National Clothesline

What’s more important: the press or the padding?

The answer could depend on whom you ask. The press manufacturer would say, “The press” and the padding manufacturer would say “The padding, of course.”

Before we can find an intelligent answer we must consider two other important factors. First, the vacuum or dryer and then the human element — the operator or the presser.

There is that rare, talented individual who can achieve a high standard of finishing on a faulty press or also on an old or poorly padded press. But that presser, or master finisher, is a vanishing breed and pride in workmanship has long since given way to high production with the abuse of the word quality.

What we have come to accept is equipment that will take decisions away from individual operators, eliminate human error and rely on the mechanical continuity of performance.

Considering the multitude of styles, fabrics and sizes, there will always be a desperate need for talent, especially in silk finishing, but this article deals with finishing pants, jackets and outerwear which constitutes most of the work.

So is it the padding or the press?

First, let’s examine that stepchild, the vacuum, and its ability to remove the steam and dry the goods.

Most plants relegate the vacuum to the basement and as far away as possible (who wants the noise!), but are they aware that with each eight-foot of running pipe they lose about one-quarter horsepower?

Lets keep counting. The loss is equal for every 90° and 45° turn that the vacuum pipe makes. Add it up and that super motor engineered for five presses is no longer the giant it was designed to be.

Now should that press have an old “hard as rock” pad with no resiliency or porosity and you get some idea of what moisture removal, if any, those garments are getting.

What are the consequence of pressing with an old pad?

Aside from breaking buttons, impressions and shine, we create the severe problem of retaining moisture, which is a hidden problem since it can reveal itself long after a garment is inspected.

To check how good your garments have been vacuumed, simply check an old order. Look at the lapel edges and pocket flaps, fly fronts, etc. If they are rippled, then you know you have short vacuum time or inadequate vacuum and the moisture simply came to the outer surface after the job was done.

Plastic bags, of course, add to this by trapping moisture. If the order was bagged immediately after pressing, steam and humidity will rise under the open bag on a floor-to-ceiling conveyor and the problem will compound itself.

There is another culprit and that is the piece-work presser who cheats on vacuum time. Who’s to know since it will only show long after the garments have been assembled and bagged up?

Simple vacuum test

Let’s do a simple vacuum test. Take a sheet from a daily newspaper, lay it across the buck, press the vacuum pedal and attempt to slowly drag the paper towards you.

If your vacuum is functioning reasonably well, you should have trouble dragging the paper; hopefully it will tear or rip in the test.

If it does not, start troubleshooting by changing your pad and note the date it was changed.

The mechanics and function of pressing can be reduced to five procedures:

• Put in a crease (heat pressure);

• Set the crease (vacuum/
drying);

• Remove wrinkles and then smooth finish by relaxing the fiber with either head steam or buck steam and vacuum;

• Raise the nap of the fabric with buck steam velvet/corduroy or high pile goods and vacuum;

• Shape, stretch or correct a distortion in a loosely woven fabric by using buck steam and set and dry with vacuum.

Notice all functions require vacuum and it is vacuum and subsequent drying which can set the desired finish.

It is not at all strange that garment manufacturers without exception make dependable full vacuum to finish their clothes. The standard in most manufacturers’ plants is to change padding on a scheduled and predetermined basis, whether change is needed or not.

Drycleaners are in the fabric restoration business and should take heed and adapt these practices of the manufacturer.

Now we come to the analogy of the expensive new car using cheaper low octane gas to the modern new press, with old padding that should have been changed.

Most presses require little or no maintenance, and come under that old adage “Don’t fix it if its not broken!”

But a simple check to our incoming filter for condensate build-up can eliminate a serious problem. How serious? Oil and water don’t mix! That’s how serious.

As the moisture is removed from the incoming air and all dust or foreign matter is accumulated, this new filtered air goes on to the automatic oiler which lubricates each poppet valve and all cylinders in the air circuitry.

The clean and lubricated air assures long life to all moving parts and will keep the press functioning as smooth and fast as the day it was purchased.

So what’s more important — the press or the padding? As you can see from the preceding facts, they are equally important, as well as the vacuum, which is the one element that no machine or padding can ever replace.

That one factor that can correct what a tailor, seamstress or cutter had done wrong; that one ingredient that can shape and mold a garment that was drycleaned and recleaned and wetcleaned and now looks not just restored but totally new.