MSU Extension Publication Archive Archive copy of publication, do not use current recommendations. Up-to-date inmation about many topics can be obtained from your local Extension office. Wise up on the Why s of some Clothing Care Problems Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service Bernetta Kahabka, Extension Specialist in Clothing June 1971 4 pages The PDF file as provided courtesy of the Michigan State University Library Scroll don to vie the publication.
Extension Bulletin E-712 WSE UP Home and Family Series June 1971 on the WHY'S of some CLOTHinG CARE PROBLEmS By BERNETTA KAHABKA Extension Specialist in Clothing Cooperative Extension Service are constantly being reminded to follo the care recommendations on garment labels and hangtags and also clothing care instructions in their laundering equipment manuals. Knoing the reasons such recommendations may help you to understand: WHY some clothes seem to soil more quickly and need laundering more oftenwhy stains, especially oily or greasy ones, are difficult to removewhy lo to medium ater temperatures and small laundry loads are recommendedwhy laundry loads should be separated by color and by degree of soiling. Today's clothes arc generally easy to care, but they seem to need ashing more frequently because: Many fabrics are made partly or entirely of nonabsorbent synthetic or man-made fibers. Such fibers, unless treated, have high static electricity hich attracts soil and holds it to the surface of the fabric, as ell as causing clothes to cling. The dark "ring around the collars" is an example of oily soil attraction. Soil on fabrics of non-absorbent fibers (the polyesters and nylons, example) tends to stay on the surface and sho up more, rather than become imbedded ithin the fiber..; here it ould be less noticeable. Anti-static fabric finishes help retard soiling, as ell as prevent static shocks and fabric clinging; but they do tend to become less effective through successive launderings. Ne developments sho promise, hoever. Michigan State University Anti-static additives are no being incorporated ithin fibers. The ne anti-static finishes also alter the fiber itself, rather than merely change the fabric surface. Some examples of current trademark names are Antron, Stataay, FNS (ever non-static). The «ash after each earing or "do not allo garment to become heavily soiled" cautions on labels are intended to prevent a build-up of sou hich eventually can become difficult, even impossible, to remove. Grayed hites, dulled and dingy colors are the result. Purchase clothing hich is labeled ith indications of durable anti-static treatment. Today's fabrics are generally easy to care, but a particularly persistent problem is removing stains, especially oily type stains, e.g., body oils, because: Many of today's fabrics are made partly or entirely of synthetic fibers hich have an affinity oily stains, even though they do not absorb other surface soil or ater-borne stains. The resin finishes on today's fabrics, such as rinkle-resistant finishes, ash-ear finishes, and especially durable press, react the same ay to oily type stains. Some spot and stain resistant finishes have an oillike chemical composition hich coats the fabric or yarns, thus creating a resistance to ater-borne stains. That same composition can hold oily or greasy type stains, hoever.
Frequent ashing of to day's fabrics ill prevent the build-up of soil from body oils, hair and cosmetic oil-based preparations hich, if left in the fabric, ill be difficult or impossible to remove. Prevent greasy soil build-up on necklines and sleeve cuffs by applying full-strength, liquid laundry detergent or concentrated hair shampoo to the soiled areas and letting it penetrate 15 to 2 minutes or more bee ashing. Remove oily or greasy spots bee ashing, because they can be permanently set by the heat during laundering. f possible, blot up such a stain right aay. Then, using safety precautions and proper ventilation, dissolve the stain ith a dry cleaning fluid bee laundering. Getting clothes clean is important, but so is little or no ironing, to most people. Laundering temperatures and laundry load size ahect ho a garment's original appearance is maintained ithout further ironing because: The heat sensitivity of the synthetic fibers in many of today's fabrics allos rinkles to be set in by ashing and/ or drying temperatures. Synthetic fibers, e.g. nylons, polyesters acrylics, are described as thermoplastic in that they can be softened or "melted" at relatively lo temperatures. Most laundry ater temperatures on't actually melt synthetic fibers, but can soften them enough to put rinkles in them. When such fabrics are subjected to compression and tisting in the presence of heat during ashing, rinkles can literally be pressed into the fabric. The thermoplastic-based resin finishes used on cotton or fiber blends of ash-ear and durable press clothing and household textiles are also heat-sensitive and subject to rinkling hen laundered at high temperatures. Wrinkling is likely to be severe if a dryer is used at high heat levels ith no "cool don" period at the end of the drying cycle, or prolonged periods. Too high heat can soften the creases of trousers and pleats hich have been previously heat-set into clothes made from thermoplastic fibers. Thus, they may need hand pressing to resharpen crease lines. As moisture is evaporated, machine drying has the greatest effect on heat sensitive or thermoplastic fabrics. Even though the thermoplastic fabrics are heat-sensitive, generally there is great variation in the degrees of heat they ill tolerate bee "softening" and rinkling easily. That's hy more and more labels and hangtags refer to