Pressing faults

28 April 2016



DTC’s Stacey King explains how drycleaners can avoid some of the more common problems that can occur during pressing


Cleaners need to recognise fibre types
The way garments are finished contributes greatly to overall customer satisfaction and cleaners need skill and expertise to ensure a good result. To avoid faults cleaners should be able to recognise fibre types. Knowing when a care label is wrong or gives poor advice is helpful and keeping finishing equipment in good order with regular checks will also reduce the risk of errors.
It is important to take note of the recommendations on the care label, but these may not be correct so be wary.
British and International Standard care labelling symbols indicate that a one dot iron denotes a maximum sole plate temperature of 110C and importantly that steam should not be used. Using steam in such cases could damage the garment irreversibly and the one-dot iron symbol indicates that the steam air former should not be used - a detail that is often overlooked.
The two-dot and three-dot iron symbols indicate a maximum soleplate temperature of 150 and 200C respectively. If using an electric iron, try to find one that has a calibrated temperature dial that matches these symbols.
The steam-heated metal head of a commercial press has a set temperature that can vary between 150C and 185C based on steam pressure of 4 - 10 bar. Be very careful when deciding whether to finish on a press and always be wary of items containing heat-sensitive textiles such as PVC, modacrylic and acrylic. Take special care when finishing these fabrics.
Shoulder seams should be pressed under tension and with the use of vacuum. Missing this step will make the seam look puckered as if it had shrunk. A combination of heat and pressure can lead to glazing so use vacuum and tension rather than pressure to set the seam.
Regularly check the press padding to ensure it is resilient so that it provides even pressure across a garment. When using steam it must be drained of water droplets and distributed evenly to prevent the padding becoming wet as this may spoil the padding and the garment. Take great care with fibres of animal origin, such as wool.

Hidden press-stud makes its mark on pocket flap
Fault
: Pressing this pocket flap has produced an imprint of the concealed press-stud on the outer surface.
Cause: The cleaner has applied too much pressure on the flap during finishing and the result is that an impression of the press-stud is now visible on the outer fabric.
Responsibility: There is no sign of fibre loss, which could indicate abrasion, so the cleaner should take responsibility for the marks. When ironing around trims and buttons it is important to ensure that the surface below is flat and free from obstruction. If using a press, the padding must be sufficient to absorb any increase in pressure necessary for finishing thicker areas such as pocket flaps.
Rectification: Brushing might improve the appearance but the imprint cannot be removed.

Ironing with excessive steam leads to wrinkles in leather jacket
Fault
: After this leather jacket had been ironed it was badly wrinkled in places as this picture shows.
Cause: The wrinkling is a direct result of the use of excessive steam. This steam combined with the heat and pressure associated with ironing has resulted in the unsightly flattened wrinkles.
Responsibility: The responsibility here should be taken by the cleaner. The jacket carried a care label that stated "do not iron", but the cleaner had ignored this instruction and not only ironed the jacket but did so with steam.
It is possible that the cleaner would have had a better result with a dry iron as it was the steam that caused the damage in this instance.
Rectification: None.

Cleaner ignored one-dot iron instruction
Fault
: These trousers are made from a fabric that contains elastane fibres and these have broken and pushed through.
Cause: This has probably been caused by finishing with steam. The trousers were labelled with a one-dot iron symbol and this indicates that they should be finished without any steam. Ignoring this instruction has led to the steam breaking the fibres so that they are now pushing through the fabric.
Responsibility: The cleaner should take responsibility here for not heeding the care label. However the fault can also result from the fibres being woven under too high a tension during the fabric manufacture. In such cases the heat in the drying or finishing stages will weaken and eventually break the fibres.
Rectification: None.

Poor pressing leads to puckered shoulders
Fault
: Bubbling could be seen around the shoulders of this jacket after it had been pressed.
Cause: Bubbling is often a sign of differential shrinkage but in this instance it is simply a result of poor pressing.
Responsibility: The responsibility here should lie with the cleaner. Applying hand pressure will stretch the fabric enough to remove the bubbling and this indicates that it has been caused by poor pressing. If the bubbling would not stretch out it would suggest that the seam was made with too much tension and therefore that the manufacturer would have been responsible.
Rectification: In this case, the bubbling can be rectified by careful application of tension, steam and vacuum. The key to a permanent result is to maintain firm tension until the cloth has been set in place by vacuum.

White marks indicate glazing
Fault
: White marks appeared on this garment after finishing.
Cause: The white marks are glazing as a result of excess heat and pressure during pressing. Here, the fault has also caused the bottom of the jacket to start to delaminate.
Responsibility: The cleaner should take responsibility for not taking enough care when finishing the jacket. The excessive heat has also weakened the adhesive bond, resulting in delamination. However delamination is often a manufacturer fault if it is caused by shrinkage.
Rectification: None

Customer complains that the trouser hems were uneven
Fault
: The hems on these trousers were uneven when they were returned to the customer.
Cause: The cleaner had failed to stretch the hems out evenly while the trousers were being pressed.
Responsibility: The main leg seams on a pair of trousers will often relax and pucker after being cleaned. The presser will then need to stretch the leg to remove this puckering and must ensure that the tension is uniform.
Rectification: The trousers should be pressed again, this time using sufficient tension to reshape the hem correctly.

Care label gives wrong temperature advice
Fault
: After this jacket had been pressed, both the collar and the lapels looked wavy.
Cause: The care label advises that the jacket could withstand pressing temperatures of up to 150C. This advice was wrong as the high temperature melted the adhesive used in the collar and lapel structure. The ripple effect seen here is the pattern created by the melted adhesive as it leeches through the cloth. If the jacket undergoes further cleans, delamination is likely to occur.
Responsibility: The manufacturer has not labelled the garment correctly and must therefore take responsibility for this fault.
Rectification: None.

 

Poor pressing
Hidden press-stud
Trouser hems
One-dot iron
Wrinkles in leather
Care label was incorrect
White marks


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