Dry Cleaning is by definition, cleaning with solvents and little or no water. The combination of solvents and heat is hard on fabrics and may cause as much wear as actual wearing of the garment. Perchlorethylene, the cleaning fluid used by most dry cleaners, is the most effective cleaner so far for most all types of fabrics. However, "perc" as it is called in the dry-cleaning industry is classified as a hazardous air pollutant by the Clean Air Act. Perc is toxic. Dry cleaning customers should take their garments out of the plastic bags and air their garments after dry cleaning.
You, the consumer, can inform yourself when selecting a dry cleaner. Common sense will cover the basic questions such as the appearance of the dry cleaning store - - - Is it neat and clean or dirty and cluttered? Is the location convenient and are they open when you need to drop of or pick up your dry cleaning?
Technical considerations include solvent purity. Solvent must be distilled to remove greases, oils, waxes and dyes. Poor solvent purity or quality can result in an objectionable odor in the garment and a "graying" of white clothing.
Pressing after cleaning should also be considered. Most anyone can press wool pants but it takes a skilled professional presser to do a quality job on linen and silk items. If the dry cleaner cannot explain the difference in pressing linen and silk versus wool directly and authoritatively, it is doubtful that these garments will be handled with the care they require. Linen can withstand higher heat when ironed, and should be pressed when damp. Silk requires a lower temperature iron and should be steam ironed, preferably with a press cloth. Wool should be pressed with steam and a moderate temperature.
Packaging of the cleaned garment is also important. A garment can be cleaned and pressed well but if it is jammed into a small bag, it can become a wrinkled mess. Jamming too many finished and bagged garments into the dry cleaners rack can also wrinkle finished garments.
Finally, develop a dialogue with your dry cleaner. Note the type of stains that you have on your garment and list it for the dry cleaner. Their pre-spotting will help eliminate stains that could otherwise be heat set after the garment is cleaned.
Be an informed and fair consumer. Not all spots can be removed especially if you, the consumer, have pressed the stain into the fabric. Many stains can be heat set. Garment care is the responsibility of both you and your dry cleaner, you have to be a team and work well together.
History of the Hanger
the invention of the wire coat hanger is attributed to albert j parkhouse in 1903. albert worked for a company in jackson named timberlake & sons. john b. timberlake had managed to collect several dozen enterprising inventor-type employees such as albert, who made wire novelties, lampshades, and other ubiquitous devices for their customer clients.
--- in response to co-workers’ complaints of too few coat hooks, and in a burst of inventive inspiration, albert j parkhouse bent a piece of wire into two ovals with the ends twisted together to form a hook. then he grabbed some wire and twisted it around so that it fit inside the shoulders of his coat. he bent another wire to curl in the center, allowed him to hang the coat practically anywhere he wanted. he continued to refine the idea over the next few weeks and soon, all the other employees started using copies provided by albert.
--- parkhouse patented his invention, but it is not known if he profited from it. timberlake's lawyer, charles l. patterson applied for the patent on january 25, 1904, and U.S. patent # 822,981 was granted and assigned to john b. timberlake. (patterson put his own name on the line that asked for 'name of inventor.') a second patent, 877,726, was granted to timberlake's son in 1907, for a more elaborate hanger which he termed a 'shirt drier.'
--- between 1900 and 1906, over 189 different patents were granted on different versions of 'garment-hangers' worldwide. steel wire has been used to shape the hanging garments, sometimes combined with wood, fabric, or sheet metal, for better or for worse, the functions changing with the requirements of every era's clothing styles. let's here examine some of the beautiful shapes and forms.
--- victorian women's skirts and bustles received great care by hanger inventors and manufacturers, with adjustable hangers often using spring systems to hold the waistbands and allow the skirts to retain pleats and folds. these hangers often took the shape of flying birds and are referred to as eagle wing hangers.
--- moving further into the twentieth century, wire manufacturers were producing hundreds of styles of hangers meant to shape and contour. spring coiled wire gave dimension to some, while extra hooks allowed belts and other accoutrements to hang from others. travel hangers collapsed, folded, and telescoped with ease. not to be outdone, tailors and clothing merchants advertised their businesses on specialty hangers.
thanks to the museum of useful things , cambridge, massachusetts / usa, for collaboration on this article
