WAGNER'S European Fabricare

Tips & FAQ's

3 Tips to Removing Stains
5 Tips on Caring for Your Clothes
Frequently Asked Questions about Drycleaning

3 Tips to Removing Stains

1. Don't wait. Don't allow a stain to set. Bring the garment to Wagner's as soon as possible. Studies show that after one week, 20 per cent of stains could not be removed satisfactorily. After three weeks, 69 per cent of stains could not be removed.

2. Don't be shy. Tell us everything you know about the stain. What is it? How old is it? What attempts did you make to remove the stain? With accurate information, we will know what to do and what not to do in removing the stain.

3. Don't assume. Don't assume an invisible stain will come out without us knowing about it. White wine, soft drinks, and other sugar-based substances may turn the garment brown if not properly treated and cleaned.

Stain Alert: Tanins and sugars are the most difficult stains to remove.

5 Tips on Caring for Your Clothes

1. Don't remove a care tag. It has important information that you'll probably forget if you remove it.

2. Do remove the drycleaner's plastic bags when you arrive home. Store your clothes and other items in a cool, dry place.

3. Guard your garments from prolonged exposure to sunlight and artificial light. Many white garments are treated with optical brighteners that yellow when exposed to light and heat and coloured garments often fade.

4. Clean matching pieces together. Normal fading may occur during the cleaning process so clean your suits and matching outfits at the same time.

5. Protect your clothing from perspiration, deodorants, perfume, hair spray, etc. These chemicals are tough on clothing, especially silks. Use garment shields for protection.

Frequently Asked Questions about Drycleaning

Does frequent drycleaning shorten the life of a garment?

Does drycleaning cause garments to shrink?

Can the drycleaning process remove any kind of stain?

What about home drycleaning kits?

What happens if my garment is damaged as a result of the drycleaning process?

Does frequent drycleaning shorten the life of a garment?

A. On the contrary, frequent cleaning prolongs the life of a garment. Not only do stains set with age, making the garment unwearable, but ground-in dirt and soil act as an abrasive, like sandpaper, causing rapid wear of fibers. Also, insects are attracted to soiled clothes and will cause further damage.

Does drycleaning cause garments to shrink?

A: No. If a professional cleaner is working with a new high tech cleaning machine, the garment should not shrink. Most shrinkage that occurs during drycleaning happens because the garment manufacturer has not preshrunk the fabric.

Can the drycleaning process remove any kind of stain?

A. Drycleaning is not the answer to all soil and stain removal problems. Sometimes, stains become permanently embedded in the fiber, or fabrics cannot withstand normal cleaning and stain removal procedures, or decorative trim is not compatible with drycleaning solvent. It is important that you as well as your drycleaner read all care labels and follow the instructions. Source: www.ifi.org

What about home drycleaning kits?

A. International Fabricare Institute (IFI), the premier trade association for garment care, found that, in general, home drycleaning kits do not provide complete removal of all types of stains. However, these products can freshen garments by removing odors and imparting a pleasant fragrance.

IFI found that most of the products work well on water-based stains such as cola. Stains that are oil-based (ketchup, lipstick) presented a challenge for the kits. In some cases, these products caused the stain to spread. None of the products removed ground-in soils, which you know as "ring around the collar" or dirty cuffs. Source: www.ifi.org

What happens if my garment or item is damaged as a result of the drycleaning process?

A. Imperfect results are a problem for us as drycleaners as well as for you, our customer. Damage that occurs during the drycleaning process may stem from the failure of a component part to be drycleanable or from the circumstances of use.

Determine where the responsibility lies. If the problem arises from a manufacturing defect, take the article back to the retailer for an adjustment or refund. In some cases, the retailer may resist making an adjustment, even if the problem is a manufacturer defect. Ask the retailer for the name of the manufacturer or obtain the RN number which is usually on the care label. Look up the RN number in the Federal Trade Commission's website for the manufacturer's name and address. Send the item to the manufacturer via registered mail, return receipt, and include an explanation for the return.

Occasionally, damage done in drycleaning is our responsibility and not the result of preexisting conditions or defects. In such cases, we will settle the claim promptly and fairly, often using the Fair Claims Guide published by the International Fabricare Institute, of which Wagner's European Fabricare is a member. If there is some doubt about responsibility, we will send the garment to the International Textile Analysis Laboratory to determine the cause of the problem. Source: www.ifi.org