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Wet Cleaning Professional Wet Cleaning is an important and increasingly popular service offered by Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company |
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Now there is choice in the selection of technology used in cleaning our customers textile items.
That choice includes traditional solvent based methods, ultrasonic cleaning, steam cleaning, hand washing, and wet cleaning.
The Facts on Professional Wet Cleaning
Wet Cleaning’s Effect on Clothes
Professional Wet Cleaning is an aqueous process for cleaning a full range of garments using state of the art technology, biodegradable detergents and additives, followed by appropriate drying and restorative finishing procedures.
Professional wet cleaning is an important and increasingly popular service offered by Iris City Cleaners for the solvent-free care of garments.
Professional wet cleaning requires specialized equipment, skills and training to safely clean in water, those garments previously cleaned in chemical solvents.
Professional wet cleaning requires a range of techniques and technologies such as computercontrolled washers and dryers, the use of special soaps and conditioners, and knowledge of fabrics and fibers.
The benefits of wet cleaning include: no chemical smell, whiter whites, easier to remove waterbased stains and some items come out cleaner.
The concerns about wet cleaning, on the other hand, are that it can shrink some garments, can cause color change and is more difficult to remove grease-based stains.
Environmental Effects of Wet Cleaning
The environmental benefits are considerable. With wet cleaning, there is no hazardous chemical use, no air pollution, and no water or soil contamination. The only environmental concern is an increased use of water.
Cost of Wet Cleaning
With wet cleaning, a larger portion of the cost of clothes cleaning goes to pay employees, rather than for producing chemicals and disposing of hazardous waste. Wet cleaners, however, may charge more for some items to cover the increased labor in pressing and finishing.
Types of Clothes to Wet Clean
Appropriate types of clothes to wet clean include cottons, wools, silks, leathers, suedes, wedding gowns, and beaded and sequined garments.
Some acetate linings and highly structured (tailored) garments can be difficult to wet clean.
Antique satins and gabardines should not be wet cleaned.
Finishing Clothing Cleaned by Wet Cleaning Methods
While most textiles can be effectively cleaned by this method, specialized finishing equipment, often known as European Finishing equipment is required to enable some fibers to tension back to a natural state of relaxation with the use of tension and steam.
Although most clothes cleaners have the capacity to wet clean some garments, professional wet cleaning involves special equipment, knowledge and skill.
Wet cleaning today has become broadly accepted in the fabricare industry and increasingly popular with consumers.
Today’s choice includes traditional solvent based methods, ultrasonic cleaning, steam cleaning, hand washing, and wet cleaning.
Based in part, on studies from the Center for Neighborhood Technology 1995-2010
Additionally Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company has received the following awards and certifications:
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In an ongoing effort to create and sustain our environmentally friendly, dry cleaning and laundry business, we will perform as responsible stewards of our resources and planet, while continuing to work daily to this end in all of our business activity.
We will seek out vendors who supply us with eco friendly equipment, supplies, and chemicals, establish business relations with them, and utilize their products even in the face of them being more expensive. We will actively participate in our community and state in eco friendly activity and vigorously support conservation and recycling.
A partial listing:
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Solvent based cleaning includes an emersion of textiles in either organic or inorganic solvent, with special additives, mechanical action, and multiple baths where soil is loosened, flushed away. New solvent is added, drained away, and the textile is dried, then hand/and/or press finished. Solvents include perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, hydrocarbon, silicon based solvent, and liquid carbon dioxide.
Professional Wet Cleaning is an aqueous process for cleaning a full range of garments using state of the art technology, biodegradable detergents and additives, followed by appropriate drying and restorative finishing procedures.
Ultrasonic cleaning involves the emersion of textile in specialized open tanks containing water, with additives and neutral detergents. Electronic energy is converted to mechanical energy, vibrating loose foreign particles including dirt and grime away from the textile item. The item is then rinsed, dried, then finished. This method is generally reserved for specialized items on a very small scale. It is idea for cleaning blinds of all types.
Hand/steam cleaning is the method used to steam clean very hard to clean/and or very delicate items. An item is moistened or wetted with steam to loosen soiling and then air brushed to remove contaminants. This is a hand procedure and only single items are done at one time. Some soil loosening additives may be needed to enable soil removal. This method is suitable for hat cleaning.
Hand washing is a sub class of wet cleaning where the actual sequence of processes are implemented and carried out by hand or through a process of sequenced special formulas in computer controlled wet cleaning machinery to provide a very gently and thorough cleaning process. This is sometimes seen in garment manufactures care label for very delicate items.
Note: Generally, the best rule is to follow the care instructions on the manufacturer’s care label. The properties of each fabric along with an understanding of any embellishments on the garment will help determine the best care of the fabric or garment.
E-mail: info@iriscitycleaners.com