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|SPDA| |Related| Members| Fabric Tips|
May 2001
"Pressing Issues"
2001 Convention
HSIA Begins Study Of Drycleaning Workers
SIZING OR STARCH:
IFI Analyst’s Testimony Saves Virginia Member More Than $1,000
THE SPOTTING BOARD
CONVENTION 2001 ~
President Larry Tessier opened the Convention welcoming the delegates and suppliers. Larry talked about how B. C. is moving ahead with a training school and working on a Certification Program with the B. C. Government and Federal Government.
Federal regulations are moving ahead at Environment Canada. The regulations are written and have been published in the Gazette.
With the lack of funds the CFA has come to a standstill, but still moving ahead with Daniel Child in charge. Daniel is Chair of the Care Label Review.
Insurance, Insurance — what do we know
about it and the drycleaning industry? Thomsen
Fisher Insurance of Medicine Hat, Alberta discussed “Do you know what you
are covered for,” “How much risk have you taken with your current
insurance?” Next up Rob Kinley of Arthur
Rose Cleaners in
The City of
975 Litres
Perlex
60 Litres Chloroform
115 Litres Sulfuric Acid
10 Litres Acetic Acid
23 Litres Paint
205 Litres various amounts
Jim Rowe of MSP Computer Systems talked about how computers can be such a huge benefit and are only limited to the drycleaning humans using them.
After lunch the Annual General Meeting was held. Financial Report was tabled and Elections of Office were held.
The new Board consists of:
President:
Larry Tessier
Vice-President: Lloyd Dobrescu
Sec./Tres.
Shane Bancescue
Past
President: Terry Thorsteinsen
Directors
Bob Telfer
Brenda Lee Deck
Arlene Clarke
Greg Wilchuk
Kenney Slatten
spoke in the afternoon. His talk centered around “Price Structuring”.
Our 12th Annual Convention is
2002 CONVENTION
SASKATOON
MARCH 8, 9, 2002
C H E C K I T O U T . . . .
OUR SPDA WEBSITE ADDRESS IS:
WWW.DLCWEST.COM/~SPDA
HSIA Begins Study Of Drycleaning Workers
HSIA recently initiated a comprehensive study of drycleaning workers in four Nordic countries to assess whether workers exposed to perchloroethylene have an increased risk of cancer. The new study will look at potential cancer endpoints defined by previous epidemiology studies that were complicated by exposure to other cleaning solvents and an inability to eliminate the influence of confounding life-style factors like alcohol and tobacco use.
The HSIA-sponsored study will look at drycleaning workers identified from the 1970 censuses in
Percent Use of Drycleaning Solvents in 1968
Perc Petroleum Flurocarbon 1 Other 2
United States 50 50 <1 --
1 ValcleneTM, for example.
2 Trichloroethylene and other solvents.
Source: Nordick Tidsskrift
for Rensning, Farvning og Vask 1968 (Feb); 80:21-6.
The study will look at the incidence of seven cancer types, including cancer of the bladder, cervix, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It will include both record review and personal interviews with the individuals or their next of kin. The interviews will help to fill gaps in the information available from other sources and to allow collection of data on potential confounding factors.
The ability to identify life-style and other potential confounders is critical to the study and has been a major limitation of previous studies. Cigarette smoking, for example, is an established risk factor for cancer of the bladder, esophagus, kidney, and pancreas. Alcohol consumption has been associated with both esophageal and liver cancer. In addition, kidney cancer has been tied to obesity, and cervical cancer has been associated with sexual habits.
Incidence of the various cancers among the group of Nordic drycleaning workers will be compared to an age and gender-matched population of laundry workers.
Also critical to the success of the study is an accurate assessment of relative perchloroethylene exposure. This information is expected to be available in each of the four countries, based on surveys of working conditions undertaken by health inspectors, trade associations, trade unions, and academics, and on data concerning the introduction of new equipment types and regulatory changes. n
Dow’s
Redesigned Web Site Provides
Comprehensive Information for Drycleaners
The Dow Chemical Company redesigned its web site to meet the requirements of drycleaners worldwide for information. Now a wealth of new material on drycleaning with perc and on DOWPER solvent, Dow’s drycleaning grade of perc, has been posted on the newly revised web site, which can be accessed at www.dowper.com. The site can also be accessed through Dow’s corporate web site, www.dow.com, and the company'’ chlorinated solvents web page, www.chlorinatedsolvents.com.
“We surveyed the people who come to our Web site to determine what they really need,” says Elaine Murphy, Dow’s drycleaning industry manager. “We used their feedback to make our site the most complete, helpful, and informative place on the web for drycleaners who use perchloroethylene.”