ashing, drying, or pressing temperature settings, such as «synthetic," "ash-ear," "permanent press" settings, etc. Recommendations often refer to "moderate" temperatures hich provide a safe range of appropriate temperatures the ide range of heat tolerances of thermoplastic fabrics. Moderate temperatures ill be high enough to eliminate the rinkles put in by ear, but not too high to remove any pre-set pleats and creases. Smaller ashing loads and smaller drying loads ill lessen fabric compression and help to prevent rinkling. Avoid prolonged ashing, extracting and drying periods in hich clothes can become compressed, dried and thus overrinkled in laundering. Remove dried clothes immediately from the asher andl or dryer to avoid unnecessary rinkling. Today's clothes generally require less care, but keeping hites WHTE and colors BRGHT or CLEAR throughout care is dihicult because: Some synthetic fibers, especially nylons and polyesters, have a tendency to pick up color from other colors in a ash load. Theree, they are called color scavengers, even though their lo absorbency makes them difficult to dye. The static potential of synthetic fibers causes them to attract soil hich has been released from dirtier fabrics ithin the same ash load. Soil released into the ash ater can actually redeposit on fabric surfaces although detergents do have antiredepositing agents. Much of today's clothing is made to look extra hite or very bright-colored by the use of fluorescent dyes and brighteners hich are not necessarily permanent.
r ( Some of these flourescent dyes are very sensitive to bright light. Clothes can turn from very hite to quite yello hen exposed to direct sunlight. Usually there is no successful ay to revert a garment back to its original hite color. Such brighteners or hiteners may gradually deteriorate or break don throughout drycleaning, and/ or ashing. The high alkaline quality of some detergent products or substitutes, as ell as bleaches and even steam ironing, may cause further color breakdon. 4 "Delicate" fabrics can be yelloed, faded and even eakened by the high alkaline content in heavyduty laundry detergents. The strong cleaning poer of such highly alkaline detergents (called "built" detergents) is often necessary ashing heavily soiled grease stained ork clothing, hoever. r To help keep hites "hite" and colors "clear", ash hite clothes separately from colored clothes. Wash lightly soiled clothes separately from heavily soiled clothes. Clothes ith high fashion colors, especially prints, often require special handling, such as gentle hand-ashing in arm (not hot) ater and hanger-drying. Sometimes a label ill say "DO NOT DRYCLEAN" because the dyes used are soluble in dry cleaning solvents. The original appearance of some of today's clothing is affected by the mation of balls of fiber fuzz (pills) on the fabric surface and by the attraction to lint during laundering because: ( The high static characteristic of synthetic fibers cause fiber ends to ork their ay from ithin a yarn mation to the surface of a fabric. Once on the surface, the fiber ends attract lint and soil from the air. Pilling is a particular problem ith nylons and polyesters because their strength enables the fiber pills to cling and remain on the fabric surface. The friction of abrasion on a fabric can break fibers and cause the fiber ends to project on the surface and eventually pill, especially ith yarns made up of staple (short length) synthetic fibers. Some man-made fiber yarns are engineered resistance to pilling. Anti-static additives ithin synthetic fibers, yarn texturization and absorbent finishes may help to resist fabric pilling. Pilling is difficult to correct except by using some safe mechanical means to remove the pills ithout harming the fabric. The pills ill keep on ming, hoever. Wash and dry clothes hich tend to pill inside out so that the outside of the fabric is not subjected to so much surface abrasion during laundering. Less packed and less full laundry loads ill prevent compacting and abrasion of clothes. Use a fabri c softener in the final rinse to somehat decrease the static characteristic of the fabric. T'S YOUR CHOCE The apparent increase in proportion of synthetic fibers used in today's fabrics influences care methods required optimum cleaning and maintenance of original appearance. The increasing use of 75 to 8 percent polyester in blends is an example. Some attention to frequency of laundering, size of laundry loads and laundering temperatures ill help to retain the original appearance of clothes and get them clean. You may have to "trade-off" one advantage another, hoever. For Example Hot ater may clean heavily soiled clothes better, but at the expense of greater rinkling hich may require ironing. Smaller asher and dryer loads help to prevent rinkling, but you may be more concerned about saving time, energy, ater and utility bills. Separating ash loads by color and degree of soiling ill help to keep original color appearance, but you may not ant to separate ash loads to that degree. You must decide ho important this is to you in relation to : Your on available time and energyyour on interest and commitment to clothing careyour equipment and cost of utilitiesyour on interest and commitment to ater quality and conservation. For further reference see: TODAY'S DETERGENTS, MSU Extension Home Management Project bulletin available from Home Management Specialists, Room 13 Human Ecology, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, Mich. 48823. Acknoledgement - The helpful suggestions and revie by Nancy Harries, Department of Human Environment and Design, MSU, and Lucile Ketchum, Home Management Specialist, MSU, are very much appreciated.
