National Clothesline

The advancement of wetcleaning technology has been significant.

I have been teaching wetcleaning for 40 years and have seen cleaners increase their wetcleaning percentage from 5 percent up to 65 percent. This is mainly advancement made in wetcleaning detergents, additives and spotting agents.

The advancement of wetcleaning is also attributed to the new, sophisticated wetcleaning equipment and the tensioning finishing equipment.

I have tested hundreds of fabrics and the fact remains that there are still many fabrics that cannot be wetcleaned. This article will prove that it is not possible to obtain 100 percent wetcleaning unless cleaners receive all garments that are low-end and casual wear.

In order to understand what can and what can not be wetcleaned, we have to understand something about fibers, dyes, yarn construction, finishing agents, pre-shrinkage and fabric construction.

1. Fibers. A fiber is a hair-like substance that can be spun or thrown into a yarn. All fibers can be wetcleaned, which includes silk, cotton, linen, acetate, polyester, nylon and acrylic.

2. Yarn construction. A fiber is spun or thrown into a yarn. The tighter the twist the more durable it is. Yarns with a high twist are more durable and possess less chance of shrinkage.

At this stage all fibers and yarns can be wetcleaned. The next phase of our discussion turns yarns into fabrics that may not be wetcleanable.

If I now interlock yarns and create a weave, the resulting item may not be suitable for immersion in water.

1. Velvet is a woven fabric with a third set of pile yarns. Acetate, rayon and silk velvet cannot be wetcleaned. The pile will flatten from water, causing distortion that cannot be corrected. Polyester, cotton and nylon velvet can be wetcleaned.

2. Crepe is a plain weave fabric with very high twist yarns. A rayon or silk crepe cannot be wetcleaned. The fabric absorbs moisture causing extensive shrinkage. Polyester and nylon crepe can be wetcleaned.

3. Pre-shrinkage is a pro-cess used in manufacture to stabilize the fabric against shrinkage. Although many wool knits and angoras are not pre-shrunk, it is easy to block the fabric into shape after proper wetcleaning.

When a fabric is a tight weave that is not pre-shrunk, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to shrink back into shape. For example when shirts are laundered that are not pre-shrunk the shrinkage that occurs is often permanent.

A drapery fabric that is wetcleaned and shrinks only two percent can result in shrinkage over two inches.

Lined fabrics such as wools, silks and rayons that shrink in wetcleaning cannot easily be blocked into shape. Even if you do succeed, it is not time and cost efficient to attempt this restoration.

It is interesting to note that manufacturers can produce a pre-shrunk washable rayon or a viscose rayon which is not pre-shrunk and loses 80 percent of its strength when wet.

4. Dyes. Fabrics can be dyed many different ways. Wool and silk can be dyed with direct, developed, acid, crome or vat dyes. Some of these dyes when not properly applied become fugitive and will run or bleed when contacting moisture. Even the best wetcleaning dye setting agent can not set a fugitive dye.

5. Prints. A design imparted to a fabric is referred to as a print. There are many different printing processes used, some of which may be wetcleanable and some may not be.

Some types of printing that usually are wetcleanable are surface, pigment and gilt print. Some other types of printing may be screen printing, direct printing or discharge printing. Some of these printing processes may not be resistant to the wetcleaning process.

6. Sizing. Many fabrics are sized to stabilize the fabric and add body, sheen, feel and hand. In wetcleaning the sizing can be removed, causing a change in the fabric that cannot be corrected. This includes rayon and silk matte jersey as well as many chiffon and taffeta fabrics.

7. Pleating. Any fabric can be intricately pleated and fluted. Silk, cotton, linen or rayon when intricately pleated can not be wetcleaned since pleating and fluting will be removed.

This loss of fluting or pleating cannot be easily restored. Pleated fabrics made of polyester, nylon or acrylic are usually safe to wetclean because the pleating is heat set and is permanent.

8. Trimmings. A light colored garment trimmed with dark suede or leather may not be wetcleanable due to the dyes that may bleed. Other types of trimming may also have poor resistance to wetcleaning.

9. Garment construction. A fully lined garment with padding and interfacing may not be wetcleanable if made from silk, wool, acetate and cotton. This is due to the fact that the fabric cannot be pressed or finished to resemble the original state of the fabric.

10. Wedding gowns. Polyester and nylon wedding gowns pose no problem in wetcleaning. Many silks also pose no problem in wetcleaning.

There are many wedding gown fabrics that are not suitable for wetcleaning. This includes sized silks with trimming, rayons and acetates. The wetcleaning process can remove the sizing and finish, making it impossible to restore the fabric to its original state.

The finishing agents used by the drycleaner are usually not the same as those applied by the manufacturer. If the wedding gown is intricately trimmed, the refinishing process can be long and tedious making it cost prohibitive.

The information presented in this article points out the fact that the wetcleaning percentage that is possible depends upon the type of fabrics received. A cleaner who receives mostly denims, khakis, shirts, some simple wools, knits and polyesters can probably accomplish 100 percent wetcleaning.

Those cleaners who receive more upscale work, such as lined rayons, silks, and wools, have a greater limitation of their wetcleaning capabilities. The wetcleaning processes that we have can not overturn the limitations of fabric construction, poor dyes and finish.