Here at Kleenit and Duds we handle hundreds of  garments on a daily basis.  We wanted to share with you what happens once you drop your clothes off from the very moment you place your garments on the counter.  We'll share info as to how to improve communication with our staff so that we can properly care for your things - such as identifying specific stains and soiling that may require special attention. 

 

Overview

When you drop your clothes off at any one of our stores, our counter staff follow some basic procedures to insure the proper care and handling of your garments. Your clothes go through the following steps:

1. Tagging and inspection - Some method, whether it is small paper tags or little labels written on a shirt collar, is used to identify your clothes so they don't get mixed up with everyone else's. Clothes are also examined for missing buttons, tears, etc. that the dry cleaner might get blamed for otherwise. 

1. Pre-treatment - The cleaner looks for stains on your clothes and treats them to make removal easier and more complete. 

1. Dry cleaning - The clothes are put in a machine and cleaned with a solvent. 

1. Post-spotting - Any lingering stains are removed. 

1. Finishing - This includes pressing, folding, packaging and other finishing touches.

We know that quite often our customers are in a big rush and don't have alot of time, however turning in your items and communicating with the staff can be the most critical part of the process even more so than our staff running your items through our cleaning and press machines more about this later.

TAGGING AND INSPECTION

When you drop off your clothes, every order is identified. A small, colored tag is affixed to each piece of clothing, and this tag remains attached to the clothing during the entire dry-cleaning cycle. We also generates an invoice, and information about the order -- including your  name, address, and phone number -- is entered into our computer. This helps to keep track of the order. 

 If a garment needs special attention, such as removing a red wine stain from a shirt or putting a double-crease in pant legs, there's a special colored tag that gets affixed to that particular item of clothing. Once the clothing has been washed or dry cleaned, it goes through a quality check and the order gets re-assembled. This means the clothing is bundled together for the customer to pick up. Remember, every order is identified by a colored tag with a number on it so the person who re-assembles the order knows which shirts and which slacks go together and to whom they belong.

SPECIAL ATTENTION:  In order for us to get difficult stains out it is extremely inportant that you identify any specific stains and if you know what caused the stain that is even better.  In another blog we will address what you should or shouldn't do prior to bringing any badly stained garments to us.  Whatever caused a stain it is always better to bring it to us as soon as possible.

Pre-treating Stains

Pre-treating stains is similar to the procedure used at home when you apply a stain remover to stains prior to washing them. The idea is to try to remove the stain or make its removal easier using chemicals. You can even help the process, especially if you catch the stain early! Simply apply water for wet stains (a stain that had water in it) and solvent for dry stains (a stain that has grease or oil in it). Then, gently tap and blot both sides of the fabric with a soft cloth so the stain "bleeds off" onto the cloth. Then, rinse the fabric, let it dry and your cleaner will do the rest.

If you are unsure about what to do - do nothing and have the item brought to us first thing in the morning and take the time to identify and help us document as best you can what it is.

Dry Cleaning

 A cleaning machine is a motor-driven washer/extractor/dryer that holds from 20 to 100 pounds (9 to 45 kg) of clothes or fabrics in a rotating, perforated stainless-steel basket. The basket is mounted in a housing that includes motors, pumps, filters, still, recovery coils, storage tanks, fans, and a control panel. In all modern equipment, the washer and the dryer are in the same machine.

As the clothes rotate in the perforated basket, there is a constant flow of clean solvent from the pump and filter system. The solvent sprays into the basket and chamber constantly -- not only immersing the clothes, but gently dropping and pounding them against baffles in the cylinder as well. The dirty solvent is pumped continuously through the filter and re-circulated free and clear of dirt that gets trapped in the filter.

 

 Dry Cleaning Machine

 The next cycle drains and rapidly spins the clothes to expel the solvent and then goes into a dry cycle by circulating warm air through the clothes. The remaining fumes and solvent are vaporized by warm air and then condensed over cooling coils.

This process may be more complicated to understand. In the simplest of terms our dry cleaning machines - wash, rinse, extract and dry all in the same machines.

Post-Spotting

This is the part of the process when our cleaning team can double check that stain you helped us identify and see whether additonal efforts are necessary to remove it.

Post-spotting, as it is called, uses professional equipment and chemical preparations using steam, water, air, and vacuum. Post-spotting involves a fairly simple process for removing a stain. If the stain had water in it to begin with (bean soup, for example), then it takes water or wet-side chemicals to remove the stain. If the stain was on the dry side (grease, oil-base paint, tar, nail polish), it takes solvents or dry-side chemicals to remove the stain.

In home laundry, most wet-type stains come out during the washing process. Grease does not. The opposite is true in dry cleaning -- it will leave the wet-side stains intact after the cleaning cycle. On the other hand, the solvent removes grease and oils during the cleaning cycle. The exception to this rule involves incorporating a "charge" of specially formulated dry-cleaning soap into the cleaning cycle.

Our cleaning team will examine your clothes after cleaning is complete to see if any stains remain. If they do, post-spotting tries to get them out. Our well trained and knwoledgeable staff will be able remove the overwhelming majority of soil and stains, but there is always a small percent of very stubborn stains that may not be entirely removed for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Tannin stains set by heat and time
• Original dye stripped or faded
• Bleached-out spots or sun-faded materials
• Foreign dye deposit

Finishing

The final phase of our dry-cleaning operations includes finishing, pressing, steaming, ironing, and making any necessary repairs to restore the garment. Once the clothes are cleaned, they are pressed or "finished." The steps in this process include:

• Applying steam to soften the garment
• Re-shaping it through quick drying
• Removing the steam with air or vacuum
• Applying pressure to the garment

The pressure comes from the head of the pressing machine, while steam is diffused through the bottom.

 

 General Presser

 

We look for to serving you and your friends

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