Swiss Cleaners

It seems these days that everyone is moving at warp speed. It only seems natural that we are attracted to things that save us time and make our lives easier. We go through drive-thrus to save the time of getting in and out of the car. We choose texting over calling because it’s quicker than having an actual conversation with someone. We can even do all of our grocery shopping online, and even have it delivered right to our front door. All of those things make our lives so much easier; but easier isn’t always better. The latest time saving trend in the clothing world is No-Iron Shirts. Sounds great. I mean who likes to iron? It can’t get any better than just washing, drying, and wearing your shirt instantly. Can it?

Shorter lifespan.

No-Iron shirts have a shorter lifespan than normal business shirts; about 20-25% shorter. The reason behind the reduced lifespan is the formaldehyde resin finish. The formaldehyde stiffens the yarns in the shirt which helps the fabric not to wrinkle. However, as the shirt is worn and washed the yarns eventually bend and flex, causing them to weaken. The shirt will weaken to the point where it can no longer hold up during the cleaning process. The main cause of material break down is that the resin finish has been known to trap residual chlorinated bleaching agents and acids that are used on the fabric during the dying process. The hot water used during a wash and the heat used in ironing – even a No-Iron short will still need touch ups – accelerates the effects of the trapped residual chemicals. Random holes or rips can appear after only a few cleanings, leaving the consumers scratching their heads as to what happened to their new, favorite shirt.

No-Iron shirts may seem like a time saver, but not when you need to replace your shirts every month.

Source: Newswire

You know that annoying little tag sewn into the side seam of your garment? The one you want to cut off to make your clothes more comfortable? Well, that tag tells the dry cleaner how the manufacturers suggest your garment be properly cleaned and treated. At first glance, it might seem to contain only gibberish and weird symbols that cannot possibly mean anything. But let's see if we can help make sense of the nonsense. The care label will tell us what cleaning method can be used to clean your garment. There are a couple different methods used to clean clothes at a cleaners:

Regular Dry Clean uses normal dry cleaning solutions found in the majority of dry cleaning machines. The process may also include adding moisture to the solution, using a high heat cycle (up to 160°F) to dry, and pressing either by steam or steam-air.

Professional Dry Clean uses a much stricter process than regular dry cleaning. Methods that can only be achieved in commercial dry cleaning plants. A professional dry clean care label will have more specific instructions, such as low heat, no steam finish, or to use reduced moisture.

Machine Wash tells us that the garment can be cleaned using a commercial or home washing machine; usually accompanied by specific washing temperatures (see chart below), size of the wash load, or drying procedures.

As helpful as these tags can be, the Federal Care Labeling Rule DOES NOT require a manufacturer to test these instructions before putting a tag on the clothes. In fact, the manufacturers are not even required to give the best care procedure – they are only required to offer a procedure that will work.

Should there ever be any concerns, we will always contact the customer prior to cleaning the garment. At Swiss Cleaners, we know fabrics, and we know how to best care for them. We’re confident in our knowledge, our team, our procedure, and in our ability to clean your clothes.