1 LAUNDERING EJC HONOURS 2013
GARMENT LABELS Garments include labels which indicate the type of fabric used to make the item and the maintenance required for proper care. The maintenance information usually includes appropriate: washing and drying method temperature for washing and drying use of bleach use of iron dry cleaning. 2
EXAMPLES OF GARMENT LABELS 3
PREPARATION OF CLOTHES FOR WASHING Best to treat stains within 24 hours of occurring, certainly before washing (washing and/or drying will set most stains in fabrics). Empty all pockets, close any zippers, fasten any hooks/snaps, cover velcro, etc. Remove any brooches, pins, badges, etc. Permanent press and garments with silk-screen patterns should be turned inside out. Permanent press clothes are made from fabrics that have been chemically processed to resist wrinkles and hold their shape. Alternative terms include wrinkle resistant, wash and wear, no-iron, durable press and easy care. This treatment has a lasting effect on the fabric. 4
PREPARATION OF CLOTHES FOR WASHING Clothing should be sorted before washing. Different kinds of fabric require different types of care. Additionally, the degree of soil also factors in the method of washing. Generally, clothes are sorted into the following categories: Whites Brights Lights Darks Delicates Heavily soiled items Linens Towels, sheets, etc. (called lint-givers) 5
PREPARATION OF CLOTHES FOR WASHING Separate colourfast clothes from colours that will run. Colourfast means the colour is resistant to fading or running. It is good practice to soak moderately soiled clothes for about half an hour before washing. Heavily soiled clothes and those being washed in hot water can soak for an hour. Delicates do not require much soaking. 6
PREPARATION OF CLOTHES FOR WASHING General guide to types of clothes and the varying temperatures of water they can be washed in: Hot Warm Cold Permanent Press Permanent Press Bright Colours Whites Whites Dark Colours Very dirty clothing Delicates Delicates/Knits 7
PREPARATION OF CLOTHES FOR WASHING After washing, clothes should be checked for stains before being put to dry. If clothes are being dried in a dryer, they should be removed as soon as the cycle is complete, when the garment is still hot and hung up immediately. This will prevent/greatly reduce wrinkles. 8
PREPARATION OF CLOTHES FOR WASHING Basic guide to types of clothes and an appropriate dryer setting: Dryer Setting Regular/Heavy Permanent Press Delicates Air Fluff Types of Clothes Whites, Towels, Jeans Colours, Permanent Press, Polyester Knits, Silk, Nylon Anything for which heat is not required, you simply want to soften the garment and add fullness back to the fabric. 9
USING CLEANING AGENTS Chlorine Bleach A solution of sodium hypochlorite manufactured from chlorine and is mainly used as a whitener and disinfectant. Bleach will make white clothes whiter and easily remove stains; however chlorine bleach is not safe to be used for coloured clothes. Should be kept out of reach of children and under lock and key. Should not be mixed with other cleaning products, especially ammonia or vinegar. The combination of bleach with these products can release toxic gases that can kill you. It is best to wear gloves when cleaning with bleach to protect your skin. You should only use bleach in well-ventilated areas. 10
USING CLEANING AGENTS Non-Chlorine Bleach A much milder whitener that can be safely used on coloured fabrics to remove stains. It is frequently made with hydrogen peroxide. Powdered oxygen bleach Usually made with sodium percarbonate, it is another whitener that is safe to be used on coloured fabrics as it removes stains without the use of toxic chemicals. Can be used on upholstery and carpet. It is non-toxic to humans and animals, and it breaks down into environmentally friendly components when the oxygen is released (the release of oxygen is what removes stains). 11
USING CLEANING AGENTS Liquid Fabric Softener Used to make clothes soft Prevents static cling Reduces wrinkles in clothes Should only be used in the rinse cycle when no soap is present in the water, because it will react with soap and leaving a sticky, visible residue which resembles lint. If your washing machine has a fabric softener dispenser use it and the fabric softener will be added at the right time in the cycle. Otherwise, you must add it yourself at the beginning of the rinse cycle. Be careful to not pour it directly on clothing, but rather into the water. 12
STAIN REMOVAL Blood a) Treat as quickly as possible, giving it little chance to set. b) Treat only with COLD water not hot. c) New blood stain flush with cold water and then soak for about half hour. Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide directly to the spot. d) Old blood stain brush off all dried blood and then soak in a solution of cool water and detergent overnight. e) After soaking, pre-treat the stain with a laundry prewash stain remover. (e.g. Oxi-clean) f) Launder as normal, using appropriate type of bleach. 13
