dco ldc12 remove stains by drycleaning€¦ · red wine (grapes), blackcurrant, beetroot, tea,...

Drycleaning Technology CentreUnit 10a Drill Hall Business Centre, East Parade,

Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8EZ, United KingdomTel: +44(0) 1943 816545, Fax: +44(0) 1943 609326, Email: [email protected]

© 2009 LTC&DTC Limited

UNIT LDC 12

REMOVE STAINS BY DRYCLEANING

DRYCLEANING OPERATORWORK BOOK

ENTER THE LAUNDRY NAME HERE

ISSUED TO

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DATE: ENTER DATE ISSUED HERE

DRYCLEANING OPERATOR WORKBOOKLDC12 Stain removal by drycleaning

NVQ2 Drycleaning Operations © 2009 LTC&DTC Limited of 33



INDEX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Unit LDC12 – REMOVE STAINS BY DRYCLEANING

Section Contents Page

1 Introduction 4

2 Treatment of soiling 5

3 Stain classification 7

4 Stain removal chemistry & stain pre-treatment 9

5 Fibre and stain identification 12

6 Stain types 14

7 Stain removal equipment & tools 15

8 Setting up checks for the stain removal table 17

9 Refilling reagent dropper bottles 18

10 Testing of fabrics & reagents before stain removal 19

11 Manufacturing faults 20

12Use of steam, water and compressed air in stainremoval

21

13 Precautions for sensitive fabrics & fibres 23

14 Post-treatment to remove stubborn stains 25

15 Conclusion 26

Self check questionnaire 27

Appendix

1 Unit standard 29



1. INTRODUCTION

Many items are handed in for cleaning simply because they have become stained.The cleaner’s professional performance is judged on how well the staining is removed.

Most stains are not dissolved or removed by drycleaning solvent alone. They needpre-spotting.

Pre-spotting is divided into two quite different operations:

Ingrained soiling and areas of heavy soiling are prepared for drycleaning by detergentpre-brushing using a special detergent which might be diluted with water.

Stain pre-treatment is applied to an individual stain by skilled application of steam,water and chemicals, either to remove the stain completely (eg for blood) or to prepareit for removal in the drycleaning machine process (eg for paint).

Both of these terms are used interchangeably with the term pre-spotting in thedrycleaning industry. To avoid confusion, this workbook will use the terms detergentpre-brushing and stain pre-treatment only, based on the definitions above.

1.1. ObjectiveThe objective of detergent pre-brushing andstain pre-treatment is to prepare areas ofheavy/ ingrained soiling and individual stains sothat they will come clean in the drycleaningmachine process.

1.2. LimitationsThe limitations of soil pre-brushing and stainpre-treatment are that they can only be appliedif this can be done without causing damage tothe item to be cleaned. Many stains whichcould be removed by stain treatments have tobe left untreated, e.g. if the process wouldcause a patch of colour loss.

1. What is detergent pre-brushing used for?...................................................................................................................................................

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2. Give an example of one stain which must be removed completely in stain removalbefore machine drycleaning.

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2. TREATMENT OF SOILING

2.1. Ingrained soilingGarments worn regularly, such as everyday business suits, quickly acquire a grimysurface around the inside of the collar and cuffs. Some of this is greasy or oily,such as city diesel fumes and some is water based, such as perspiration and skinsebum. Drycleaning solvent is very good at removing oily and greasy marking;washing is best for water based soiling. In order to aid the removal of both types ofsoiling in drycleaning, the stain removal operator should pre-brush ingrained soilingwith a special detergent (which contains a little moisture) or with a detergent/watermixture (which clearly contains much more water).

Pre-treatment detergents sometimes differ from machine soaps dosed into thecleaning cycle. They are designed to take moisture to the soiled area and tosoften the water-based components of the soiling, so that this then comes awayreadily in the machine process. These detergents can be diluted with water inaccordance with the supplier’s instructions but must not be over-diluted. Too muchwater in the mix will cause localised felting of wool, localised greying of cotton andwatermarking of sensitive dyes and prints.

If the fabric appears sensitive (deep dyedlinen dress, cashmere jacket, pashminashawl), then application of pre-treatmentshould be very sparing and thedetergent should be applied neat. Eventhen there is a risk that the moisture inthe mix will cause a mark, so they shouldnot be used without good reason. Thereare special, mild pre-treatmentdetergents for silk and these shouldalways be used, neat and very sparingly.The sensitive items should then bedrycleaned without delay, so pre-treating of these should be done last when theload is being prepared for the machine.

Pre-treatment detergent is designed only for grimy cuffs and collars and perhapsthe occasional large spillage. It is not designed for stain removal and muchdamage is caused when attempts are made to use it for stain removal, especiallyon delicate garments. The longer a sensitive item (with detergent brushed onto it)waits for the cleaning process to start, the greater the risk, because the water inthe detergent gets to work straight away.

2.2. Heavy soilingIf a waiter spills a bowl of soup over the shoulder of a diner or if someone in a roadaccident is badly lacerated, this can produce very heavy soiling which requiresspecial treatment.

If the soiling is water soluble (which both soup and fresh blood probably are) thenthe soiling might be reduced by very careful hand washing and then hanging to drynaturally. You should ask you line manager for advice, because this might



damage some fabrics. Customer authorisation is essential for the specific risks ofshrinkage and colour fade.

2.3. Equipment for pre-treatment of ingrained soilingPre-brushing with detergent or detergent mixtures is usually carried out on asimple metal table on which even a large item (such as a wedding dress or acurtain) can be laid out without trailing on the floor. The detergent mixture iscontained in a metal bowl and it is applied with a brush. After application, the itemis folded with the treated area innermost so as not to contaminate any other item inthe barrow load being assembled.

