HOUSEHOLD HINTS

Warm and Cozy Comforters
Comforters, sleeping bags, coats and other cold weather garments are often made with down or fiberfill. Both down - a natural product - and fiberfill - a polyester fill - are effective in keeping out the cold.

Sometimes, distortion or flatness occurs on insulating materials used in both wearable garments and household items. Garments with poor construction and insufficient quilting can cause the fill to shift and lose shape, and become matted. This type of damage cannot be prevented. The normal agitation of any acceptable care process will aggravate the defective condition. The durability of such items directly depends on the stability and quality of the overall construction of the item.

When purchasing a down or fiberfill garment, make sure it is well quilted. Preferably, quilting stitches should run both vertically and horizontally with quilting stitches about 8-10 inches apart. Poorly constructed garments with loose stitching can allow down or fiberfill to shift.

Bedspread Shrinkage
Some natural relaxation shrinkage can show up after cleaning of household items, such as comforters, bedspreads, blankets, and slipcovers. Slight shrinkage (approximately 2-4%) is to be expected on all household items. There is usually a fullness of the backing or shell fabric, causing a puckered appearance. Also, any piping borders, quilting stitches, and seams may be rippled or distorted. The zippers needed for many slipcovers will be wavy.

The major cause is the original fabric not being properly preshrunk or stabilized before the article was constructed. When this occurs, the latent strains of relaxation will appear during the agitation of any acceptable care procedure. This is often the case with custom made items.

Properly cleaned items that shrink so excessively that they cannot be used should be returned to the manufacturer. In some cases, your neighborhood Lapels Dry Cleaner can restore household items to an acceptable dimension.

"Cord" Trims
Many household items, such as furniture covers, slipcovers, bedspreads, and comforters are constructed with a decorative fabric or yarn covered "cord" trim (corded piping) along the borders. In some cases, this cord trim is braided. Problems can arise when the border trim shrinks and distorts during the cleaning process.

The inner cord under the fabric or yarn covering is often a very heat-sensitive olefin-type material. Professional immersion dry cleaning or laundering processes require some heat for drying and, in many cases, steam finishing to remove wrinkles and/or redistribute shifted batting materials. Therefore, during acceptable care of any kind, the heat-sensitive cord will shrink, creating puckering and distortion.

Always check the care label! In most cases, the manufacturer must be held responsible for using trim materials that can not withstand any acceptable professional care process without damage. However, if the item has a care label that contains specific precautions against heat in drying, ironing, or steam finishing, these items are best hand washed at home.

Drapes and Curtains
Many people don't give curtains and drapes a second thought once they are hung...until they decide to clean them. Exposure to sunlight, moisture, dust and other pollutants weaken fibers and can cause discoloration to your drapery. Unfortunately, this damage does not always become apparent until the item is cleaned.

Yellow Streaks
Exposure to light, smoke, soot as well as atmospheric gases, fumes, and other impurities causes the dyes and finishes on fabric to become stained and degraded. Many fabrics contain optical dyes or brighteners that slowly oxidize and discolor from normal home exposure conditions.

The staining will appear as streaks, mainly in the areas of the fabric that are exposed to light and air while hanging. The original shade of the drape will be found in protected areas, such as inside the folds and header pleats. This type of discoloration is not preventable in normal use and there is normally no safe remedy for restoration.

Light Damage
Sunlight is your drapery's worst enemy. It is destructive to many textiles and will progressively degrade the fibers that are exposed during use. Some fibers, such as rayon, acetate, nylon, cotton, linen, silk, and wool are more prone to this type of damage than others. In addition, some dark colors and prints absorb light readily and are more susceptible to light damage.

Light damage usually appears in straight vertical lines along the folds or edges of the drapery and is often not apparent until after cleaning. In many cases, the thinner, vertical yarns will break, while the horizontal yarns will remain. This pattern makes the drapes appear shredded.

Water Marks
Watermark staining is another circumstance of use. As drapes hang in windows, the sizing or finishes in the fabric, as well accumulated soils are aggravated by condensation causing objectionable streaks or water rings. This is usually more noticeable along the hem or edges.

Drapery water marks are basically water soluble and are best removed through hand washing at home if the type of fabric and colors can withstand wet cleaning. Again - check the care label!

Prevention
All of the above are circumstances of normal use for drapes and curtains. However, you can extend the life of your drapery and reduce the risk of damage by following a few simple rules.
• Clean drapes and curtains frequently to prevent heavy accumulation of surface oils and fumes.
• Vacuum drapes as often as you vacuum the carpet to remove dust and soot buildup.
• Protect fabric from prolonged light exposure by using blackout linings, outer shades or blinds.

THE DRY CLEANING PROCESS

FACT OR MYTH

THE LIFE OF A DRESS SHIRT

SUMMER STAINS

A SEASON FOR DELICATES

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER WEDDING GOWN CLEANING

WATER-PROOFING SUEDE AND LEATHER

REMOVING TRICKY, STICKY STAINS

CLEANING WINDOW DRESSINGS

CARING FOR WOOL

WARM WEATHER STAINS

CLEANING DOWN

CARING FOR YOUR SWEATERS

PROPER CARE OF LEATHER AND SUEDE BEGINS AT HOME