Helpful Tips
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Caring for Winter Items
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Bedspreads and Comforters
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Making Draperies Last
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The colder months are rolling in. As the temperature begins to drop here are a few tips and considerations to help you roll with the seasons.
Cleaning Out the Closet
After a long slumber, your winter clothes will need to be awakened and taken out of storage. Hopefully you didn't have any unwanted visitors over the summer months but it's a good idea to check your garments for signs of insect damage.
Insects such as crickets, ants, moths, beetles, and cockroaches can feed on clothes that were not cleaned properly before storing. Look for small holes, worn areas, and discolored lines on the portions of the garment that had spills or stains that were never removed.
Moth ball odor can be difficult to remove. Try airing the garments by hanging them outside in the shade. If this does not completely remove the odor, cleaning the garments may help.
Winter Cleaning Tips
When it comes to cleaning, the first and easiest way to ensure the best cleaning is to follow the manufacturer's care label instructions. Many of your garments may be hand or machine washable. Minimize agitation to prevent matting and pilling of napped fabrics. We have pressing equipment that can reshape knits back to their original size if something gets out of shape. Follow recommended drying temperatures. Other materials such as wool, fur, and leather require professional care due to special cleaning and pressing procedures. Make sure to point out any known stains when you send them our way.
Festive Outfits
Many stains caused by cosmetics, oily foods, and beverages will get best results when pre-treated. Many festive dishes, unfortunately, contain ingredients that are not easily removed using household stain removal techniques and may require solvent-based treatments. Let us know if you are not sure what the best procedure would be.
Thank you for the opportunity to care for your wardrobe.
Bedding supplies typically last a long time. Comforters and bedspreads usually last five and six on average.
A bedspread is an outer covering for a bed that goes over the sheets and blankets. It is usually a decorative component of the bed set. A comforter is a quilted bed cover.
The cover consists of an outer face fabric, a center batting (usually a fiber mat or down), and a backing fabric. These three layers are held together with a stitched pattern or simulated stitching. The comforter may be used for decorative purposes, like a bedspread, or in place of a blanket.
Unlike clothing care labels, which provide instructions for how to properly care for the garments, the Federal Trade Commission's Care Label Rule does not require permanent labels on home furnishings fabrics. Most bedspreads and comforters are sold with care instructions on a hang tag, a temporary label or on the packaging.
Possible Problems
While bedspreads and comforters are often long-term purchases, they can be subject to many problems in use and care. Possible problems include:
• Stains: Stains can easily occur from spillage or contact with various substances in use. Once they have contacted the fabric, they may be difficult to remove. Factors affecting removal include the nature of the staining material and the age of the stain. The multiple thickness of bedspreads and comforters may also make removal difficult.
• Color loss: Cleaning may cause color loss, a print to be diminished in color or a print to lose its original brightness. All coordinating pieces should be drycleaned or laundered at the same time and with the same process to prevent color variances within the set.
• Shrinkage: Shrinkage of 2 to 3 percent or more can easily occur if the fabric is not completely preshrunk. This may cause the bedspread to not fit properly or appear much too small.
• Improper construction: If comforters are not quilted with closed channels or pockets the filling material can shift in cleaning and use. Proper construction helps prevent shifting, fabric tears, and uneven appearance.
• Stitching under stress: Stitches could break during cleaning if quilting lines are more than eight to 10 inches apart.
They may also break if the stitching thread was damaged in use or if the stitches are not secured properly at the end of the quilting line.
Preserving Your Household Textiles
While cleaners are clothing care experts, they also know a thing or two about household textiles, which, in addition to bedspreads and comforters, include draperies and curtains, blankets, upholstery, slipcovers, decorative pillows, rugs, and heirloom textiles.
To protect and prolong the beauty of your household textiles remember these basic tips:
1 Protect all furnishings from sunlight, fumes, and pets.
2 Damage, like tears, should be repaired immediately.
3 Vacuum and/or brush to remove dust regularly.
4 Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.
5 Do not allow the item to become extremely soiled, and have any stains removed immediately.
6 Do not store household textiles that are not clean and stain free.
A bedspread is an outer covering for a bed that goes over the sheets and blankets. It is usually a decorative component of the bed set. A comforter is a quilted bed cover.
The cover consists of an outer face fabric, a center batting (usually a fiber mat or down), and a backing fabric. These three layers are held together with a stitched pattern or simulated stitching. The comforter may be used for decorative purposes, like a bedspread, or in place of a blanket.
Unlike clothing care labels, which provide instructions for how to properly care for the garments, the Federal Trade Commission's Care Label Rule does not require permanent labels on home furnishings fabrics. Most bedspreads and comforters are sold with care instructions on a hang tag, a temporary label or on the packaging.
Possible Problems
While bedspreads and comforters are often long-term purchases, they can be subject to many problems in use and care. Possible problems include:
• Stains: Stains can easily occur from spillage or contact with various substances in use. Once they have contacted the fabric, they may be difficult to remove. Factors affecting removal include the nature of the staining material and the age of the stain. The multiple thickness of bedspreads and comforters may also make removal difficult.
• Color loss: Cleaning may cause color loss, a print to be diminished in color or a print to lose its original brightness. All coordinating pieces should be drycleaned or laundered at the same time and with the same process to prevent color variances within the set.