3. What are the risks in applying too much pre-treatment detergent or in diluting it toomuch?

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4. What might you need to try if a customer brought in a jacket soaked in blood froma knife fight?

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5. What would you need to obtain first before attempting to handle the above bloodsoaked jacket?

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3. STAIN CLASSIFICATION

Stains are classified in drycleaning into six main groups:

3.1. Solvent soluble stains which dissolve in drycleaning solvent and which need nopre-treatment, e.g. car engine oil on a garment to be cleaned in a strong solventsuch as perchloroethylene.

3.2. Protein stains from the animal (or human) body, e.g. blood, perspiration, urine,cream, gravy (containing meat juices).

3.3. Vegetable dye stains from things that grew in the ground, e.g. beer (hops), grass,red wine (grapes), blackcurrant, beetroot, tea, coffee and so on.

3.4. Paints, lacquers and glues, which require a very strong solvent based stainremover, much stronger than drycleaning solvent.

3.5. Particulate stains such as mud and soot, containing thousands of tiny particles tobe removed.

3.6. Metallic stains such as rust (iron oxide) and aluminium (from kitchen hardware).Rust stains also occur frequently in the residues of old blood stains (from the ironin the haemoglobin in the blood itself).

Techniques for stain removal include one or more of the following:

3.7. Softening: a paint stain is softened by a paint, tar or ink remover, so that it can beblotted or scraped off the fabric. A hardened bloodstain might be softened by thealkali in the protein remover in the same way.

3.8. Dissolving: a heavy grease stain might be dissolved completely by the strongsolvent based remover used for tars and paints, so that it flushes away easily inthe solvent wash stage of the drycleaning machine process.

3.9. Mechanical action: a softened built-up paint stain can often be lifted off the fabricwith the spatula, whilst a built-up protein stain can be broken down by thereciprocating motion of the tamping brush.

3.10.Lubrication: if the original lubricant in the stain is lost (for example a bloodstaindries out) then it can often be made mobile again with a suitable lubricant (such ascold water), after which it will flush out much more easily. Moistened bar soap is avery good lubricant and is usually chosen for pre-treatment of hemline soiling on awedding dress for example.

3.11.Digestion: the human stomach contains enzymes to break down complex foodsso that they can be absorbed by the body as simple nutrients, through the walls ofthe gut. Biological detergents contain enzymes to break down protein soiling inthe same way. For drycleaning stain removal, it is possible to obtain enzymedigesters which can attack an old protein stain and very slowly break it down tomake it removable.

Skilled stain removal operatives have all of these techniques at their disposal andin the right combination they can reduce most stains if the fabrics allow this.

6. How could you MECHANICALLY break down a built-up and very hard oldbloodstain?

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7. With what would you treat the bloodstain to CHEMICALLY soften it?...................................................................................................................................................

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8. Which would you do first before starting to treat the blood stain?...................................................................................................................................................

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4. STAIN REMOVAL CHEMISTRY AND STAIN PRE-TREATMENT

4.1. Perchloroethylene drycleaning solvent will usually dissolve oily stains from carengine oil and machine grease, so this type of stain does not need pre-treating ifyou are going to use this solvent. For hydrocarbon and other solvents with a lowKB value it may be necessary to pre-treat even this type of oily stain.

4.2. Stains such as paint, typewriter correction fluid, glues and lacquers are difficult tobreak down and the stain removal reagent for these is normally designed to beflushed off prior to or in the drycleaning process, along with the staining material.

For most other types of stains, the safest procedure is to test the reagent,remove the stain completely at the stain removal table and then flush and dry

the area treated.This will minimise the risk of patches of colour loss from cotton, linen,

acetate and silk fabrics.

4.3. Stain removal reagentsThe type of stain determines the treatment to be applied, making stainidentification vital and we shall be looking at this later. The chemicals andprocedures for the different types of stain include the following:

4.3.1. Animal (including human) body fluids such as blood, urine, faeces, gravy, milk,cream, perspiration, skin sebum, custard, ice cream and so on: these stains areprotein based and the cleaner needs a slightly alkaline protein remover to takethem out. Some cleaners use pure chemicals such as ammonia solution.

4.3.2. Vegetable dyes, from spills containingbeetroot, blackcurrant, beer, wine, grass,orange, curry spices and so on: thesestains usually dye the fibre and cannot beremoved – they must be de-colouredusing a slightly acidic tannin remover.Some cleaners use pure chemicals(hydrogen peroxide acidified with a littleacetic acid).

4.3.3. Mud and hemline soiling on weddingdresses and other long items which cantrail on the ground: this contains dirt particles, iron (rust), vegetable dyes(especially tannin) and sometimes tar and associated road oils. The dirt particlesshould be allowed to dry and then brushed from the surface. Tannin staining is de-coloured with tannin remover and the remaining particles, ingrained into the cloth,should be treated with either a pre-treatment detergent designed for this purposeor with natural bar soap. The objective is to get every dirt particle thoroughlycovered/surrounded by detergent or soap so that this lifts it out of the cloth in themachine drycleaning process. The garment is then machine drycleaned and anyresidual staining from rust or residual tannin is then post treated with a strongtannin remover followed by rust remover (for which special safety precautionsapply). The same techniques apply to soot marking and provided the particles are



carefully and fully coated with bar soap before the machine drycleaning process,the results can be outstanding.

