Tips for those who are going to take things to the dry cleaner. Stages of dry cleaning clothes, differences in processes taking into account contamination What items are dry cleaned

Dry cleaning, dry cleaning - some dry cleaning users are simply scared to hear these names. Communicating clearly and intelligibly what is happening in a dry cleaning machine to the end consumer is not an easy task. I will help everyone by giving a simple description of dry cleaning technology.

How do they clean things at the dry cleaner?

Today is a short review of the solvents used in dry cleaning.

Solvents themselves are not cleaning agents. This is just a cleaning medium. The most important property of the solvent is to easily penetrate deep into the fiber and through the fibers. But, if it easily penetrated and passed through without creating resistance, then it did not remove anything from the tissue.

Dry cleaning technology in perchlorethylene

The most popular solvent for dry cleaning is perchlorethylene. You probably know this smell - the most common smell in dry cleaners is perchlor (as professionals call it). Quite a pungent odor; prolonged inhalation of even a small amount of perchlorethylene dissolved in the air causes spasms of the vocal cords, sore throat and cough in those who are particularly sensitive.

For dry cleaning, perchlorethylene is good because it is denser than water - almost 2 times (1.76) - this means that the mechanical effect on the product in the drum will be very effective. Imagine being lowered down a mountain in a barrel of stones or pillows. What will hurt more? Right. For good cleaning, high mechanical stress is required.
Why is perchlorethylene bad? Because it is a highly toxic substance (SDYAV), essentially. I breathed in the perchloric acid for a longer period of time - my mood immediately became better, my head began to spin, my eyes turned red. Then pulmonary edema and rest. It also accumulates in the liver and kidneys.

There are stories that during the dry ban (and even a little later), binge alcoholics relieved withdrawal symptoms with perchlorethylene vapor (slightly warmed in a cup) - they got hangovers, to put it simply. True, such a tool required some skill. If perchlorethylene is heated strongly in air, it produces phosgene. Chemical warfare agent.

Nature defenders and ecologists are actively fighting against perchlorethylene. I believe that this is a kind of lobbying of interests. And it all started in America.

In the USA they threatened to ban perchlorethylene in dry cleaners completely by 2016, in Germany by 2018, France has already banned it. So you might want to think about buying used equipment from Europe. It is unrealistic to imagine dry cleaning in Russia without perchlorethylene in the near future.

KWL dry cleaning technology - hydrocarbon solvent

KWL is a hydrocarbon solvent. For all lovers of dry cleaning and barbecue. KWL is a fire starter. A little greasy to the touch. Yes, you know what kind of remedy it is.

Advantage - does not degrease to 0. Important for fur and skin. That is, it’s easier to process the fur coat later.
Cleaning ability is weak. But there are masters who work wonders with hydrocarbons. Seek and you will find.

A small “bonus” - since the solvent is based on petroleum fractions, it is naturally flammable (I already talked about lighter fluid) and the flash point is 55 degrees. “One tablet” is enough and he will come white and fluffy. Distillation takes place under vacuum, and there is also a nitrogen cylinder in the car so that if anything happens, the whole thing can be extinguished.

It does not burn by itself. But fabric soaked in this solvent burns beautifully. In old dry cleaning machines, before the craze for these solvents, there were... gates to remove the blast wave.

Dry cleaning technology in silicone solvent

Silicone solvent. Also fatty. The same thing - fur coats, leather jackets, but also Wedding Dresses Super clean. (If it's not ble... but). Also flammable, also dangerous.

Sensene dry cleaning technology

The German company Safechem (a subsidiary of the DOW holding company, which makes, among other things, perchlorethylene) has released its solvent based on modified alcohols and called it. The manufacturer keeps the composition and name of these alcohols secret. The alkoxypropanol composition of the SENSENE solvent is from 50 to 70%, from 30 to 50% of the solvent composition is hydrocarbons, c11-c13 isoparaffin and flavorings. Distinctive feature Sensene solvent is its horse KB-value (kauri-butanol number) - 161. Even perchlor with its 90 was not close.

Intense dry cleaning technology

Seitz, a well-known Russian manufacturer of chemicals for dry cleaning and laundries, introduced Intense dry cleaning solvent in 2016. According to information from the safety data sheet, Intense consists of more than 30% aliphatic hydrocarbons, 50-75% hydrocarbons, C11-C14 nephras, isoalkanes, cyclic compounds,< 2% ароматических присадок относящихся к классификации Xn R65 R66. На момент публикации в России замечено 3 предприятия, пробующих технологию Intense, поэтому подробностей не так много.

