CONCORD, N.C. — The summer of 2014 is in the rear-view mirror, and the fall season is rapidly approaching. With the seasonal change, we will see a reduction in the number of lightweight cellulose fiber garments in whites and pastels, replaced by heavier materials of protein fibers and protein fiber blends.
These garments containing protein fiber offer a unique set of characteristics that must be taken into consideration when cleaning and in supplemental stain removal.
As you know, protein fibers come from an animal. Even if the garment is a blend of protein and other fibers, the protein fiber content cannot be ignored. The most common protein fibers are silk, wool, angora, cashmere and camel hair. I still have a tan camel hair overcoat that my parents gave me in 1970 when I was in college. It is still warm and weatherproof, but now my granddaughter wears it in the snow.
WOOL FIBERS
Two types of construction categorize wool garments.
Woolens are garments that have a soft surface, the result of a low twist on the yarn and a loosely woven fabric. These characteristics mean the garment is easily pilled by anything other than light mechanical action. In addition, the counter staff should pay close attention to “wear areas” such as the underarms and elbows.
Worsted wools are characterized by a smooth, flat surface that is the result of high-twist yarns.
One characteristic of wool works against the cleaner and spotter. Wool can absorb almost one-third of its weight in moisture and still feel dry to the touch. This means, unfortunately, beverages will penetrate deeper and more quickly than they do in most other fibers. Therefore, coffee and wine are more difficult and more time-consuming to remove from a wool garment. It is fortunate that wool tolerates neutral synthetic detergent (NSD) and most tannin stain-removal formulas quite well. With a little patience, most tannin stains can be removed from wool garments with no more than standard tannin protocols.
Most white and light-colored wool garments have been treated with an optical brightener to enhance their appearance. This brightener is a surface finish that is sensitive to alkali and mechanical action. Once this finish has been disturbed, the area will take on a flat or sometimes gray appearance, and the damage is usually irreversible. Go lightly when using mechanical action on white wool; use a lighter touch for a longer period. Always flush a protein stain remover immediately when it is used on a protein fabric.
A word of caution: Wet cleaning is gaining broad acceptance in the cleaning industry, but there is a vast difference in true wet cleaning and what some operators consider wet cleaning. Wool can be permanently and irrevocably damaged if not protected when exposed to water. The damage is a type of shrinkage referred to as felting, and it is characterized by a drastic reduction in garment size combined with a noticeable hardening. Any combination of water, heat, mechanical action and (especially) alkaline detergent will likely ruin a wool garment, if accepted wetcleaning methods are not followed.
SILK GARMENTS
Another protein fabric that requires careful handling is silk. Silk fiber is the result of unraveling the cocoon of a worm, and the fabric is fragile due to the finer denier of the strands the worm spins to form the cocoon. Silk loses much of its tensile strength when exposed to moisture and/or alkali. Perspiration is a combination of water and salt, a strong alkali.
The dark circles in the underarm areas of a silk garment are caused by perspiration, and the darker the fabric the older the stain. Expect the area of fabric to be weak. If you chose to use bleach on silk, or any protein fabric, limit the application to 3% hydrogen peroxide. Most silk fabric is sized to give it the desired level of feel and drape, and the sizing is easily shifted by spotting.
Pay close attention to any ringing while spotting silk fabric. At the first sign of a problem, stop and cover the area with a leveling agent. When spotting silk on the wet side, always dry the area completely, as wet silk is subject to chafing as well as redeposition. As is the case with wool and other protein fabrics, assume that white and pastel garments contain an optical brightener that is easily damaged by alkali and mechanical action.
Garments constructed of protein fabric are desirable and durable for consumers. Most protein garments are perceived to require dry cleaning. In fact, dry cleaning gives a superior finished product and is safer, in most cases, when cleaning garments constructed of protein fabric.
The additional garment volume generated by outerwear constructed of protein fabric is a welcome increase in business during the cold weather months. Do a good job on wool and its “cousins” and set yourself apart from the competition.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].