4.3.4. Rust marking is relatively easy to remove but special safety precautions arenecessary. The stain (iron oxide) is treated with a 6% solution of eitherhydrofluoric acid or ammonium bi-fluoride in water. These are both dangerouschemicals and require rubber gloves and eye-protection to be worn. They will burnthe skin or eyeball and if not washed of immediately, they can penetrate the skin orfingernails to cause serious and irreversible damage to the bone marrow. Thereagent is applied to the stain from a dropper bottle, applying just sufficient to coverthe mark. If the stain is iron oxide it will react to form iron fluoride which is soluble(and colourless) and can be flushed off with water straight away. If the stain is notrust (it might be an oxidised protein or a caramelised sugar, for example) thenthere will be no reaction and treatment should be halted and another techniquetried.

4.3.5. Aluminium marking is very difficult to remove. It can sometimes be reducedusing a very alkaline washing detergent or using caustic soda (warmed with a littlesteam). If an improvement is obtained, continue the treatment until no furtherreduction is possible, then flush off and feather dry. Watch out for fabric or colourdamage all the time and halt treatment, flush and feather dry immediately if this isseen.

4.4. Why is pH measurement important to the drycleaner?4.4.1. Drycleaning uses both strong and mild chemicals. These have to be at the correct

strength to perform their intended function and then they have to be rinsed out orneutralised so that the end user (the wearer or the patient or the guest) is notaffected by residual chemicals on the fabric.

4.4.2. The acidity or alkalinity of a chemical or a fabric is a measure of how acid oralkaline it is. An acid is a chemical which dissolves in water to produce plenty ofhydrogen ions (H+). An alkali is a chemical which dissolves to produce plenty ofhydroxyl ions (OH-).

4.4.3. Acidity and alkalinity are measured using the pH scale. This goes from pH1 whichis strongly acidic, through pH7 which is neutral (neither acid nor alkaline) right up topH14 which is very strongly alkaline.

4.4.4. Acids create good conditions for the removal of vegetable dye stains, whilst alkalispromote the removal of protein stains.

Examples: pH1 - hydrofluoric acid used for removal rust stains, sulphuric acid used in

car battery fluid

pH2-pH4 – acetic acid found in vinegar and used as a stain remover for tanninstains (with hydrogen peroxide).

pH5 – typical pH of lemon juice and other sharp fruit juices.



pH6.5 – pH7.5 – neutral, either side of pH7, which is the target alkalinity of thedrycleaning distillation still and the condition of fabric returned to the customer.Acid and alkali deposits on customers’ clothes can cause nasty skin rashes.Pure water is also pH7.

pH8.3 – pH9.5 – slightly alkaline fabric which can be expected to yellow with theheat of finishing. The work might be alkaline because of the conditions in thedrycleaning still, or because of stain removal chemicals left on the fabric frompost-spotting, or because the item has been washed and not rinsed properly.

pH9 – typical alkalinity of stomach powder used to neutralise excess acidity inthe human stomach after a rich meal or a night out partying.

pH10 – typical alkalinity of household ammonia used (in much more diluteform) for the removal of protein stains.

pH14 – caustic soda, the strongest alkali and is typically used in householdproducts like oven cleaners and degreasers. It is also used slightly warm tostrip the paint off old pine doors.

4.5. Precautions when using chemicalsDrycleaning chemicals are labelled with hazard warning symbols. Some areflammable and some are so strongly acidic or alkaline that they have to be labelledas corrosive. Vegetable dye removers such as hydrogen peroxide can reactviolently if mixed with the wrong chemical and carry the warning for a strongoxidising agent.

9. Which of your reagents would you want to use to remove dairy ice cream stainingfrom a silk dress?

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10. Which of your reagents is going to decolour a beetroot stain?...................................................................................................................................................

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11. What does the pH scale measure?...................................................................................................................................................

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12. Give an example of a strong acid which a customer might get onto his trousers:...................................................................................................................................................

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5. FIBRE AND STAIN IDENTIFICATION

5.1. Fibre identificationIf an item comes in for stain removal and drycleaning with no fibre content label(usually because the owner has cut it out to prevent scratching), then the cleanermay need to identify the fabric before deciding how to tackle a stain or dryclean it.

The standard technique is to use the burn test. It is important to follow the safetyrules:

a. You will need a gas cigarette lighter, an ashtray and a pair of metal tweezers(which you can obtain from any chemist – choose the spade-end ones).

b. Place the ashtray on the workbench away from any items to be cleaned.c. Take a single yarn or group of fibres from the item you want to identify, taking

care not to cause any visible damage.d. Cut a piece of yarn about 5cm long and hold one end of it firmly in the tweezers,

over the ash tray.e. With your other hand ignite the lighter and hold it with the flame vertical over the

ash tray.f. Slowly bring the yarn into the lighter flame and observe what happens to the

yarn as it approaches the hot flame. Look for the yarn melting and retreatingfrom the flame. Look at the burning behaviour. Look out for drips of moltenplastic (take care – these can be very hot, which is why you are working over anash tray). Note the colour of the smoke.

g. When the flame is extinguished and the yarn is cooling, note the odour. Becareful not to put your nose in the flame.

h. Examine the ash; is it black or white? Is there a hard bead residue or just a softash?

5.2. Different fibres respond in the ways given in the chart:

Fibre Performance in burn test

SilkBurns in spurts with an orange flame, giving off white smoke toleave a white ash and an after-smell of burning hair or staletobacco.

PolyesterMelts and retreats from the flame, drips, gives off black smokeleaving a hard bead or sticky tar and a sweet, sickly after-smell.

