National Clothesline

The leveling agent is one of the most important aspects of pre-spotting. Leveling agents permit you to use wetside spotting agents and obtain removal of water rings.

The proper leveling agent should be a product that not only breaks up the water rings but can easily be rinsed from a fabric when drycleaned. The best leveling agents can dry on the fabric and yet still be rinsed from the fabric when the garment is drycleaned.

Some cleaners avoid leveling agents by throwing garments in the drycleaning machine while wet. This may remove the rings but the problems of redeposition of soil, matting, felting and shrinkage can occur.

There are many types of leveling agents on the market and the choice and effectiveness is up to the cleaner and the type of solvent that is used.

Not all leveling agents are compatible with all solvents. Not all leveling agents are environmentally safe to use in some locations.

How leveling
agents work

The purpose of a leveling agent is to emulsify or break up water molecules. An example of water molecule breaking up would be similar to spraying water in a fine mist rather than pouring it out.

When water molecules are dispersed in another liquid, they spread out and lose their ability to produce rings. The principle is similar to breaking up water rings with the steam gun and feathering the wet area by wiping with a dry cloth.

An example of water emulsifying in drycleaning solvent is when too much water enters the drycleaning machine and the solvent turns cloudy or milky.

Under normal conditions water does not mix with a dry solvent. The detergent in the drycleaning machine breaks up the water molecules, causing an emulsion in the solvent.

If enough detergent is added to the solvent, the water might emulsify to such an extent that it may not even be visible.

When a solution spreads out emulsified water, the water loses its ability to accumulate and form a ring. Drycleaning then removes the remaining residue of agents that emulsified the water.

How to use
a leveling agent

Many fabrics, due to the nature of the weave and color, produce water rings. After you use your routine wetside spotting procedure apply ample amounts of leveling agent. Then brush the affected area so the solution spreads out. Then allow the water to evaporate from the fabric. You can use the air gun to help speed up the drying process.

Then routinely dryclean the garment. You may not need a leveling agent on dark colored garments or knit fabrics which do not readily form rings.

Types of leveling agents

Charge detergent and perc. This is one of most effective leveling agents. A charge detergent breaks up the water causing an emulsion of water detergent and perc.

The ability of perc to carry this emulsion is what makes it so effective. The mixture for making up this leveling agent is four parts solvent and one part detergent. This leveling agent has been restricted from use on many spotting boards due to EPA rules.

Charge detergent and petroleum solvent. Petroleum solvent can be used as the solvent for the leveling agent, but is not as effective as perc. It is, however, a safer leveling agent to use on suedes, leathers and many delicate dyes. The use of petroleum solvent can create a problem with flammability and mixing of a flammable solvent with a non-flammable perc.

Charge detergent and volatile dry solvent. This is another way to create a leveling agent. It is more aggressive on many dyes and color. This can not be used with GreenEarth solvent since volatile dry solvents do not rinse out.

Cleaners Chemical Corp. produces a number of spotting chemicals produced by that have their own built-in leveling agents. Lube-Remove for tannin stains and Enzy Spot for protein stains do not require leveling agents.

After spotting, any residue of spotting agents do not have to be flushed out. The garment needs only be drycleaned to remove residue. These leveling agents can be removed using any solvent, including petroleum and GreenEarth. The spotting agents can also be flushed out and the garment feathered.

Laidlaw has formulated effective leveling agents to be used, depending upon the solvent used in the particular plant. These include: Leveling Agent-for perc; HC leveling agent-for hydrocarbon solvent; and GE leveling agent-for GreenEarth

R.R. Street has a very effective leveling agent called Soft Spot.

Spray spotters. Spray spotters can also be used as a leveling agent. They are not as effective as the other products mentioned. The spray spotting agents rinse out of most fabrics without leaving rings, but some heavy fabrics may have rings.

Other uses
for leveling agents

Leveling agents can also be used for removing ground-in soil. The ability of water being emulsified makes it an effective penetrating agent on fabrics. When used with proper mechanical action ground in soil can be broken up and loosened.