• Shrinkage: Shrinkage of 2 to 3 percent or more can easily occur if the fabric is not completely preshrunk. This may cause the bedspread to not fit properly or appear much too small.
• Improper construction: If comforters are not quilted with closed channels or pockets the filling material can shift in cleaning and use. Proper construction helps prevent shifting, fabric tears, and uneven appearance.
• Stitching under stress: Stitches could break during cleaning if quilting lines are more than eight to 10 inches apart.
They may also break if the stitching thread was damaged in use or if the stitches are not secured properly at the end of the quilting line.
Preserving Your Household Textiles
While cleaners are clothing care experts, they also know a thing or two about household textiles, which, in addition to bedspreads and comforters, include draperies and curtains, blankets, upholstery, slipcovers, decorative pillows, rugs, and heirloom textiles.
To protect and prolong the beauty of your household textiles remember these basic tips:
1 Protect all furnishings from sunlight, fumes, and pets.
2 Damage, like tears, should be repaired immediately.
3 Vacuum and/or brush to remove dust regularly.
4 Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.
5 Do not allow the item to become extremely soiled, and have any stains removed immediately.
6 Do not store household textiles that are not clean and stain free.
Draperies can susceptible to a wide variety of problems, ranging from shrinkage and fading to stains and abrasion damage. Too often we only think of cleaning draperies after they’ve been framing our windows for a few years. Sometimes problems can develop over time while they are just hanging there, doing their job of beautifying out homes.
What problems are associated with draperies?
Because draperies are exposed to atmospheric conditions in greater concentrations and for longer periods of time than most garments and textiles, they can encounter a number of problems. Often these problems do not become evident until the item has been drycleaned or washed.
Some of the more common problems associated with draperies are damage due to light exposure; poor colorfastness; yellowing due to the deterioration of finishes or soil accumulation; water marks; shrinkage; abrasion damage; and deterioration of the coating or lining during cleaning. Some of these problems are a result of defects in manufacturing.
Others, however, such as damage due to light exposure, yellowing due to soil accumulation, water marks, and abrasion damage, can usually be attributed to circumstances of use.
What can you do to make your draperies last?
The American National Standards Institute's Fair Claims Guide for Consumer Textile Products gives the following life expectancies for draperies: • Lined Draperies 5 years • Unlined Draperies 4 years • Sheer Draperies 3 years • Fiber Glass Draperies 4 years.
How long a drapery lasts depends on the fabric type and density, finishes, window location, and length of use. But it also depends on their selection and the care they receive. Here are some tips to help you keep your draperies looking great:
• To protect drapes against yellowing due to excess staining and soiling, clean the drape at least once a year.
• It is best that you have your drapes cleaned by a cleaner who is experienced in the cleaning of drapes and is knowledgeable in drapery problems.
• Protect drapes from prolonged dampness. Moisture from rain, leaky pipes, or condensation from window panes can result in water marks and mildew.
• If possible, rotate draperies periodically to vary the amount of light exposure received.
• Protect drapes from abrasion damage by avoiding constant rubbing on window sills or furnishings while in use. Abrasion damage can also be caused by a family pet snagging the fabric with sharp claws.
• Keep draperies away from the kitchen, wood stoves, or fireplaces. Smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces, and cigarettes; cooking fumes; and other atmospheric contaminants can contribute greatly to drapery soiling.
What problems are associated with draperies?
Because draperies are exposed to atmospheric conditions in greater concentrations and for longer periods of time than most garments and textiles, they can encounter a number of problems. Often these problems do not become evident until the item has been drycleaned or washed.
Some of the more common problems associated with draperies are damage due to light exposure; poor colorfastness; yellowing due to the deterioration of finishes or soil accumulation; water marks; shrinkage; abrasion damage; and deterioration of the coating or lining during cleaning. Some of these problems are a result of defects in manufacturing.
Others, however, such as damage due to light exposure, yellowing due to soil accumulation, water marks, and abrasion damage, can usually be attributed to circumstances of use.
What can you do to make your draperies last?
The American National Standards Institute's Fair Claims Guide for Consumer Textile Products gives the following life expectancies for draperies: • Lined Draperies 5 years • Unlined Draperies 4 years • Sheer Draperies 3 years • Fiber Glass Draperies 4 years.
How long a drapery lasts depends on the fabric type and density, finishes, window location, and length of use. But it also depends on their selection and the care they receive. Here are some tips to help you keep your draperies looking great:
• To protect drapes against yellowing due to excess staining and soiling, clean the drape at least once a year.
• It is best that you have your drapes cleaned by a cleaner who is experienced in the cleaning of drapes and is knowledgeable in drapery problems.
• Protect drapes from prolonged dampness. Moisture from rain, leaky pipes, or condensation from window panes can result in water marks and mildew.
• If possible, rotate draperies periodically to vary the amount of light exposure received.
• Protect drapes from abrasion damage by avoiding constant rubbing on window sills or furnishings while in use. Abrasion damage can also be caused by a family pet snagging the fabric with sharp claws.
• Keep draperies away from the kitchen, wood stoves, or fireplaces. Smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces, and cigarettes; cooking fumes; and other atmospheric contaminants can contribute greatly to drapery soiling.