Viscose rayonBurns steadily with an orange flame and white smoke, to leave asoft ash and an after-smell of burning paper.

WoolBurns steadily with an orange flame and white smoke to leave noash and an odour of burning hair.

This enables you to identify very quickly whether you are dealing with silk orpolyester for example. This can be very important, because most polyester fabricsare much more resistant to stain removal techniques (such as mechanical action,especially rubbing) than silk ones.Viscose rayon is very sensitive to strong acids, so any rust removal must be veryswift. Wool and hair fibres are very sensitive to strong alkalis, so any aluminiummarking is best left.



5.3. Stain identification

Follow the 'FOCAL' acronym:

F = FEEL , e.g. the ‘stickiness’ is a good indicator of what it is

O = ODOUR The smell may reveal what a stain is, but be cautious with foulstains.

C = COLOUR is a very good indicator of a stain type

A = APPEARANCE The look of a stain may give a clue to its nature, e.g. underultraviolet light protein stains fluoresce pink.

L = LOCATION or position of a stain may give a clue to its type, e.g. on the frontof a blouse it is probably a food or drink stain.

13. How could your tell the difference between silk and polyester using the burn test?...................................................................................................................................................

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14. What does the C in F.O.C.A.L. stand for? Give one example of a stain that youcould identify by this feature:

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15. What type of damage must you be careful to avoid when treating a stain on a whitesilk fabric?

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6. STAIN TYPES

6.1. Simple stains contain only one type of staining material and are usually the moststraightforward to remove, because only one reagent need be applied.

6.2. Compound stains will often contain both protein and vegetable dyes as well asoils and fats and need both types of reagent. The protein remover is applied first,to get rid of fatty proteins which would otherwise block the tannin remover. Oncethe proteins have been flushed away, then the tannin remover can be applied tode-colour the dye stains. Do not apply both reagents together, because the proteinremover is alkaline and the acidic tannin remover will neutralise it.

6.3. Built-up stains feature solid staining matter which stands proud of the fabricsurface. Protein, paint and glue stains are often built-up, but vegetable dye stainsrarely are. Built up stains can be broken down with the tamping brush. If this isapplied with a vertical reciprocating action, it will cause minimal fabric damage.This is because the natural bristles impinge on the gap between the woven orknitted yarns to break up the stain. The tamping brush should never be used witha brushing action across the fabric because this will cause damaging abrasion andleave a mark. Never use a tamping brush with plastic bristles, because these haveclubbed ends and they will catch in the weave and damage it.

6.4. Absorbed stains are liquids which have been absorbed into the fabric and thendried, creating a hard, stiff area of staining. These may need to be broken downwith the dissolving action of a protein remover, then lubrication with plenty of waterand finally flushing off with water or steam.



7. STAIN REMOVAL EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

7.1. Stain removal is carried out on a stain removal table. This can be a metal tableshaped like a domestic ironingboard. There is a metal tray atthe broad end for safe storage ofthe small in-use bottles of stainremoval reagents. Each reagentbottle is fitted with a conicaldropper nozzle, cut to allowapplication of one droplet at atime. Under the table is a canvastray to support larger items so thatthey do not trail on the floor. Othertables can be used and theserange from quite a sophisticatedstain removal work station withvapour extraction to a simple Formica or plastic table.

At the narrow end of the table there is a metal gauze (also termed the vacuumgauze) through which air can be drawn to allow reagents and staining to be‘sucked through’ the fabric and safely removed. The suction is created by avacuum fan, brought into play by a foot pedal at the base of the table.

7.2. There are three types of spray gun for the stain removal operative, each of which istrigger-operated.

The air gun is used to accelerate the drying of the treated and flushed area overthe vacuum gauze.

The steam gun and the water-flush gun are used to flushreagents and staining from thefabric, usually over the vacuumgauze. These are the only twotools which may be used overthe gauze to avoid the risk ofdamaging the fabric surface.Most tables have an air-gunplus either a steam gun orwater flush gun. A few have allthree. A table with just a steamgun is termed a hot spotting

table and one with just a water flush gun is termed a cold spotting table.

7.3. A bone spatula is used to apply local mechanical action to a stubborn stain(especially a built-up stain) to help break it down more quickly. It is used with acircular rubbing action, never as a knife or a chisel, because this could damage thecloth.



7.4. A tamping brush is used with a vertical reciprocating motion so that the bristlesimpinge repeatedly on the fabric and thestain. It should never be used with a brushingaction because the abrasion created woulddamage the fabric and make it rough andhairy. A set of three tamping brushes allowsone to be kept for ‘dry-side’ stains which arenot water based, such as glue and varnish,one for wet-side stains such as blood andgrass and one for silks, with a softer bristle.The principle of tamping is that the tips of thebristles go into the interstices between theyarns, so the brushes are always made ofnatural bristle. If a plastic bristle is examinedit will be found that the end is club shapedfrom the manufacturing cut and this catches inthe fabric and damages it, making itunsuitable for stain removal.

7.5. Clean white cotton cloths which are used for blotting off an ink stain or otherresidues which could spread. These are also useful to place beneath a delicatefabric when drying it over the vacuum gauze.

7.6. A chamois leather, which is used for blotting up excess moisture after using thewater flush.



8. SETTING UP CHECKS FOR THE STAIN REMOVAL TABLE:

8.1. Check that the local ventilation is turned on to remove any fumes and chemicalodours in accordance with the COSHH Regulations. This includes opening thewindow if that is the way these are controlled in your unit.