I hope that this publication about solvents was useful to those who only use dry cleaning as a client, as well as to those for whom dry cleaning is a business.

Sometimes it is useful to know both the trade names and the scientific name of the solvents. Meet:

Hydrocarbon (KWL),

Silicone (D5, GreenEarth, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, GEC-5)

Solvon K4 (Dibutoxymethane/1,1-(methylenebisoxy) dibutane),

Rynex 3-E (Dipropylene glycol tetra-butyl ether),

Higlo,

If you have questions or comments, write in the comments (registration is not required to comment) or write a private message to me.

Often people, having tried all the methods known to them and their friends for removing stains from clothes, bring things to the dry cleaner. They consider it a kind of panacea. A true salvation for your favorite outfit. But there are situations in which dry cleaning is powerless. To avoid vain hopes of saving your clothes, you should know which stains dry cleaning cannot remove.

Fatal defects

Fabric defects that are irreparable:

• spots
  
  
  • from oil paint for drawing,
  • from cosmetics: for eyebrows, eyelashes, hair, perfumes,
  • from medicinal and insecticidal preparations,
  • mold,
  • greenery,
  • silicate glue.
  
  
• yellowness or other discoloration of things that appeared under the influence
  
  
  • chemical substances,
  • rain or snow,
  • stain removers.
  
  

The second group of contaminants often manifests itself more strongly after treatment.

Dry cleaning will be powerless in situations where items have been damaged by prolonged wear or improper handling.

Hidden defects

There is another group of fabric defects, which are hardly noticeable when the clothes are in use, but are clearly revealed when the clothes are processed in a dry cleaner.

These include:

• Fuses on things that appeared due to improper ironing. They could also be formed due to some temperature effect on the material, or if an error was made during the production process. Thus, dry cleaning will easily remove dye from damaged fabric. This may cause light spots or even small holes to form. Before processing, this type of defect was often invisible due to general pollution of things.
• Minor damage to materials caused by moths appears on fur, wool and knitwear. Often, before sending the item to the dry cleaner, these small holes are not even noticeable to the owners. But due to the fact that the clothes are processed by machine, the damage becomes more significant. All the threads diverge, and the holes increase.
• The “doubling” effect appears on jackets, coats and other clothes that must strictly keep their shape. This occurs due to improper production, or when using glue that is not resistant to solvents.

Dry cleaning is by far the most the best ways fights stains and difficult-to-remove stains. But this method of fabric processing also has its limitations.

Stains or dirt on things that are almost impossible to remove at home can be easily removed by dry cleaning. At the same time, the fabric remains unharmed, and the clothes look like new. Dry cleaning of clothes is carried out using liquids containing chemicals. Solvents are hazardous to human health and the environment, so working with them requires special care. Clothes are cleaned using special equipment - a dry cleaning machine.

Stages of the technological process depending on the type of pollution

Dry cleaning of clothes is a chemical-physical process using effective solvents of different compositions. The most common cleaning agent used for cleaning clothes is perchlorethylene (PCE). It is also possible to use water and special surfactant liquids - detergents.

In addition to solvents, when cleaning clothes, other chemical materials are used for degreasing, stripping and stain removal. Liquids are selected depending on the technology (cleaning with water, solvents containing carbohydrates or perchlorethylene), the type of contaminants, and the material from which the items are made.

To the stages technological process relate:

• receiving clothes - this stage is very important. During the appointment, the specialist determines the type of material, defects of things, type of contamination, selects the necessary substances to remove stains, and processing technology. In addition, a contract is drawn up;
• sorting - at this stage, batches of items are completed for subsequent loading into a special machine that performs chemical cleaning. Sorting is carried out according to the texture of the fabric, the color of the items, the level of contamination, since due to the individual characteristics, each fabric feels differently in the machine. Sorting by color is necessary so that dyes do not move from one thing to another;
• stain removal - this process is also called preliminary cleaning. The process is suitable for the most contaminated areas of clothing. To remove stains at this level, detergents and solvents are used. Surfaces are cleaned to remove stains using local light. Such tables are a surface with a hood located on them. Compressed air and steam are supplied using guns. A powerful air flow combined with water, solvents and fabric detergents effectively removes stains;
• Dry cleaning in a machine involves drawing out dirt using solvents from the fibers of the material and dissolving them. Dry cleaning equipment operates in a closed cycle. In the container, perchlorethylene, which has already absorbed dirt from things, is filtered and passes into the distiller, where it is cleaned. To protect workers and customers, dry cleaning equipment is equipped with an adsorber. The device absorbs solvent vapors formed during drying and, accordingly, removes them from things and the drum;
• finishing operations - basically, the finishing stage consists of ironing. This occurs on ironing surfaces using irons with steam supplied from the built-in steam generator. Mannequins and presses are also used.