The redesigned web site provides drycleaners and other inquirers throughout the world with access to the full range of Dow’s information on perc, its use in drycleaning, and the company’s services, resources, and business contacts relative to DOWPER solvent. Among the new offerings at the drycleaning site is Dow’s online Troubleshooting Guide, which offers drycleaners answers to a variety of cleaning issues that may occur in the course of a workday, from poor cleaning and discoloration of whites to short cartridge life and solvent foaming.
In addition, the up-to-date Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on DOWPER solvent is available for downloading whenever required. Article reprints, safety posters, and the widely respected Basic Handbook for Drycleaners are also included at the site. Much of this literature is available in a variety of languages, including Korean, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese. Persons who enter Dow’s web site are offered a menu of further choices, which include valuable information on product stewardship, such as facts about environmental impact, regulations, health profile, safety and handling. Also included is a directory of Dow’s network of dedicated solvent distributors, as well as full information on the Closed-Loop Delivery System for DOWPER solvent, which ensures accurate and environmentally safe delivery of perchloroethylene.
For additional information about the new drycleaning web site, please visit the web site located at www.dowper.com, www.chlorinatedsolvents.com, or the Dow corporate site at www.dow.com.
By: Kenney Slatten
In our drycleaning and laundry world of cutting costs, we sometimes shop like the homemaker who travels to the five & dime store in search of spray starch. Some plants have these 99-cent cans of spray starch all over the place. Some have cans of spray sizing all over the place. It ends up on the suzy, all over the floor (a great OSHA concern for slippery floors) and generally into the air where it is lost. What a waste. But again, what’s the difference between starch and sizing?
Generally speaking sizing is something we put into our drycleaning solvent and/or injection method while cleaning. Starch is something we inject or add to a laundry wash load (with water) to impart stiffness into fabrics of the cellulose or plant nature. I am here to tell you that we cannot do without either product in order to produce quality drycleaning and laundry. Many operators try to abolish the use of sizing in the drycleaning wheel to save money. Nonsense! It makes no sense. If you feel your gentle protein fibers such as wools and silks are too stiff from D/C sizing, then do a rinse or make a separate program for these items.
By the way, silks and other protein fibers should be given a separate short gentle cycle anyway. So let’s not use that as an excuse. If you use the proper amount of sizing in the wheel, you will need less starch or sizing at the press. For garments that are wetcleaned, the use of liquid sizing and/or starch in the final; wetcleaning rinse will give the most economical and satisfactory results for body, hand and feel that you desire for today’s fabrics. The old, “sizing in my drycleaning makes the silks too stiff” is a statement based on no research or fact. Again, as with all chemicals, it is not the use of them, but rather the misuse of them that causes problems.
Some say that spray sizing has softeners that avoid that stiff feeling imparted to the fabric that some folks do not like. Could be. All the more reason for the dollar value to use sizing in the wheel. Spray starch will give the crisp feel we are looking for in cottons and linens. The mistake we make is trying to spray this stuff on with aerosol cans. Why not invest in a good water based sizing/starch that can be mixed with water. Now you have a real economical product that is hooked up to a pressure spray gun and this will work the best. This will last for weeks without going through a can of spray for every garment!
These spray tank “set ups” should be in the back of the plant near the washers. No spray of any kind should be at the press. It is not the product but rather the application of it at the press that causes a build up on the pads. When these products are sprayed on at the press, it is still wet and naturally it sticks to the pad. All spray starches should be added in the wash wheel rinse of wetcleaning, or sprayed on AWAY from the press. It is the drycleaner’s job to send a properly stiffened garment to the finisher. Every garment sent to a finisher should be stain free, rip and alteration free and properly sized. The finishers job is difficult enough without us sending garments to that department that are not ready.
Does starch add all the benefits to a garment that sizing does? You bet! Is it more costly to use? No, not if used according to the methods I have described above. When used properly one can expect creases to be more pronounced, wrinkles to be easier to steam out and brightness, crispness and beauty to be added to a garment.
So for everyone thinking they do or do not need sizing in the drycleaning machine or starch/ water based sizing in a tank to spray on garments for finishing, well you are missing out on the most economical and professional method of finishing clothes. Don’t be “penny wise and pound-foolish.” See your distributor today about a five-gallon pressure spray tank and a case of good water based sizing/starch for those plant fibered garments. That’s why customers bring them to us, because they cannot do as professional a job as we can. We have the proper tools and products at our disposal if we will use them.
That’s all for this month. I’m gonna go to the wagon now, these boots are killing me!
Kenney Slatten is a third generation drycleaner-laundryman. His company can provide you with “on the job” training and consultation. Garment analysis service is also available. For more information phone (800) 429-3990 or e-mail: kslatten@aol.com.