8.2. Check that the light is turned on and also the ultraviolet light if your unit uses one ofthese to see stains more clearly.

8.3. Check that the vacuum is turned on to the table by placing a paper tissue over thevacuum gauze and noting that it is sucked towards this.

8.4. Check that the compressed air is turned on, so that you can dry safely with the airgun. Operate the gun for a few seconds (pointed at the ground) to clear anycondensed water droplets.

8.5. Check that the steam gun works by pointing it at the ground and operate it for longenough to clear any condensation.

8.6. Check that all of the dropper bottles of reagents are in the special metal tray andthat all of the bottles have reagent in them. Refill any that require topping up,following the precautions.

You are now ready to start stain removal.



9. REFILLING REAGENT DROPPER BOTTLES:

9.1. Take the empty reagent dropper bottle to the designated refill point.

9.2. Find the appropriate keg of reagent with which to top it up and take this to the refillpoint.

9.3. Read the instructions and hazard warning on the keg and follow the advice. Thiswill entail you putting on eye protection and rubber gloves.

9.4. Find the funnel kept for topping up, remove the dropper nozzle and put the funnelinto the neck of the bottle.

9.5. Carefully pour from the keg until the reagent bottle is about three-quarters full. Donot fill any more than this to avoid the risk of someone squeezing the bottle andsquirting out the contents.

16. Why are the bottles of stain removal reagents kept on the metal tray at the side ofthe stain removal table?

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17. What is the hazard warning symbol on your drum of protein remover?...................................................................................................................................................

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18. What precautions should you take when refilling the dropper bottle from the keg?(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

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10. TESTING OF FABRICS AND REAGENTS BEFORE STAIN REMOVAL

10.1. Before applying any reagent to a stain it should be tested on a hidden area of theitem, such as a hidden seam. Apply one droplet of reagent and leave it on thefabric for a few minutes, then flush it off and feather the area dry. If the fabric isunmarked then you can apply the reagent to the stained area for the same lengthof time, remove the stain and flush off and feather dry (see next section). Do notbe tempted to omit the flushing stage, unless you have messy paint residues whichneed drycleaning solvent to wash out. Even if the reagent is designed to beflushed in the drycleaning machine, you risk causing local colour damage thelonger it is on the cloth. Do not omit the drying stage, because you will causegreying of the wet patch and you could also cause localised felting and shrinkageof hair fibres such as wool if the treated material is put into the drycleaningmachine whilst still wet.

10.2. If you follow the test procedure correctly then the risk of causing damage, even to adeep-dyed silk reduces to very low level. The main residual risk is that when youapply a stain removal reagent (that has tested successfully) to a stain which hasitself damaged the dyes, then unexpected colour loss can still result. For example,if the wearer has spilled something containing an alcohol (such as a drink or aperfume) onto a coloured silk, or even onto a pastel cotton or linen, then thealcohol might have caused the dyes to loosen. You cannot foresee this and whenyou put an apparently safe reagent onto the stained area it could cause a patch ofcolour loss that looks worse than the original stain. The same could happen in thedrycleaning machine just from the effects of the drycleaning solvent flushing outthe damaged dyes, without any stain pre-treatment at all.

10.3. Traditionally it is the cleaner who takes responsibility for damage at the stainremoval table, but it is quite legitimate to ask the customer to authoriseforeseeable but unavoidable risks of the type described.

10.4. Warnings for the stain removal operative on the care label in the item:

Care symbol Precautions needed

A modacrylic fun fur or a silk, acetate, modacrylic or acrylic velvetmight be permanently marked by the steam gun. Check the fibrecontent label and proceed with caution.

The bar beneath the circle denotes care with mechanical action,so the steam gun, air gun or tamping brush might damage eitherthe weave, knit or trim.Examine the construction carefully and proceed with caution.The bar also indicates possible sensitivity to moisture so becareful with the water flush and even more careful with the steamgun. For silks, pale cottons and pale linens, test a hidden areafirst and only tackle stains if no damage occurs. If you treat hairfibres such as wool or cashmere, it is vital to feather dryafterwards and mask with a trace of neat pre-treatmentdetergent. This will minimise the risk of localised felting.



11. MANUFACTURING FAULTS

11.1. Many manufacturer care labels are inserted by guesswork and sometimes providevery misleading reassurance to the cleaner. The most common manufacturingerrors on garments labelled for drycleaning are:

11.1.1. Loss of glued-on trim because the adhesive cannot withstand thesolvents implied by the label.

11.1.2. Softening and ‘melting’ of plastic beads and sequins on evening gownsand wedding dresses, because the drycleaning solvent softens the plasticand creates a messy residue around many of the beads.

11.1.3. Bubbling and rippling of the jacket fronts to fully fashioned suits,because the fusible interlining has not been inserted correctly inmanufacture.

11.1.4. Overall fading of the item because the dyes are not resistant todrycleaning and they partially dissolve in the drycleaning solvent.

11.1.5. Separation of the waterproof layer in a coat or raincoat, because thiscomes unstuck with the effect of the drycleaning solvent and then re-sticksin slightly the wrong place, creating unsightly ridges and wrinkles overmuch of the coat.

11.1.6. Chipping of shell buttons because these have not been correctlyspecified to resist the mechanical tumbling action in the drum of thedrycleaning machine.

11.2. Some of these faults might be revealed at the stain removal table, especially ifstrong solvent based stain removal chemicals are needed, so great care withtesting is needed before applying reagents to visible areas of the garment.

19. How do you test a pale blue linen jacket before trying to remove a red wine stain?...................................................................................................................................................

