Q: Lately, during final inspection after laundering, I have seen several white shirts with random damaged areas, but only some yarns are gone in the “holes” while other yarns remain undamaged. What in the world could cause this type of damage?
Q: When I drive up to my plant in the mornings I see lots of steam blowing out of the return tank exhaust. This seems like a lot of steam being wasted and it’s sure to be costing me money. Is there some way I can capture all this steam and recycle it?
Q: I just finished drycleaning a blue down-filled ski parka and now it looks like it has oil splotches all over the fabric. What happened and what can I do to fix it?
Lice are small insects that live on the hair and scalp of humans and feed on blood. Lice can spread as long as lice or eggs remain alive on the infested person or clothing, but they are unable to survive off the body for more than 48 hours. Items that have been infected with lice should be contained in a plastic bag for 48 hours before cleaning.
Q: Over the past year, I have had trouble with zippers that won’t go up. While a few of them are made of metal, most of them are constructed of nylon. I have replaced several zippers but feel there can’t be that many defective zippers. Can you please help me find a solution as I cannot continue to replace these zippers?
A: Most zipper problems can be traced back to solvent charge and crushed slides approximately 95 percent of the time.
Q: While pressing a dress I noticed staining around the buttons. What caused this?
The most common question faced by drycleaners when they receive a bedspread or comforter is whether it should be washed or drycleaned. Complaints of color loss or change of finish frequently accompany the cleaning of these items. Color loss usually becomes apparent when the cleaned bedspread no longer matches a coordinating uncleaned accessory, such as a pillow sham or drapery. The difference can range from slight frosting or fading to an overall change or catastrophic change of all colors.
Have you ever drycleaned an item in a normal process only to notice localized areas of color loss on a certain item? What went wrong? In many cases the color loss was caused by contact with an oxidizing agent - such as a bleach - prior to the cleaning process.
Oxidizing agents are found in hair care products, acne preparations, medicines for the skin, home bleaches, disinfectants, scouring products, and other cleaning agents. The discoloration may not show up until the item is exposed to the heat in the drying cycle or the heat of steam finishing.
Q: A customer brought in jeans with crayon all over them. The jeans had been dried while the crayon was still in the pocket. Can these stains be removed?
A: According to DLI experts, crayon stains are similar to candle wax stains and appear as built-up, shiny, and stiff stains.
Normally, drying, not washing, will cause these type of stains. The heat from drying melts the crayon material, resulting in stains on the garment.
Q: How can a drycleaner save fuel without investing capital?