STAIN REMOVAL Chewing Gum a) If gum is hard scrape off excess with a dull knife. b) If gum is soft allow to harden so it can easily be scraped off (you can put the garment with the gum in the freezer to speed the process up or rub an ice cube on the gum until it's frozen enough to be peeled off). Do not scrape the gum while it is still soft. You risk incorporating the gum into the fibres of the fabric, which will make it harder to remove. c) If there is still gum stain after you have scraped off as much gum as you can, take a clean white cloth and sponge the stain with dry cleaning solvent (a liquid cleaner that does not contain water) or a chewing gum remover safe for fabric. d) Wash garment in the hottest water fabric will allow to remove the stain and any remaining gum. 14
STAIN REMOVAL Cocoa/Chocolate a) Scrape off any excess, being careful not to spread the chocolate any further. b) Pre-treat with a laundry prewash stain remover. c) Wash garment in the hottest water fabric will allow, using appropriate type of bleach. Fruit a) Rinse the excess juice from the fabric, and flush the stained area with cool water, being careful not to spread the stain further. b) Pre-treat the stain with a laundry prewash stain remover. c) Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow, using appropriate bleach. 15
STAIN REMOVAL Grass a) Pre-treat the stain with a paste of powdered laundry detergent mixed with a little water, or with liquid laundry detergent. b) Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow to get out the stain, using the appropriate bleach c) If the stain does not come out after one wash you may need to repeat before placing in the dryer. d) You may also want to soak the stain caused by the grass in a solution of hot water and laundry detergent containing enzymes, for a couple of hours or even overnight for especially stubborn stains. e) Alternatively, methylate alcohol could be applied to the stain, rinsed in warm water and then the garment washed. 16
STAIN REMOVAL Grease a) Pre-treat with a laundry prewash stain remover b) wash garment in the hottest water fabric will allow to get out the stain Ink a) Take a clean white cloth and sponge the ballpoint ink stain with a dry cleaning solvent. b) Blot at the stain until the solvent is absorbed. c) Repeat steps (a) and (b) until the ballpoint ink is removed, or stops bleeding and no more is being removed with the solvent. d) Rinse the fabric completely. e) Next, do the same thing as steps (a) (c), but with rubbing alcohol. f) Let the stained area which is now saturated with alcohol to air dry. g) If the stain is completely removed skip down to step (i), otherwise continue with the next step. 17
STAIN REMOVAL Ink (cont d) h) Take a clean white cloth and sponge the ballpoint ink stain with If some of the ballpoint ink is still on your clothing you should now cover the stained area with a thin layer of liquid laundry detergent and rub it in, and then let it sit for at least one hour, and up to overnight. i) Rinse the garment. j) Pre-treat the stain with a laundry prewash stain remover. k) Launder as normal. 18
STAIN REMOVAL Crayons from most washable fabrics a) Scrape to remove the excess. b) Place the stain between two pieces of white blotting paper and press with a warm iron. c) Change the papers as the stain is absorbed. This stain can easily spread, so use care while pressing. d) On colourfast white cotton or linen, try pouring boiling water through the stain. e) After using either method, allow fabric to dry. f) If any trace remains, flush it with a dry-cleaning solvent. g) If any dye remains, use light strokes with a dampened pad working outward from the centre of the stain, with 1 part rubbing alcohol in 2 parts water (do not use on acrylic or modacrylic). h) Rinse well with clear water and allow to dry. 19
STAIN REMOVAL Rust a) First, do not make the stain worse by applying chlorine bleach as this will react with the rust and may intensify the discoloration. b) Remove as much of the rust stain as possible before applying a treatment. c) Squeeze lemon juice onto the stain so that the spot is thoroughly saturated. d) Sprinkle salt onto the lemon juice. e) Allow the salt and juice to react with the stain for 24 hours. Refresh the lemon juice to keep the spot damp. f) Blot the stain (do not rub, as this may damage the fibers). g) Rinse the spot with cool water. You may repeat the process, if needed. 20
STAIN REMOVAL Rust (cont d) h) Another method is to apply a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon mild liquid dish soap in one cup warm water. Thoroughly saturate the stain and allow the solution to react for at least 5 minutes. The surfactants in the detergent will help to lift the rust particles. i) Blot the stain with a clean white cloth or paper towel and rinse it with cool water. j) Repeat this process until the stain is removed or until no more discoloration is picked up by the cloth. k) Thoroughly rinse the spot with water to remove all traces of cleaning solution. l) If the rust stain persists, saturate the stain with a solution of 2 tablespoons ammonia in 4 cups warm water. m) Blot the spot with a white cloth or paper towel. n) Rinse the spot with cool water. Always make sure the stain is gone after washing, but before you place garment to dry, or you may set the stain. 21