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20. What precautions does the ‘do not iron’ symbol on the care label imply forremoving a gelatinous custard stain from a modacrylic fun fur?

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12. USE OF STEAM, WATER AND COMPRESSED AIR IN STAIN REMOVAL

12.1. Steam gunSteam used in stain removal must be free of waterdroplets. This is quite easy to ensure if the steampipes are well-insulated and a quick blast at the groundto clear the gun and line is all that is needed. If theboiler is struggling or the pipes are bare, then thesteam gun will need to be cleared every few secondswhen the gun is in use. Otherwise there will be a finespeckling of wet-steam marks and these will spoil theitem being cleaned.

The gun should be held away from the fabric to avoidmarking it. It is the heat and moisture in the steam thatdoes the stain removal work and not the mechanicalblast of the steam itself. Delicate velvets and pilefabrics, open knits and coarse weaves are the fabrics most at risk.

12.2. Water flushAgain, it is the water in the water flush that does thestain removal work, not the mechanical action of theflushing itself. The flushing action is only used at theend of the step when the staining and any reagents haveto be completely removed from the cloth. Velvetsincorporating acetate, silk or viscose fibres areparticularly sensitive to the water flush and can beirreversibly flattened if wetted using this. It might bebetter to leave the staining on than make theappearance worse.

12.3. Feathering using the air gunAfter removing water-based staining and flushing with either water or steam, it isimportant to dry the fabric and this must be done without leaving a ring mark. Thetechnique is to dry the fabric swiftly over the vacuum gauze, with the vacuum pedaldepressed, using the air gun. Start at the outside of the wet patch and work fromthe edge inwards to the centre. Using this method avoids ring marking andproduces a uniform and dry fabric for drycleaning. It is termed feathering.

12.4. MaskingOn sensitive fabrics such as pale cottons or linens or fine wools, if there is anychance of residual humidity in the fabric this should be masked. Masking involveslightly brushing the minimum of neat pre-treatment detergent over the treated areaso that if there is any moisture left in the treated patch, the detergent will dispersethis safely and so avoid greying or felting.



21. Why must the treated area on a mohair evening jacket be feathered absolutely dry?...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

22. Why are the steam gun and air gun blown to the floor before use on the item?...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................



13. PRECAUTIONS FOR SENSITIVE FABRICS AND FIBRES

13.1. Beading made from polystyrene will sometimes soften in perchloroethylenesolvent, but is unaffected by hydrocarbon or cyclosiloxane. If the garment islabelled for cleaning in perchloroethylene and you want to double check that it issafe, you should try to get one bead from the garment to test. Immerse the bead ina small bottle of perchloroethylene for 30minutes, at the stain removal table, thenremove it and place onto a small piece ofclean white cotton and press it between twolayers. If it has gone soft and sticky then thegarment is not suitable for machine cleaningin this solvent and the bead should be driedand stitched back on. It may be possible toclean the dress satisfactorily using stainremoval techniques, provided you ensure thatall chemicals are completely flushed from thefabric before the dress is handed back to theowner. Light sponging at the underarm,treatment of make-up at the neckline andtreatment of the hemline soiling with waterand bar soap may be sufficient. This is sometimes termed hand-cleaning andmay take much longer than machine drycleaning, but it is the only solution if thegarment cannot withstand the machine process (short of not cleaning it at all).

13.2. Modacrylic fun furs are highly temperature-sensitive, so they should never besubjected to stain removal using the steam gun, because this will cause permanentpile damage. Otherwise, a fun-fur is remarkably durable and most types of stainingcan be tackled with confidence, provided care is taken to avoid tangling andmatting of the fur pile. Always work in one direction.

13.3. Acrylic velvets used for curtains and upholstery are also very temperaturesensitive and the pile distorts easily and permanently. They should never be leftnear a warm press for example and a steam gun will draw an indelible line in thepile.

13.4. The satin weave features a weft yarn that runsover four warp yarns, then under one and overfour and so on. It is the long run of yarn overthe surface which gives satin its high sheenand enhances its lustre. Unfortunately, thisalso makes the fabric very susceptible tosnagging and it must be handled with extracare at the stain removal table. On a printedsatin, a tiny snag will produce a white lineacross the panel, caused by short movementof the yarn from the snag, which reveals theunprinted sections of the yarn.

13.5. Acetate velvet, silk velvet and most viscose velvets are very water sensitive.The application of just one droplet of stain removal reagent will cause collapse of



the pile in the wetted area, so stain removal should be avoided. If the stain cannotbe improved by gentle brushing of the pile in the direction of the nap, thentreatment should be halted. The drycleaning process itself might improve oilymarks (including those from salad dressings) but it is unlikely to remove themcompletely and the customer should be warned of this.

13.6. Silk and artificial silk is susceptible to surface abrasion in stain removal, whichcan cause the short staple fibres from the spun yarn to be rubbed up from the clothsurface. Machine drycleaning can make this even more visible, producing a cloudymark which is visible from some directions more than others. Extra care has to betaken in stain removal, especially with the spatula and the silk tamping brush.

13.7. Procedures for wedding dressesWedding dresses demand all of the skills of the stain removal operator. They arefrequently made from silk and carry beading, which means the precautions for silkand beads already given must be followed carefully. Much of the soiling on awedding dress, even the make-up round the neckline, is water-based with sugars,proteins and vegetable dyes in abundance. The reason why cleaning a weddingdress is so much more expensive than cleaning other items is because of the timeit takes for the stain removal operative to work through each area of staining,remove it, flush and feather dry.