IFI Analyst’s
Testimony Saves Virginia Member
More Than $1,000
Crucial testimony by IFI Textile Analyst Iqbal Khan helped a member cleaner obtain a favorable ruling in a costly customer dispute. Khan, a textile analyst and CPD, CPW in the International Textile Analysis Laboratory, appeared in Virginia Small Claims Court on December 5, 2000 to testify in a case between a cleaner and a customer. The customer was unsatisfied with a comforter after cleaning and was seeking a reimbursement and legal costs. The comforter was part of a set that cost $1,100.
The member sent the comforter to IFI’s International Textile Analysis Lab requesting an analysis. Kahn’s report dated May 18, 2000, stated that the pockets of the comforter were too large to accommodate for filler clumping during normal use and cleaning.
The report concluded that it was not the fault of the cleaner and was an inherent manufacturing problem.
The reporter stated, “The synthetic non-woven batting material is of a loose construction and is susceptible to separation and shifting of the fiber which causes the insulating material to become distorted. There should be some quilt stitching forming small pockets to restrict the batting from extensive shifting during use and care.”
The report’s conclusion said that the lab attributed the “flat” and “lumpy” appearance of this item to a direct result of the quality of materials and method of construction. “(The damage of distortion) cannot be attributed to any improper care process.”
A copy of the report was sent to the member, who in turn showed it to the customer. The customer, unsatisfied with the report, took the cleaner to small claims court seeking compensation of $1,100 for a new bed set plus additional money to cover costs and attorney fees.
On December 5th Kahn was called upon to testify. “The attorney asked me many questions concerning drycleaning, laundry, pressing and heat drying of a garment,” Kahn said. “All the answers were given in a technical and easy to understand manner. I supported my explanation with the relative TABS (Technical Analysis Bulletins) and IFI bulletins I carried with me to court.”
“The judge agreed to my technical explanation about the poor fabrication of the comforter. The consumer was awarded only a small portion of the claim. The judge made the cleaner responsible for a very small amount for being negligent for not informing the consumer about the consequences and outcome of the article after the cleaning procedure,” Kahn said.
In the end, the member cleaner was required to pay $250 for not warning the customer that the outcome was a possibility before the customer agreed to have it cleaned.
“That’s the most important part,” Kahn said. “If the people working up front are not trained to look for such things and do not get releases signed by the customers when they do come up, then they may have to pay.”
This is just one example of how IFI’s International Textile Analysis Laboratory reports save members money all the time. Whether in court or settling a dispute with a customer over the counter, ITAL’s analysis reports have proven to be an authoritative and credible source that aid cleaners.
Anyone who has questions about ITAL’s analysis services may contact an ITAL textile analysis at (800) 638-2627, ext. 128 or 129. Copies of ITAL’s new Request for Analysis form can be obtained by calling the lab through IFI’s Fax-On-Demand service at (800) 283-9569, item/menu No. 201. ITAL’s analysis services are available to IFI members only.
THE SPOTTING BOARD
BY: DAN EISEN
Sheer fabrics need expert attention
Sheer fabrics are fashionable because
they provide garments with a soft, free-flowing drape and a transparent look
that is both sensuous and alluring.
Sheer fabrics are very thin, and lightweight fabrics may be woven with fewer
yarns and very fine yarns, characterized by open space between the yarns.
Manufacturers can easily duplicate fine yarns with synthetic fibers by the
invent of micro fibers.
Some typical sheer fabrics are chiffon, organdy, batiste and ninon. Sheer fabrics can be made of any fiber and
usually take on the make of the fiber.
For example they may be referred to as silk organdy, rayon chiffon, etc.
Sheer fabrics are used for gowns, blouses, capes, slacks and scarfs. Sheer fabrics are also used for
curtains. Ninon is a sheer fabric used for
curtains.
Fabric Problems
The problems associated with sheer
fabrics may be due to fiber content, loose weave construction, sizing or bias
cut construction of the garment.
1. Yarn slippage and snagging are due to the fine years and loose weave.
2. Distortion may result because of loose weave and the loss of sizing
which kept the fabric stabilized.
Bias cut garments, which give it a billowy appearance, are especially
susceptible to distortion.
Creped yarns are likely to become distorted because the highly twisted
yarns absorb moisture and cannot be held in place by the loose weave
construction.
3. Cloudy or ringed areas may appear where water-soluble sizing has been
used, and moisture, perspiration or spillage during wear has partially
dissolved the sizing.
4. Color loss, which usually appears as streaking or dye crocking, is
characteristic of dye loss in heavily sized sheer fabrics.
Inspection
When receiving sheer garments, examine
them carefully. Uneven hem lines and seam puckering usually indicate
stretching, shrinking or distortion. Bias cut garments are almost always
distorted to some degree. Note the distortion on the sales slip.
Examine the entire garment for snags and pulls.
