Rita puts together a great newsletter for her clients on garment care. She has covered Care label, laundry tips, ironing and stain removal. For more on those topics go to Rita's Clothing Alterations.
This blog she covers how to minimize dry cleaning.
Cleaning clothes with Rita
Wear a washable t-shirt under jackets to prevent perspiration stains. Use perspiration protectors. There are disposable ones commercially available. I can sew removable and washable protectors for silk blouses, suit jackets etc. Go to the above link to contact Rita if you live in Perth.
Apply deodorant, hair products, scented sprays and perfumes several minutes before getting dressed to reduce stains. After every wearing, hang clothing up. This will allow it to air for several hours before hanging in a cramped closet
Last resort and you are off to the cleaners! But how do you know if your local professional is ... well really professional? Here are three signs that you need to shop around for a new dry cleaner:
- Clothes fit differently - wrong temperature causes shrinking
- Clothes are shiny - fibres are crushed by heavy pressing
- Clothes have indents - again caused by incorrect pressing techniques
The chemicals used in dry cleaning will shorten the life of wool and cashmere so delicate hand washing these is best.
However washing weakens rayon fabric. Acetate which is often used as a lining should never be washed so always check that care label. Hand washing usually works for just about anything else (use caution for silk) and of course suits.
So how often should suits be dry cleaned? Once per 'season' is recommended - only 2-4 times per year. Meantime, hand clean any spots and stains on silk and suits as covered in previous issues of SewInGenius - links are above.
Recent developments are seeing environmental improvements in dry cleaning methods such as:
CO2 Dry Cleaning: Carbon dioxide is a non-flammable, non-toxic, naturally occurring gas that, when subjected to pressure, becomes a liquid and is a very effective solvent. It is safe for furs, leather, sequins and buttons - unlike the chemicals used in traditional dry cleaning.
Silicone Dry Cleaning: liquid silicone is clear, odourless, cost effective, Eco-friendly and safe for skin allergies, asthma and delicate fabrics.
It's fantastic that we now have these dry cleaning alternatives in the greater Perth metropolitan area if we really need them!
Happy altering
Rita
Another Clothing Alteration Genie