23. How should hemline soiling on a wedding dress be pre-treated?...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

24. Which stain removal reagent can you use with safety on acetate velvet?...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................



14. POST-TREATMENT TO REMOVE STUBBORN STAINS

14.1. The benefit of following the procedure described, consisting of testing, stainremoval, flushing and feathering dry is that there are no surprises when you openthe door of the cleaning machine and take out the cleaned work. Any damage tothe previously stained areas will have become apparent during stain removal.

14.2. However, you may still find that there are developed stains that have appearedwhere nothing could be seen before. These stains arise from spillages during usewhich leave no visible mark. Examples are lemonade and perspiration, whichcontain sugar and proteins respectively. Neither of these will dissolve completelyin drycleaning solvent, so they survive the solvent wash stage of the machineprocess. Then during the tumble dry stage in warm air the sugar caramelises(rather like bonfire toffee) and the proteins oxidise by chemical reaction with theoxygen in the air. The result is yellow or brown marks where nothing could beseen before.

14.3. The stain removal operator deals with developed stains using special reagentswhich are more powerful than the ones used for stain pre-treatment. Many ofthese are designed just to be flushed out at the stain removal table, without theneed for re-processing in the drycleaning machine. Caramelised sugar can bedifficult to remove until you realise that this needs warm water and much patiencewith the steam gun. There is no point in applying several different reagents untilyou have exhausted warm water alone. Hardened perspiration needs a muchstronger alkali and the limiting factor is the sensitivity of the dyes to the reagent youwant to use. If the strong protein remover takes the colour out of the cloth in thetest, then this is the time to leave a ‘best result possible’ note for the customer andhalt treatment.

25. Why might a customer’s white silk jacket develop a yellow-brown splash mark inthe drycleaning machine process when there was nothing visible before cleaningand you applied no stain pre-treatment?

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

26. Why are the steam gun and air gun blown towards the floor before use on theitem?

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................



15. CONCLUSION

The process of stain removal demands careful thought followed by precise actions. Thethinking step must not be omitted. The stain removal operator has to have a soundknowledge of care labels, fibre and fabric properties, basic chemistry and the techniquesfor removing the stain and for avoiding damage. This is what makes the differencebetween a good cleaner who delights the customer and the amateur who putseverything in the drycleaning machine ‘to see what comes out’, setting half of the stainsin the process so that they will never come out!



Questions on Module 12Stain removal by drycleaning

Use this self check questionnaire to make sure you now know all that you need toknow about preceding section. When you have finished discuss your answers withyour trainer.

1. Describe the sequence of steps which you take to remove a red wine stain from ayellow silk jacket?

(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

(c) ..............................................................................................................................................

(d) .............................................................................................................................................

2. What PPE do you use when refilling a stain removal dropper bottle in the absenceof any specific instructions on the keg?

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

3. What precautions do you take to avoid breathing in solvent vapours before startingstain removal?

(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

(c) ..............................................................................................................................................

4. Why is there a canvas tray beneath the stain removal table?...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

5. Why can brushing pre-treatment detergent onto a stain and then passing it forwardfor machine drycleaning sometimes result in a patch of colour loss?

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

6. When brushing on pre-treatment detergent, how might the risk of colour loss beincreased?

(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

7. How could you remove a gravy stain from a pink cotton jacket?(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

(c) ..............................................................................................................................................

(d) ..............................................................................................................................................



8. What warnings do you give to a customer who brings in a pale blue woven silkdress with acetate velvet trim, which has a red wine splash on the dress and on thetrim?

(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

9. How might you tackle a small white paint splash on an expensive black Armanijacket?

(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

(c)...............................................................................................................................................

(d) ..............................................................................................................................................

(e) ..............................................................................................................................................

10. You take in a pair of red cotton velvet curtains with sticky toffee residues all overthe lower half. How do you remove these without damaging the velvet pile?

(a) ..............................................................................................................................................

(b) ..............................................................................................................................................

(c)...............................................................................................................................................

(d) ..............................................................................................................................................

(e) ..............................................................................................................................................



Appendix 1LDC12Remove stains by drycleaningAt level 2, this unit is for those who identify and remove stains in dry cleaning.The job role will involve1.Applying stain removal procedures2.Working on the spotting table3.Inspecting garments and detecting stains4.Using chemicalsThe competent personmust:

The key areas of knowledge and understanding

1. Set up and close downwork stations

2. Protect items duringtreatment

3. Remove stains4. Deal with soiling and

staining

1. Services required for the operation of stain removal equipment2. The difference between cold spotting and steam spotting tables3. The correct steam, water, are pressure and lighting requirements4. The different fabric/fibre types and the characteristic problems when

brought into contact with certain chemicals5. The requirements of ventilation air extraction6. What is absorbed staining, built up staining and compound staining types7. The objectives and limitations of stain removal8. The definition of pre-spotting – to treat items and garments for stains,

ingrained soiling and marks likely to be resistant to the dry cleaning/wetcleaning process

9. The risks associated with the dry cleaning of garments containing waterafter wet side removal treatments or slab spotting

10. How to interpret care labels11. Why certain stains need additional treatment or special precautions12. The properties of main fibres – protein, vegetable (cellulose) and synthetic13. Fabric construction and dyed and printed textiles14. Relevant simple testing to identify fabrics15. Limitations and uses of bleaching chemicals16. Correct use of stain removal chemicals and other techniques

