Are you worried about how one of your precious garments will fare when washed or dry cleaned? Confused about how the temperature and drying methods may affect your clothing? Here, we have put together a database of clothes care facts for your use!
Wine Stains!
Here's a quick tip—If you spilled red wine on a white shirt recently and decided to just dye it, please reconsider. Before you dye any clothing item, you must remove the stain. If you don't, the dye will color the stained area differently from the rest of the fabric, and you'll still see the spot!
Handwashing
You're in a store and see a brightly colored sweater on sale. But wait, the care label says, "Hand wash in cold water." You may think to yourself, "Hey, I'll just throw it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle and that should be fine." WRONG! Don't throw this type of garment in the washer, because you'll probably be VERY unhappy with the results. Hand washing involves no agitation, wringing, or twisting of the fabric. Any machine wash cycle (yes, even gentle) involves agitation, which could damage the material. If you really love that sweater and you must have it, then be sure to follow the instructions. Simply soak the item in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, rinse and squeeze gently, then lay flat to dry.
Men's Ties
Men's ties can make a fashion statement. They can be humorous or entertaining. They can be a real conversation piece. But ties can also become pretty weird looking because of excessive wear and cleaning or because of dye migration. If you've got a tie that looks rippled or puckered, it's probably because of the way the tie was made, according to the IFI. That's because tie fabric is cut on a bias and is susceptible to stretching from tension and stress of tying and untying. Also, the materials used in ties can shrink during cleaning. If your tie's pattern suddenly starts to 'bleed' and migrate onto other shades, it's probably because the dyes are not colorfast when coming into contact with water. Since a tie can get wet in the rain or snow, contact with water is pretty common! Unfortunately, we at Save On Cleaners can't tell in advance how well a tie is made. We don't know whether the manufacturer used unstable dyes, sizing, or finishes. And we can't fix a tie that has experienced dye problems or becomes rippled. We're not trying to pass the buck, but that's the truth about ties. If your tie does have problems, maybe it's a good excuse to purchase a new one!
GUM: To remove chewing gum from kids clothing - harden the gum on the garment with ice; it will become brittle, and can be chipped off, wash thoroughly to remove any sugar.
CANDLE WAX: Place the stained area between paper towels, or pieces of brown paper, and press with a warm iron to absorb the wax.
PERSPIRATION: Soak the stain area in a warm white-vinegar water.
INK: Do not use hairspray on ball point pen ink. The oils and lanolin in the hairspray can cause more stains. Bring it to us.
General Tips
Here's a quick tip—If you spilled red wine on a white shirt recently and decided to just dye it, please reconsider. Before you dye any clothing item, you must remove the stain. If you don't, the dye will color the stained area differently from the rest of the fabric, and you'll still see the spot!
Handwashing
You're in a store and see a brightly colored sweater on sale. But wait, the care label says, "Hand wash in cold water." You may think to yourself, "Hey, I'll just throw it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle and that should be fine." WRONG! Don't throw this type of garment in the washer, because you'll probably be VERY unhappy with the results. Hand washing involves no agitation, wringing, or twisting of the fabric. Any machine wash cycle (yes, even gentle) involves agitation, which could damage the material. If you really love that sweater and you must have it, then be sure to follow the instructions. Simply soak the item in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, rinse and squeeze gently, then lay flat to dry.
Men's Ties
Men's ties can make a fashion statement. They can be humorous or entertaining. They can be a real conversation piece. But ties can also become pretty weird looking because of excessive wear and cleaning or because of dye migration. If you've got a tie that looks rippled or puckered, it's probably because of the way the tie was made, according to the IFI. That's because tie fabric is cut on a bias and is susceptible to stretching from tension and stress of tying and untying. Also, the materials used in ties can shrink during cleaning. If your tie's pattern suddenly starts to 'bleed' and migrate onto other shades, it's probably because the dyes are not colorfast when coming into contact with water. Since a tie can get wet in the rain or snow, contact with water is pretty common! Unfortunately, we at Save On Cleaners can't tell in advance how well a tie is made. We don't know whether the manufacturer used unstable dyes, sizing, or finishes. And we can't fix a tie that has experienced dye problems or becomes rippled. We're not trying to pass the buck, but that's the truth about ties. If your tie does have problems, maybe it's a good excuse to purchase a new one!
GUM: To remove chewing gum from kids clothing - harden the gum on the garment with ice; it will become brittle, and can be chipped off, wash thoroughly to remove any sugar.
CANDLE WAX: Place the stained area between paper towels, or pieces of brown paper, and press with a warm iron to absorb the wax.
PERSPIRATION: Soak the stain area in a warm white-vinegar water.
INK: Do not use hairspray on ball point pen ink. The oils and lanolin in the hairspray can cause more stains. Bring it to us.
General Tips
- Never iron fabric with a deodorant stain, as this will permanently damage the fabric.
- Be very careful not to get suntan oils on garments as many of them will permanently stain.
- Do not attempt to remove cosmetic stains yourself, as the color in cosmetics runs easily and enlarges the stain.
- Never wash an egg stain in hot water - this will cause the stain to set.
- The safest form of mild bleach for whitening all natural fibers is white vinegar.
- A common fatal error is the use of acetone in home stain removal. Acetate fibers will dissolve in acetone - Don't attempt your own stain removal.
- Some water spots on fabrics such as taffeta or silk can be removed by holding the fabric over steam (as from a kettle) and then ironing gently while damp.
- If the stain is still wet, do not rub it, or you will spread it. Simply try and absorb excess moisture with paper towel or cotton towel.
