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How to Care for Fabric

Author: Aus Mark

HOW TO CARE FOR FABRIC:

Generally, the best rule is to follow the care instructions on the manufacturer’s label. If there is no label and/or you wish to wash a garment or fabric at home instead of dry clean, the properties of each fabric will help you determine the care of the fabric or garment.

Dry Cleaning:

Dry Cleaning is by definition, cleaning with solvents and little or no water. You, the consumer, can inform yourself when selecting a dry cleaner. Common sense will cover the basic questions such as the appearance of the dry cleaning store. Is it neat and clean or dirty and cluttered? Is the location convenient and are they open when you need to drop of or pick up your dry cleaning?

Technical considerations include solvent purity. Solvent must be distilled to remove greases, oils, waxes and dyes. Poor solvent purity or quality can result in an objectionable odour in the garment and a "graying" of white clothing.

Pressing after cleaning should also be considered. Most anyone can press wool pants but it takes a skilled professional presser to do a quality job on linen and silk items. If the dry cleaner cannot explain the difference in pressing linen and silk versus wool directly and authoritatively, it is doubtful that these garments will be handled with the care they require. Linen can withstand higher heat when ironed, and should be pressed when damp. Silk requires a lower temperature iron and should be steam ironed, preferably with a press cloth. Wool should be pressed with steam and a moderate temperature.

Packaging of the cleaned garment is also important. A garment can be cleaned and pressed well but if it is jammed into a small bag, it can become a wrinkled mess. Jamming too many finished and bagged garments into the dry cleaners rack can also wrinkle finished garments.

Finally, develop a dialogue with your dry cleaner. Note the type of stains that you have on your garment and list it for the dry cleaner. Their pre-spotting will help eliminate stains that could otherwise be heat set after the garment is cleaned.

Wet Cleaning:

Wet Cleaning is described as a new process by some cleaning establishments. They advertise that their process will replace dry cleaning and the environmentally dangerous solvents they use. However, until this process is perfected and proven to effectively replace dry cleaning, caution should be used by the consumer. Wet cleaning is accomplished by using water based chemicals. Some cleaning establishments actually claim to have this service but just hand wash the garment and then professionally press the garment. This process works well with some fabrics which have manufacturers labels stating "hand wash". Garments with labels printed "dry clean only" may shrink, fade, or wrinkle so badly that pressing does not restore then original look of the fabric.

New "wet cleaning" stores are available in some areas. The "wet cleaning" process involves computer controlled machines, soap, conditioners and finishers. This new process is supposed to replace dry cleaning. However, until the wet cleaning process has been thoroughly tested, care should be taken before taking your favorite "dry clean only" garments to the new establishments. Outer fabric, interfacings, linings, shoulder pads, and finishes all react differently when washed. Some fabrics shrink or change shape when washed. Some shoulder pads are designed for dry cleaning only and may fall apart when washed.

Do-It-Yourself:

Home Laundering is not only easier to control but can add life to your garments. Choosing a detergent for home laundering is a daunting task!

General purpose laundry detergents work well on most washable fabrics. Some detergents take more product for each wash as fillers are used by the detergent manufacture. Recently, detergent companies have started to reduce the amount of fillers in their products, thus the amount of detergent required per load of laundry is less. Read the label to determine various additives. Added bleach may gradually remove the dyes or color unless the garment is colorfast to bleach. Most all detergents have "surfactants" this is nothing new. Whiteners can be either bleach or bluing agents. More expensive is not always better.

Hand washing detergents can be used for home laundry when cleaning fine fabrics. These products are often effective when using cold water. However, not all hand washing detergents are milder than regular laundry products although they are often more expensive. Properties to look for when using hand washing detergents include use in cold water, quick dissolving in cold water, and complete rinsing of the detergent after the wash.

To test hand washing detergents or any detergent, dissolve recommended amount of detergent in a quart of cold water. Allow the detergent and water to sit for 24 hours. Note the residue, if any, in the bottom of the quart jar. This residue may be difficult to rinse out of your garment.

Shampoos can also be used for hand washing garments. Use a good shampoo, not one containing "creme rinse". If your shampoo cleans your hair and leaves it shiny with no residues, it usually cleans your garment too.