Subsequently, after ironing is completed, the clothes are checked for dry cleaning quality and the products are packaged. Sometimes clothes are cleaned if dirt remains.

Reception of clothes
Sorting
Removing stains
Machine washable
Ironing

Contamination occurs on the entire surface or locally. The most noticeable ones are stains or dust. The hardness of the material from salt, which is present in foods or sweat, is less visible. The color changes and an unpleasant odor appears due to acid or alkali contamination.

There are many substances that contaminate clothes, but some contaminants are similar to each other. They can be divided into the following groups:

• Soluble are those contaminants that dissolve during degreasing. These include fatty substances, oils, and waxes. Such contaminants do not dissolve in water;
• water-soluble - stains are divided into two types. The first type (sugar, salt) is easily dissolved in water, the second - partially (sauces, soups). These contaminants are called food contaminants;
• insoluble - these contaminants are completely insoluble in water or solvents. These include dust, soot, and pigment substances. The process of removing stains from fabric uses dry cleaning. The problem is that stains can appear after removal; resorption occurs, causing things to look gray;
• Contaminants in small areas of the product, which include varnish stains, blood, paint, are removed with preliminary cleaning, often manually using special tools.

In the conditions of dry cleaning enterprises, the factors that influence the ease and quality of removal are the type of contamination of the material, the number and type of stains, and the length of time they remain on things.
The cleaning method is selected depending on the type of contamination

Dry cleaning symbols on labels

Experienced employees of enterprises involved in professional dry cleaning can easily determine how to clean an item. In case of difficulty Additional information You can get it if you pay attention to the labels on your clothes. The circle icon indicates that the product can be dry cleaned, but only if it is not crossed out. The English letters located on the symbols indicate the following:

• P - perchlorethylene or tetrachlorethylene;
• F - highly flammable;
• A - any;
• W - wet.

One dash located in a horizontal position means that the dry cleaning conditions must be delicate. In this case, restrictions on humidity, mechanical influence, and temperature conditions are applied.

Two lines placed horizontally at the bottom of the symbol indicate very delicate handling of the product. In this case, the amount of humidity, mechanical action and temperature is limited.

Dry professional dry cleaning is carried out using any of the solvents with the symbol F. With a limitation of solvents, dry dry cleaning with the symbol P is used. Conventional dry cleaning (F) is carried out using hydrocarbons, boiling temperatures up to 210 degrees, ignition temperatures up to 60 degrees.

(F)s.svg means dry cleaning is permitted. (A).svg - dry cleaning with various solvents is allowed. Water cleaning (W).svg is ordinary wet cleaning, and (W)s.svg is delicate. The (W)ss.svg mark refers to delicate wet cleaning of products.

Clothes whose stains cannot be removed independently with ordinary detergents, must be dry cleaned using special equipment, solvents, and reagents in special factories.

Dry cleaning clothes is a process performed by professionals that effectively cleans garments and keeps them fresh, new and beautiful.

16.02.2015

Video

Currently, such a type of consumer services as dry cleaning of things is quite developed.

However, not all organizations providing these services operate in the consumer market in good faith.

Most often, citizens' claims arising from the provision of dry cleaning services are related to spoilage (damage) of the item accepted for dry cleaning or its loss. The provision of dry cleaning services is regulated by the following legislative acts: Civil Code Russian Federation

(hereinafter referred to as the Civil Code of the Russian Federation); Law of the Russian Federation dated 02/07/1992 No. 2300-1 “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” (hereinafter referred to as the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights); Rules for consumer services for the population in the Russian Federation, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 15, 1997 No. 1025 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules).

