Fabric Concerns
| There is more to consider than just style, fit, color, and price when purchasing a new garment. Think serviceability, too! STRETCHING Knits and open weave garments are susceptible to stretching. This stretching is irreversible in general. Garments made of acrylic fibers will stretch more easily than wool, for this reason wool knits may be a better investment. When not being worn, knits should be folded. It is not recommended to hang your knits since stretching will occur. Some garments are made of fabric with a pattern, design or color which is merely painted on or glued to the fabric’s surface. The surface print can be adversely affected or even lost with the gentlest care in drycleaning or by washing at home. To identify a surface print check to see whether the color or design totally penetrates the fabric, if it does not, think twice before buying. Cotton knits are popular because they are fashionable, resist wrinkles, drape well and are comfortable in normal wear. Cotton knits are often not stable due to loose knit construction and lack of the resilience of the yarn and improper pre-shrinkage. Some common complaints are stretching, distortion and shrinkage. Cotton knits can be drycleaned successfully but due to the absorptive properties of cotton, soil is not always removable because of the mild solvents used. Cotton knits should be dimensionally stable to withstand wetcleaning if necessary. A fabric is subject to shrinkage if it was not pre-shrunk or the fabric was stretched to get more yardage during manufacturing. Examples are soft woolens, angora and drapery and upholstery fabrics. Leather and suedes can also be subject to shrinkage. It is unwise to purchase garments that “just fit”. Silk is a delicate fabric. It may chafe, split or shred through normal wear, especially if the fabric is lightweight or if the garment is form-fitting. Bleeding may also occur through normal wear or during spotting (professional stain removal) and drycleaning. The dyes used on silk frequently bleed, resulting in color loss. Perspiration degrades silk fabric. Perfumes and deodorants adversely affect the color. Never dry-clean imitation leather made of vinyl. There is a likelihood of cracking or peeling. Imitation suede is dry-cleanable if the polyurethane was made with careful quality control, if not the imitation suede will peel and pucker. Imitation suede made by attaching loose fibers to a base fabric with adhesive (flocking) will be removed in normal wear or drycleaning leaving bald areas. Many flocked imitation suedes cannot be successfully cleaned.Imitation leather and suede, though much improved, are complex materials. Kings Crown Custom Cleaners will accept them for dry cleaning, but only at the owners risk. |
 METALLICS (LAME)
When you take your garments to Kings Crown Custom Cleaners, be sure to notify our personnel of any stains on the clothing. Stains caused by beverages containing sugar, for example, may not be visible until the garment has been cleaned. By knowing the origin of a stain, stain removal and the cleaning process is less time consuming. Please note that the longer a stain sets in a garment, the harder it is to remove. If you have a special request for service, please ask us! Velvets are popular for cocktail or evening wear. The fabric pile may become flatted or distorted, especially in the seat and underarm areas. Acetate pile velvet is the least serviceable. Cotton, rayon and polyester fiber pile will resist flattening. Do not attempt any form of stain removal on velvet as the pile would become damaged permanently. Fading occurs when the fabric is exposed to sunlight or artificial light . The color loss is very gradual and often goes undetected until the garment is cleaned or washed. Dyes used on silks, acetate, leathers and suedes are most susceptible to color loss or discoloration. Fading that occurs in home closets and on retail store racks is known as fume fading . |