaned, any damaged fibres are flushed free, resulting in white discolouration. This is easily recognisable when viewed under magnification as the abraded fibres can be seen gathered in the weave.

Responsibility: Lies with the manufacturer provided the garment is within its life expectancy. The item cannot withstand typical wear and tear.

Rectification: None is possible.

From the case files…

Many vintage items are luxury garments and are not typically worn on a regular basis and as such they require storing. Storage conditions can have a negative effect on the condition of the fabric. For example, where items have been stored in an attic or similar, where ventilation is poor, build-up of moisture and dust can lead to unpleasant musty odours or mould and mildew that may not be removed by drycleaning alone.

Modern drycleaning machines perform very reliably, but certain problems can arise where insufficient attention is paid to maintenance requirements. Garment faults that typically occur when regular maintenance is neglected can be avoided easily and sometimes rectified altogether if they are recognised immediately.

Clothing trim can come in all kinds of weird and wonderful colours, shapes and sizes. While these might pleasantly add to the overall aesthetic of a garment, they can present themselves as a nightmare to the drycleaner. The example given here concerns embroidery on the overlay of a wedding dress.

Household textiles such as upholstery are not typically cleaned as frequently as day-to-day garments. This means that they can be particularly soiled when presented to the cleaner and may need a vigorous clean. As they have a longer life span than standard garments this also means that they can be exposed to higher levels of wear and tear or degradation related to ageing so the vigorous cleaning process required may result in physical damage or revelation of pre-existing damage to the textile. This month’s article examines just two examples of problems concerning curtains that have been encountered by the DTC.

And now that the winter’s here, we round off our selection with some examples of the issues raised with the DTC team over potential pitfalls with padded jackets.

Dress displayed discolouration

Fault: This dress became significantly yellow with age.

Cause: The dress had been stored in acidfree tissue for a year but when removed displayed extensive discolouration. The pattern of discolouration was not that of staining and the dress had no cellulosic composition, which may have simply oxidised with age. Testing of the surface fibres revealed that the fabric had an acidic pH.

Responsibility: The responsibility here lies with the cleaner. The fault has most likely stemmed from hot spots in the still or distilling at slightly too high temperature. Decomposition of perchloroethylene results in formation of phosgene and hydrochloric acid, which is the likely culprit here.

Rectification: None is possible. For the future, the still cleaning procedure should be improvement and distillation temperature reduced if possible.