Fabric softeners, both liquid and dryer sheets, add products to your fabrics. Some of the softeners are wax based which leaves a coating on the fibers creating a feel of softer but reducing the absorbency of the fiber. Some softeners have a perfume that is allergy related for many people. If you have ever used a fabric softener dryer sheet with your polyester garments, you may have seen "grease" spots appear on your garment. This is actually a wax and can be removed by re-washing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fashion-articles/how-to-care-for-fabric-514157.html

About the Author

Tips by d’Italia Designer Fabric - www.ditalia.com.au/articles


[TEMPLATE]Merchants Review[/TEMPLATE]

Below are our picks for the three Best Wrinkle Creams. LifeCell Cream

Website: www.lifecellskin.com

Effectiveness: Excellent
Scam Report: One report found but later retracted
Customer Support: Excellent
Free Trial: Yes - 30 day but unused portion of product needs returned
Guarantee: Yes - 90 days Unconditional
Shipping: $1.50 - 3 day priority (US only), International Priority $15

    Pros:
  • All-In-One product (Age-Spot Reducer, Anti-Wrinkle-Cream, Firming-Cream, 24-Hour Moisturizer, Corrective Under-Eye Treatment, Lip-Plumper and Makeup Base) no more applying 3, 4 or more products
  • Formulated from 6 of the most potently effective, scientifically proven anti-wrinkle ingredients
  • Works on all wrinkles (crow's feet, feather lip, frown, smile, forehead and brow)
  • Amazing results - wrinkles appear to vanish with the first application
  • Continues to work even after washing face
  • Botox Alternative without the needles

Cons: None...the up front costs could be considered a negative but when you figure up all of the costs that this product will replace it is right in line with other quality products that don't produce the results that LifeCell All-In-One Cream does.

[Click Here For Your Free Trial of LifeCell All-in-One Cream]

Athena 7 Minute Lift is a wildly popular and an excellent product. The two biggest concerns we have are many users needing to reapply after 7 hours to keep desired look and the long term Anti-Wrinkle benefits didn't measure up to the competition. Compared to our top product LifeCell All-In-One Cream which contains 6 of the most effective Anti-Wrinkle fighting ingredients plus an ingredient that makes wrinkles appear to vanish.

Athena 7 Minute Lift Website: www.7minutelift.com
 Effectiveness: Clinical Trails found Athena 7 Minute Lift reduced the appearance of wrinkles in over 80% of users. With this product being hypoallergenic we found very few users who experienced skin irritation.

Scam Report: None found

Pros:
  • All Natural Product made from 12 Organic oils and no harsh chemicals
  • Hypoallergenic - Safe and Effective for All Skin Types
  • Animal friendly - Never tested on animals
  • Works on all wrinkles (crow's feet, feather lip, frown, smile, forehead and brow)
  • Immediate Results that last up to 10 hours
  • Excellent customer service they are second to none
  • Safe and Secure ordering online or via phone

Cons:

  • Being an all natural organic product it doesn't produce long term results as well as other products reviewed
  • Some users reported needing to reapply product a second time during the day to maintain desired results

Free Trial: No - But they do provide a 60 day Risk Free money back guarantee
Shipping: Free via FedEx (US only)
Guarantee: Yes - 60 days Unconditional

[Click Here To Order Athena 7 Minute Lift]

We like to call Revitol Anti Aging Cream our "Best Bang for the Buck" product. It doesn't quite measure up to our top product LifeCell Skin Care but at about 1/2 the price we feel you can't go wrong. Revitol Anti-Aging

Website: www.revitol.com

 Effectiveness: We found Revitol Anti-Aging Cream performed as advertised on over 70% of users. With this being a multiple product application it is very important to follow the manufactures application guidelines.

Scam Report: None found
Pros:

  • Contains several Antioxidants, especially Coq10 to fight free radicals
  • Contains Argireline, which produces the more beneficial effects of Botox without the potentially nasty side effects
  • Penetrates the skin and delivers a host of skin agents that hydrate, tone and reduce facial lines
  • Works on all wrinkles (crow's feet, feather lip, frown, smile, forehead and brow)
  • Stimulates the renewal of skin cells
  • Safe and Secure ordering online or via phone

Free Trial: No - But they do provide a 90 day Risk Free money back guarantee

Shipping: $7.95 US - $16.95 Canada - $29.95 International

Guarantee: Yes - 90 days Unconditional

Cons:

  • Multiple products to apply
  • No free shipping

[Click Here To Order Revitol Anti-Aging Cream]

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Filed under: Wrinkles

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