Pay special attention to seams, arms, seats and collars. When examining
seams, look for fabric unraveling due to stress. Look for rings and
swales that may have been caused by perspiration or liquid spillage.
Garments are best examined while on a hanger.
Drycleaning
Place sheer garments in a net bag. Dryclean for no more than three minutes. Classify with a silk load with no moisture.
Do not dry higher than 140o F. Mechanical action or moisture may cause distortion, yarn slippage or dye loss.
Spotting
Because chiffon is a sheer fabric,
stains are frequently not noticeable when the fabric is placed on the spotting
board. Note stains with a sticker or stain tag.
Hold the steam gun at least six inches from the fabric to avoid yarn separation
and shifting.
Do not brush chiffon. Instead tamp lightly with a special padded silk
brush, or a brush wrapped with a towel. Do not tamp over a screen.
Spot in small areas with a steam gun to avoid ringed areas, light areas and
shrinkage due to the dissolving of water soluble sizing.
The air gun, too, must be held at least six inches from the fabric. Most
wet-side stains respond with only the steam gun since stains are absorbed by
the fine yarns and loose weave.
Prespotting
Use a leveling agent on a wet area to prevent rings. Allow to dry before drycleaning. Sheer fabrics will dry quickly. The use of the air gun will aid in drying.
Wetcleaning
Do not wetclean sheer fabrics made of silk or rayon. Thermoplastic fibers (acetate, nylon, polyester) can be soaked in cool water (under 100o F) with a mild lubricant. Rinse and hang to dry.
Finishing
Sheer fabrics should be placed
on a steam air finisher with the expansion of the bag restricted either by
string, straps, special bags or placing on a steam air finisher that is
functional for dresses due to its limited expansion.
Most sheer fabrics need only light steaming to remove wrinkles.
Some touch up can be accomplished by the puff iron or the use of an iron while
the garment is hanging.
If hard wrinkles prevail, the garment may be placed on the buck of the
press.
Avoid using head pressure on bias cut garments since the lay of the
garment may be affected. Use hand pads, or touch with irons making sure
the iron is free from rough areas.
The garment is always pushed away from the operator to avoid snags,
pulling, dragging and distortion.
Summary
Sheer fabrics range from
limited, serviceability to unserviceable. Distortion may result because
of the loosely woven fine yarns. Distortion is especially a hazard if the
fabric has been bias cut.
The use of moisture in rayon and silk sheer fabric in any step may be
hazardous because the sizing may be water soluble. Rings, swales, light
areas and shrinkage will result in loss of sizing.
Be sure to inspect chiffon garments before accepting them for snags,
pulled yarns, distortion, uneven hem lines and discoloration.
Dan Eisen
is chief garment analyst for the Neighborhood Cleaners Association. His
book “The Art of Spotting”, is a compilation of many of the articles he has
written over years for National Clothesline and NCA organized and indexed for
quick reference. The pages are assembled in a three-ring binder so the
book can be opened and laid flat in the work area. He also teaches “Principles
and Practices of Drycleaning” course at NCA, a course
that covers all aspects of spotting and stain removal procedures. For
more information contact NCA (212) 967-3002.
THANK YOU to
the Members
who have joined SPDA for 2001
Albert Street Martinzing
Andres Cleaners Ltd.
Arthur Rose Cleaners
Bregg Cleaners
Busy Bee Drycleaners
Central Cleaners
Clean Shoppe
Classic Glamourizing
Custom Cleaners
Custom Cleaners College Park
Cypress Cleaners
Dresswell Drycleaners
Hangars Fabcare
Kwala-T- Cleaners
One Hour Martinizing Swift
Current
Rapid Cleaners
Suppliers:
Bearspaw
Carbon
FJL Services
Keats Brothers
Lavanette Equipment
Tessler Fabcare
Ltd.
Thomsen Fisher Insurance
Twin Industries Sales & Service
United Chemical Inc.
Pressing Issues
is the member newsletter of the Saskatchewan Professional Drycleaners
Association.
|
Larry Tessier |
President |
|
Lloyd Dobrescu |
Vice President |
|
Shane Bancescue |
Secretary/Treasurer |
|
Terry Thorsteinson |
Past President |
Directors
- Bob Telfer
- Brenda Lee Deck
- Arlene Clarke
- Greg Wilchuk Director at Large
Comments, Letters, Advertisements or membership services inquires should be mailed to:
SPDA
NEWSLETTER
E-mail: sbancescue@regina.dominionco.com
October 1998
Pressing Issues
Newsletter of the Saskatchewan
Contents
Management Seminar"Planning for Change"
What
to Look for..."
What are We Saying to the Public?
The
Tools of Great Stain Removal
When
Yellow Pages Do Your Talking
About
Pressing Issues