i Use recommended care instructions. No dry- cleaning materials to be used. i enc'l...... "" "" ;i Q1:l... g. g: 5' (':) - is <s::::;::s-o ;::s- s:. t:"'<(':)g Q "". - 5' en C'l. g \:j c:;. -@?"'g: (':) a (':) -"" > g' (jq ;:t S C'l.: f?\"' 5' (':)... g (jq (':).: Vl(':) C'l :l...... ;::s-o... t:::l... 6... C'l (y "" o Nen '"ts 1 e (':) ::.... g N N... CO ;>oic'l N ""';::S-O 6:: ' :....., (':) ;::s-o C;;. 6 (':)... o... C'l... o s. (':) e (':) R... (':) 5' c;;.... o C'l :- trl<s:::: Oo (':) 1:; o ""-... (':) :l....: 1:l...C'l (':) g: s (':)... ""....: "" s-g :l...(':) "" (':) "".... <s:::: ;::s-o. 5' s:. 1}(':).: (':) <s::::... s:. (':)... CJ o (':) 8. C'l trl g' H... ;i. g: g Vl c;;.... e C:;. C;;. g' o CONSUMER CARE GUDE FOR APPAREL... ca :z::: ;: -- WHEN LABEL READS: Washable Machine ashable Home launder only No bleach No starch Cold ash Cold setting Cold rinse t--- Lukearm ash Warm ash Warm setting Warm rinse W Medium ash :z::: Medium setting c.j Ml Hot ash Hot setting No spin Delicate cycle Gentle cycle Durable press cycle Permanent press cycle Wash separately --. -- This Guide is made available to help you understand and follo the brief care instructions found on permanent labels on garments. Be sure to read all care instructions _._- T MEANS: WHEN LABEL READS: T MEANS: Wash, bleach, dry and press by ally customary method including commercial laundering Same as above but do not use commercial laundering W Hand ashable Launder only by hand in arm ater. May - tj Wash by hand be bleacheo. May be drycleaned :Z::: c.j - :z::: Hand ash only Same as above, but do not dryclean 2 Hand ash separately Hand ash alone or ith like colors No bleach Do not use bleach i Do not use bleach Tumble dry Dry in tumble dryer at specified setting - Machine dry high, medium, lo or no heat Do not use starch Tumble dry Same as above, but in absence of cool-don -.----- Remove promptly c,::) cycle remove at once hen tumbling stops, Drip dry Use cold ater from tap or cold ashing > : Hang et and allo to dry ith hand shap- Hang dry machine setting c ing only Line dry :E No squeeze :z:: No ring Hang dry, drip dry or dry flat only Use arm ater (hand comtable) 9 to No tist 11 Fahrenheit Dry flat Lay garment on flat surface Use arm ater (medium ashing machine setting) 11 to 13 Fahrenheit Use hot ater (hot ashing machine setting) 13 Fahrenheit or hotter Remove ash load bee final m achine spin cycle Use appropriate machine setting ; otherise ash by hand Use appropriate machine setting; otherise use medium ash, cold rinse and short spin cycle Wash alone or ith like colors Block to dry Maintain original size and shape hile drying c,::) Cool iron Set iron at loest setting CiS Warm iron Set iron at medium setting : Hot iron Set iron at hot setting : No iron Do not iron or press ith heat No press tj Steam iron ron or press ith steam Steam press : ron damp Dampen garment bee ironing :;:) Dryclean Dryclean only Professionally clean only...... Commercially clean only c.j No dryclean This Care Guide as produced by the Consumer Affairs Committee. American Apparel Manufacturers Association Copyright 1969, The American Apparel Manufacturers Association, nc. Gamlent should be drycleaned only Do not use self-service drycleaning ) Ml