National Clothesline

Load classifications for wetcleaning suede and leather are based on the type of leather, the color of the leather, the weight of the leather and cloth trims and combinations of color.

Classification by type

The first classification is by type of leather and is accomplished by separating suede items from painted leather items.

This separation is required because painted leathers may lose surface finish, color and gloss as a result of excess mechanical action if wetcleaned longer than five minutes.

Suede items will not lose color if cleaned longer than five minutes. Painted leather items will clean easily with a five-minute or shorter wetcleaning cycle.

The second classification is by color and is accomplished by separating the suede garments and the leather garments into light colors and dark/bright colors to avoid unnecessary contact of light and dark items in wetcleaning.

While two ounces per garment of the Prosuede Detergent Plus Conditioner stabilizes color

and protects softness of both dark and light colored leathers, it is always good practice to wetclean dark or bright colors and light colors in separate loads.

The third classification is by weight of suede and leather items and is made on the basis of differences in the weights of the various types of skins.

Lightweight items made from sheepskin, lambskin, deerskin, cloth trimmed, etc., are not normally wetcleaned in the same load with heavyweight, stiff, cowhide and pigskin items.

However, it is good practice to run separate loads made up of heavy, rugged, stiff cowhide and pigskin suedes rather than to mix them with the more delicate lightweight lambskin and sheepskin suedes.

This classification begins by separating leather garments made with combinations of different colored panels of suede or leather from cloth garments trimmed with suede or leather.

Next, separate cloth items trimmed with suede from cloth items trimmed with painted leather. Then separate cloth items trimmed with light colored suede and painted leather from those with dark colored trims.

Combinations of light and dark colors on a single item should be classified as a dark colored item. The item with a dark-colored suede or leather trim must be wetcleaned as though it is entirely dark colored.

It doesn’t matter if the garment also contains light-colored suede or leather trim or any type of cloth. The darkest colored suede or leather trim is the critical factor that determines that the item will be wetcleaned with similarly colored items.

Now, separate combination items made from different colored panels of suede from those made of different colored panels of painted leather. Then separate items made from combinations of different colored panels of light-colored suede and painted leather from those with dark-colored panels.

Combinations of light and dark colors on a single item should be classified as a dark-colored item. The item with a dark-colored suede or leather panel must be wetcleaned as though it was entirely dark colored.

If the garment also contains light-colored suede or leather panels, the darkest colored suede or leather panel determines that the item will be wetcleaned with similar dark-colored items.

Also, separate trimmed and combination items based on weight.

For example, a stiff, heavy denim trimmed in suede or leather would not normally be wetcleaned with a silk blouse trimmed in suede or leather.

Likewise, an item that combines various colored panels of heavy cowhide or pigskin wouldn’t be wetcleaned with an item that combines various colored panels of light weight lamb skin or doe skin.

Separating by weight prevents damage by mechanical action.

1. The type of leather, trim or combination on an item dictates the wash time — short for painted leathers, trims or combinations and longer for sueded leathers, trims or combinations,

2. The color of the suede or leather trim or panels determines the items that should go into a load — light colors or trims together and dark colors or trims together.

3. The weight of the item determines the other items with which it can be wetcleaned; lightweight items with lightweight items and heavyweight items with heavyweight items.

Classification of loads

First, separate suedes from leathers. Then separate light-colored suedes from dark-colored suedes. Then separate lightweight suedes from heavyweight suedes.

Wetclean lightweight light-colored suedes together. Wetclean heavyweight light-colored suedes together. Wetclean lightweight dark-colored suedes together. Wetclean heavyweight dark-colored suedes together.

Do the same with leathers. Separate light-colored leathers from dark-colored leathers. Then separate lightweight leathers from heavyweight leathers.

Wetclean lightweight light-colored leathers together. Wetclean heavyweight light-colored leathers together. Wetclean lightweight dark-colored leathers together. Wetclean heavyweight dark-colored leathers together.

Follow the same classification procedure with combinations of colors on the same garment and with cloth items trimmed with suede or leather.

If the combination or trimmed item is made up of dark- and light-colored panels of suede or leather, classify it as a dark color of suede or leather.