Spotting Board Sins #1-5 and How to Avoid Them:

The below information is written by Mike Achin, Chemical Division Director for Laidlaw and former NCA-I instructor and someone who has spent much time at the spotting board.

Sin#1: Do not flush out your oily type paint remover with the steam gun. OTPR's are dry-side chemicals, that means they should be used without the presence of moisture. By using the steam gun, you activate the co-solvent, which is alcohol, and you are asking for alot of trouble. You're taking a tremendous chance of removing color from the fabric.Flush out OTPR with VDS (or solvent)  with no moisture.

Sin#2: is using perc rather than amyl acetate to test buttons, beads, bangles, etc. Perc will not give you an immediate reaction, so you can still ruin the garment even though it has been tested. Amyl acetate gives an immediate reaction. Put a drop of amyl acetate on the bead or sequin (remember, you must test for each kind found on the garment) and put your finger on it. If the trim feels sticky you can be pretty sure it will dissolve during the normal drycleaning process. You now have the option of a short run, spot clean only, or send it to a friend with petroleum or wetclean it, or give it back to the customer. At least you have not bought the garment.

Sin#3: is not knowing in which order to use acid or alkali formulas. Always use acid before alkali as alkali formulas tend to set acid based stains. The exception to this is the general formula which tends to set protein stains.

Sin#4: follows #3 because this is simply not knowing what your chemicals are: Dryside? Neutral? Acid? or Alkali?

Sin#5: is the use of the steam gun. Do not put the steam gun as close as possible to the garment to see if the stain will blow off. Many cleaners do this, and I must admit I have been guilty of this at times also. This is how you can safely use your gun. Take your steam gun and activate the peddles so that the steam is coming out. Put your hand as close as possible without burning yourself and this is how far away from the fabric you should be when working on a garment.  If you put your hand too close, you will burn it. Think of the hand as the fabric, instead of a burn you will either blow a hole in the fabric or begin to set the stain. Only if the stain begins to move from a safe distance can we zero in on the stain and begin to move the gun a little closer to the fabric.

Watch in the near future for more sins from the spotting board.

All these sins are easy to correct and it will make the job of spot removal easier and give your "sorry tags" a longer shelf life!

copyright 2000 Laidlaw Corporation.