Right to information

At the time of handing over the item to the dry cleaner, the consumer is provided with information about the name (company name) of the dry cleaner, its location (legal address) and its operating mode. This information is posted on the organization's sign.

The Rules, as well as Articles 8, 10 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights, establish the obligation of the dry cleaner to promptly (before concluding a contract) in a clear and accessible form to bring to the attention of the consumer the necessary and reliable information about the services provided, which must necessarily contain:
list of services provided (work performed) and forms of their provision;
designations of standards, the mandatory requirements of which services (works) must comply with;
terms of provision of services (performance of work);
data about a specific person who will provide the service (perform work), if this data is significant based on the nature of the service (work);
warranty periods;

The specified information must be in a place convenient for the consumer to view in Russian.

We conclude an agreement

The contract for the provision of dry cleaning services is concluded in writing, usually in the form of a receipt.

The receipt must contain the following conditions:

last name, first name, patronymic of the consumer, his contact information;
name and location (legal address) of the dry cleaner (for an individual entrepreneur - full name, state registration information);
type of service (work);
price of service (work);
name of the product, its color, fibrous composition, completeness, fittings, existing defects that cannot be removed by dry cleaning and the price of the item (its assessment taking into account wear and tear);
a note indicating that the consumer has paid the full price of the service (work) or has made an advance payment when drawing up the contract, if such payment has been made;
date of receipt and execution of the order;
data about a specific person who will provide the service (perform work), if this data is significant based on the nature of the service (work);
additional paid services provided with the consent of the consumer (finishing, deodorization, antistatic treatment and others);
other necessary data.

One copy of the receipt is issued by the dry cleaning employee to the consumer.

We take the item to the dry cleaner

At the time the item is accepted for dry cleaning, the dry cleaning employee determines the type of treatment in accordance with the care symbols on the product’s marking tape, and in case of its absence, in agreement with the consumer.

If necessary, the performer is obliged to remove fittings that may be damaged during the cleaning process and sew removable parts to the product.

When you drop off an item for dry cleaning, you should carefully study the contents of the issued receipt before signing it and leaving the item.

If the receptionist indicated in the receipt that the dye on the sheepskin coat is unstable and the item may fade after dry cleaning, then by signing for this and handing over the item, the consumer is at risk, since the dry cleaner in this case is exempt from liability for damage to the item.

If the consumer was warned about the special properties of an item that could lead to its damage, then the consumer will not be able to make a claim against the dry cleaner in this regard (Article 35 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights). However, if the consumer was warned only about the possible loss of dye, and the item was returned with holes, then the dry cleaner bears full responsibility for this.

There are often cases when, when an item is damaged, the dry cleaner refers to the fact that the dry cleaner employee could not detect its “special properties”, i.e. the defects of the item that led to the damage were hidden. Indeed, according to paragraph 3 of Art. 35 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights, the contractor is exempt from liability if the special properties (defects) of the item could not be detected upon proper acceptance of the item for dry cleaning.

However, if the receptionist at the time of acceptance of the item did not carry out the testing measures prescribed to her (dye fastness test, etc.), then such acceptance cannot be considered proper.

Acceptance of an item for dry cleaning is also accompanied by an assessment of the percentage of its wear. If the consumer does not agree with the specified assessment, then he has the right to insist on an objective assessment of the item.

From the moment the item is accepted, the dry cleaner is responsible for the safety of this item (clause 12 of the Rules).

Complaints about the quality of the service provided

When receiving a product from dry cleaning, the consumer is obliged to check the safety of the original shape, integrity, size, color, pattern, relief.

If, nevertheless, the consumer finds himself in a situation where, at the time of acceptance of the item from the dry cleaner, he discovers any damage, a change in the color of the item, uncleaned stains, holes, etc., it is necessary to draw up a bilateral report indicating all the detected defects. If the dry cleaner refuses to draw up the above act, then the item should not be taken away and it is necessary to send a written claim to the dry cleaner describing the condition of the item at the time of delivery to the dry cleaner, indicating the detected defects in the work performed and stating the corresponding demands. It must be presented in two copies personally to the dry cleaning specialist, having received an acceptance mark on your copy (stamp, signature, date), or in case of refusal to accept the claim, send it by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt.