WOOL AND WOOL-LIKE GARMENTS Make sure your woollen item really needs to be washed. Unlike cotton and man-made materials, wool does not need to be washed. Get used to gently spotcleaning and airing woollens and you will be amazed at how well they last with very little care, and very infrequent washing. Soak woollen items in cold water for a few hours before washing, until all the woollen fibres are saturated. This method will help to stop the woollen item from shrinking. Spot clean if needed. Heavily soiled items should be spot-cleaned first with a brush, attempting to brush the soil off, and then rinsing through with clean cold water. 22
WOOL AND WOOL-LIKE GARMENTS Use the right product. There are products specially made for washing wool, or you can make a cleaner yourself with a tiny amount of laundry soap or hand soap, water and optionally a small amount of essential oil (such as lavender). Dissolve the cleaner in the water first, to prevent agitating the wet wool. You can mix the soap into hot water, and then mix that into a larger quantity of cold water to aid in mixing the soap in well. Alternately, you can try using baby shampoo or light detergent. Do not just assume you can machine wash with "Woolite" or other detergent with "wool" in its name. Whatever soap you use, use very little as soap increases felting (the fibres being matted together). Wash in sink by soaking and squishing, being careful not to rub the wool against itself or it will felt. Heat, agitation and detergent are the enemies of wool, so aim to soak and rinse the dirt out. The good news is that wool is extremely easy to clean with just water. 23
WOOL AND WOOL-LIKE GARMENTS Take care if you use a washing machine. Remember not to allow it to agitate. Let the machine fill with cold water, add soap if using any; you can let the machine agitate to mix in the soap. Add the woollens and press them down into the water, swish them just a little, very gently and push them under the water. Leave them to soak for 30 minutes. Set the machine to the portion of the cycle where it drains, then refills for the rinse without ever letting it agitate. Leaving the lid open on top loaders can help here. Let the woollens rinse, and go through the spin dry portion of the cycle twice. Dry flat in desired size/shape. A folding clothes rack can help here. Remove excess water with a towel by laying the item on a towel and rolling it up jelly-roll style, squeezing and pressing gently. Unroll then leave in fresh air to dry. Do not wring the garment, or hang it to dry. Never put wool clothing in the dryer. Use steam heat and the wool setting on the iron. Press on the inside to avoid a shiny surface. If pressing on the top use a pressing cloth. 24
SELECTING A WASHER/DRYER/IRON There are several points that should be considered when selecting appliances for laundering your garments. Some are listed below: Washing Machine/Dryer Finances Amount of laundry that will be done How often the machine will be used Types of fabric that will be washed Energy Efficiency Impact on the Environment Operating Costs 25
SELECTING A WASHER/DRYER/IRON Iron Should have adjustable settings for delicate to cotton fabrics An auto shut-off feature for safety An option for heat with or without steam Spray nozzle Non-stick soleplates Weight - heavier iron will cover greater pressing area 26
CARING APPLIANCES Washing Machine Dryer Iron Never over load Never over load Use a Pressing Cloth Do not use too much soap Be careful with the knobs - they are fragile Run the machine empty with hot water and a quarter cup of baking soda to help clean the inside of the drum. Run the machine on and extra rinse to get all the baking soda out Clean the lint trap/filter after every load Be careful with the knobs - they are fragile Check the hose for the vent to make sure it is clear and venting correctly Rinse the Iron After Each Use Clean the Soleplate Use the Right Kind of Water - Tap water contains minerals, which will build up over time in your steam iron Wipe down your appliances regularly, and use appliance touch-up paint to repair any chips in the finish. Wipe down your appliances regularly, and use appliance touch-up paint to repair any chips in the finish. 27
SOURCES http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/adventist_youth_honors_answer_book/h ousehold_arts/laundering http://www.slideshare.net/cyutafl/connie-clothing-labels-presentation http://www.textileaffairs.com/lguide.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/permanent_press http://www.slideshare.net/iyg001/pfd-how-to-care-for-your-clothes http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-fabric-softener.htm http://www.stain-removal-101.com http://chemistry.about.com/od/cleaningtips/a/removerust.htm http://www.wikihow.com/wash-wool http://www.denverfabrics.com/content/wool/wool-fabric-care.aspx http://laundry.about.com/od/laundryappliances/tp/selectinganiron.htm http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-remove-crayon-stains2.htm 28