Drycleaners-Æ trade secrets - Page 2
Stay up to date with the latest Drycleaners-Æ trade secrets updates from the global laundry and cleaning news industry
Caring for the machine
A well-maintained machine will help to keep your business running efficiently, avoiding unnecessary downtime and costly repairs, says Roger Cawood.
Added value without added risk
Most cleaners will normally price wedding dresses well above standard ladies garments and for some cleaners, these high value items represent a considerable part of their turnover.
Higher value means greater risks
Checking the filter pressure
The filter pressure gauge on the vast majority of drycleaning machines is located on or close to the filter itself. To gain visual access to the gauge, the operator needs to go round...
Incorrect care labels
Cleaners may experience problems with garments that are apparently correctly labelled but either fail or deteriorate during drycleaning.
Handling silk correctly
Many of the garments brought into drycleaners are wrongly labelled but this is particularly true of silks.
Allow time for moisture regain
Many cleaners start to finish garments immediately the items are removed from the drycleaning machine and do not take any account of the fibre type.
Take extra care with sensitive fabrics in colder weather
Now that the weather is getting colder, cleaners should be aware of the risks to moisture sensitive textiles. Pure white items can also be at risk.
Develop your ironing techniques
Ironing tables have become increasingly popular since the early 1980s.
The case for pure chemicals
Cleaners may experience problems with stain removal as a result of using inappropriate chemicals and dirt building up on the spotting table.
Creating the right impression
It is important that drycleaning businesses make a good first impressions on their customers.
Be cautious of high risk finishes
Drycleaners rely to a great extent on care labelling and particularly on the circle P and circle F symbols to help them decide if a particular garment can be processed.
Defining spot cleaning
The practice of labelling garments “spot clean only” appears to be on the increase.
Perc and flames don’t mix!
During the course of my work I often see gas-fired tumble dryers installed in close proximity to perchloroethylene (perc) drycleaning machines.
Caring for trims
Trims such as sequins, beads and embroidery can be at risk of being damaged when the garment is cleaned, whether it is drycleaned, wetcleaned or washed.
Reducing stain removal risks
Some stain removal treatments can cause problems with particular garments or textiles, writes Roger Cawood.
Keeping a check on llint filters
Over recent months I have seen several drycleaning machines where the lint screens/filters have been neglected.
Avoiding sweals and rings
Sweals and rings are a problem that are often encountered in stain removal.