In a claim, the consumer, in accordance with Article 29 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, may present the following requirements:

eliminate deficiencies in the service provided (work performed) free of charge;
reduce the price of the service provided (work performed);
make another thing free of charge from a homogeneous material of the same quality or repeat the work;
reimburse the costs incurred by the consumer to eliminate deficiencies in the service provided (work performed) on their own or by a third party;
terminate the contract for the provision of services (performance of work) and demand full compensation for losses if, within the period established by the specified contract, the shortcomings of the service provided (work performed) are not eliminated by the contractor.

If the dry cleaner does not agree with the consumer’s claims to the quality of the work performed or refuses to admit his guilt for damaging the item, then the consumer can insist that the contractor conduct an independent examination, or after drawing up a report (submitting a claim), pick up the item and conduct an examination at his own expense. In this case, a technological examination is carried out aimed at identifying violations of dry cleaning technology.

In the event of complete or partial loss (damage) of an item accepted from a consumer for dry cleaning, the contractor is obliged to replace it with a homogeneous item of similar quality within three days and, at the consumer’s request, produce the product from a homogeneous material within a reasonable time, and in the absence of a homogeneous material (item) of a similar quality - to reimburse the consumer twice the price of the lost (damaged) item, as well as expenses incurred by the consumer (Article 35 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights).

Since the dry cleaner, as a rule, does not have the opportunity to provide a similar item to replace the damaged one, the consumer can immediately be presented with a demand for compensation of twice the cost of the item. Its value can be confirmed by receipts, if they have been preserved, or you can obtain an opinion on the average market value of the item from an organization that evaluates items.

The price of a lost (damaged) item is determined based on the price of the item that existed in the place where the consumer’s demand should have been satisfied by the executor on the day of voluntary satisfaction of such a demand or on the day of the court decision, if the consumer’s demand was not voluntarily satisfied (Art. 35 of the Law on Consumer Protection).

If you need to seek services for the assessment (examination) of a thing, you should definitely keep receipts for payment for these services. The dry cleaner will have to compensate the consumer for these expenses if it is proven that, for example, defects in the item arose as a result of poor quality dry cleaning services.

If the dry cleaning company’s management refuses to satisfy the consumer’s demands out of court, then he should file a lawsuit to protect his rights.

Andrey Kucherov

Graduated from the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Currently, she is the PR Director of the company “Laundry and dry cleaning with WashDrop delivery.”

Dry cleaning allows you to save time, deal with stubborn stains and quickly get your coat, down jacket or suit in order for a business meeting. However, the result does not always depend only on specialists. A trip to the dry cleaner can be very stressful for the owner of the items if they are not properly prepared.

1. Do not wash suede, leather, fur, feathers and other delicate materials by hand.
2. Some fabrics (such as rayon) shrink when washed and require special care.
3. Do not use machine washable, if the item is decorated with lace, beads, special folds or embroidery.
4. Blend clothing natural fibers, leather and suede require dry cleaning.
5. If a complex stain has formed on an item that cannot be removed by ordinary household products, only dry cleaning will help.
6. Sometimes you can remove a stain using household products, but this may damage the product. For example, if you spill red wine on a yellow dress, the bleach will remove the stain, but most likely the item will no longer be yellow. It's better to go to a dry cleaner.
7. Some items, such as a business suit, may lose their shape when washed due to the way they are cut.

giphy.com

How to prepare items for cleaning

1. Carefully study the labels on clothing. You can dry clean an item only if it is permitted by the manufacturer.
2. Inspect the item for minor defects and remove them if possible. Poorly sewn buttons on a coat, puffs and tears in the fabric during cleaning can contribute to the appearance of noticeable defects.

How not to go wrong with dry cleaning

1. Read reviews about the dry cleaner you plan to take your items to. The company's experience in the market and its reputation are important indicators of the quality of the services provided. Rely on reviews from real customers, not advertisements.
2. State the cost of the item to the dry cleaning staff, as well as the degree of wear of the item. Point out problem areas that require special attention. You can specify what chemicals will be used for cleaning.

What to do if the item is damaged

If there is a hole in the product, the item has lost its previous appearance, is irretrievably deformed or faded, then, according to Article 35 of the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, the contractor is obliged to replace it with a similar one or reimburse double the cost, as well as the expenses incurred by the consumer. It is important to remember that the warranty period is five days. After of this period proving anything will be much more difficult.

One simple conclusion follows from all this: cleaning clothes with special products is much more profitable than buying new ones. This means there is no need to take risks.