National Clothesline

Have you ever wished you could press the wrinkles out of a suede or leather? You can, you know! If you will just read on, I will tell you how to do it.

Let’s start with what you should already know. Think back to when I explained how the hand iron is used to press suede and leather in almost exactly the same way as pressing cloth garments. I described the hand iron as a small hot head press. Well, now we are going to

discuss the press and how it can be used to press suedes and leathers.

You can start pressing your suedes and leathers by using the press you have. Just about every drycleaning plant has at least one steam press and just about every laundry department has at least one hot head press.

Either one of these presses can be utilized to press suede and leather garments IF the following precautions are observed.

1. Never allow live steam to come in contact with a suede or leather garment when using a drycleaning steam press or hot head laundry press with buck steam. Steam may be used on most suedes only if the pressure can be reduced to no more than 40 psi.

2. Never press creases into the sleeves of suede and leather garments unless the customer demands it!

So, don’t jump the gun and start trying to press your wrinkled suedes and leathers until I finish telling you exactly how to do it safely and effectively.

3. Never press sewn-in cloth linings with normal steam pressure when the suede, leather or fur is on the press under the lining.

The lays used for suede and leather garments are the same as those used when pressing the same type of cloth garments.

The only difference is that the steam pressure must be much lower for suedes and leathers, the sleeves must be protected from creasing and the suede nap must be brushed up just as velvet and corduroy are brushed up after pressing.

The utility press is the most versatile press that can be used for pressing suedes and leathers and is the most likely press to be found in your plant. You may have an automatic steam utility press, a manual utility press or a hot head utility press. These can all be used to press suedes and leathers. Other types of presses can also be used to press suedes and leathers.

The main precaution is to press with low steam pressure of under 40 psi or no live steam at all coming into contact with the suedes or leathers.

In the next few articles, we will look at how you can use your existing press for pressing your own suedes and leathers. We will first consider the automatic drycleaning steam press. Then the manual drycleaning press. Then the hot head laundry or drycleaning press.

In addition, we will look at how a drycleaning press can be adapted to pressing smooth leathers with optimum results. We will also show you how to press sleeves without creasing them and how to brush up suede nap easily and efficiently.