The skills and techniques1. Set up and close down work stations for stain treatment and/or removal, garment inspection, pre-spotting

and slab spotting2. Protect delicate items and accessories during treatment procedures3. Identify wetside and dryside staining4. Identify protein, albumin and tanning staining5. Use mechanical action, dissolving, softening and lubrication, digestion and chemical reaction6. Flush out applied chemicals7. Deal with heavy soiling, staining content, added on trims and buttons, manufacturers faults, wear damage,

and other damage caused by previous treatments8. Use stain removal equipment to remove stains without damaging fabric9. Carry out garment inspection and stain detection and identify staining type or possibilities using feel, odour,

colour, appearance and location10. Handle contaminated, blood or unpleasant soiled items11. Test to ascertain colour fastness to spotting reagents and chemicals12. Apply and treat using wet side and dry side proprietary chemicals13. Use acid and alkali wet treatmentRegulations, rules and guidelines1. The organisation’s rules, codes, guidelines and standards2. Equipment operating procedures3. Relevant responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act and COSSH (Control of Substances

Hazardous to Health)4. Personal protection measures when using hazardous chemicals5. Duty of care regulations and requirements6. Hazardous substances warning labels7. Manufacturers instructions



Workplace skills1. Communicate effectively with colleagues and customers2. Comply with written instructions3. Complete forms, reports and other documentation4. Keep accurate records



Index of key words used in this module

A

Absorbed stains 16Acetate 26acetic 9, 11acid 9, 10, 11, 12, 31Acrylic 25adhesive 22air gun 17alcohol 21alkali 7, 10, 11, 27, 31aluminium 7, 14ammonia 9, 11ammonium bi-fluoride 10APPEARANCE 15ash 13

B

bar soap 7, 10, 25Beading 25beads 22beer 7, 9beetroot 7, 9, 11black smoke 13blackcurrant 7, 9blood 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 31bone spatula 18Bubbling 22Built-up stains 16burn test 13, 15buttons 22, 31

C

cashmere 5, 21caustic soda 10, 11chamois 18chemicals 4, 9, 10, 11, 22, 25, 31, 32coffee 7collars 6COLOUR 15colour loss 4, 9, 21, 29Compound stains 16compressed air 19COSHH 19cotton 5, 9, 18, 21, 25, 29, 30cream 7, 9, 11cuffs 5, 6curtain 6Customer authorisation 6cyclosiloxane 25

D

delicate 6, 18, 31detergent 4, 5, 6, 10, 21, 23, 29detergent pre-brushing 4detergents 5, 7

Digestion 7Dissolving 7dropper bottle 10, 20, 29drycleaning4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,

31

E

enzyme digesters 8enzymes 7

F

fading 22Feathering 23FEEL 15felting 5, 21, 24Fibre identification 13fibres 3, 13, 14, 21, 23, 26, 31flush 7, 9, 10, 17, 18, 21, 23, 26flushing 21

'

'FOCAL' 15

F

funnel 20

G

glued-on trim 22grass 7, 9, 18gravy 7, 9, 29greasy 5greying 5, 21, 24

H

hard bead 13heavy soiling 4, 6humidity 23hydrocarbon 9, 25hydrofluoric 10, 11hydrofluoric acid 10, 11hydrogen peroxide 9, 11

I

Ingrained 4, 5ingrained soiling 5ink stain 18insulated 23



K

KB value 9knits 23

L

lemonade 27linen 5, 9, 21, 22LOCATION 15Lubrication 7

M

machine 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 29MANUFACTURING FAULTS 22Masking 23Mechanical action 7metal gauze 17Metallic stains 7modacrylic 21, 22mohair 24mud 7Mud and hemline 9

N

natural bristle 18

O

ODOUR 15oily 5, 9, 26orange flame 13

P

Paints, lacquers and glues 7Particulate stains 7pashmina 5perchloroethylene 7, 25Perchloroethylene 9perfume 21perspiration 5, 7, 9, 27pH10, 11, 12Polyester 13polystyrene 25POST-TREATMENT 27pre-spotting 4, 31Protein stains 7

R

rayon 13, 14reagent bottle 17, 20red wine 7, 22, 29, 30REFILLING REAGENT DROPPER BOTTLES 20rippling 22

rust 7, 9, 10, 11, 14Rust marking 10

S

sebum 5, 9sensitive dyes 5silk 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 21, 23, 26, 27, 29, 30Silk 13, 26Simple stains 16skin 5, 9, 10, 11snagging 25soaps 5Softening 7, 22soiling 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 25, 26, 31solvent 4, 5, 7, 9, 21, 22, 25, 27, 29Solvent soluble stains 7soot 7, 10spillage 6sponging 25spray gun 17STAIN CLASSIFICATION 7Stain pre-treatment 4STAIN REMOVAL EQUIPMENT 17Stain removal reagents 9stain removal table 17STAIN TYPES 16stained 4, 21, 27staining 4, 9, 11, 16, 17, 23, 25, 26, 31steam 3, 4, 10, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31Steam gun 23sticky 25sulphuric 11

T

tamping brush 18tannin remover 9, 10, 16tar 7, 9, 13tea 7temperature-sensitive 25TESTING OF FABRICS AND REAGENTS 21tumble dry 27tweezers 13

U

urine 7, 9

V

vacuum 17, 18, 19, 23vacuum gauze 17Vegetable dye stains 7velvets 23ventilation 19viscose 23, 26Viscose 13, 14



W

water 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 31watermarking 5waterproof 22wedding 6, 7, 9, 22, 26Wedding 26

Wool 13, 14

Y

yarn 13, 25, 26

dco ldc12 remove stains by drycleaning€¦ · red wine (grapes), blackcurrant, beetroot, tea,...

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