FIRST QUARTER 2019 31 BULLE TIN NO. 766 By Brian Johnson, DLI Director of Education & Analysis Classification Of Drycleaning Loads TECHNICAL OPERATINGInformation Garments need to be separated or classified into similar groups for drycleaning for the following reasons: • To clean garments safely but efficiently in the dryclean- ing process. • To clean similar garments together – generally classify first by weight*, then by color of the garments. *Heavyweight garment are cleaned together because they take longer to dry than lightweight garments; un- even drying can cause the lightweight items to absorb solvent and cause local discolorations commonly known as streaks and swales. The complexity of classification will depend on a plant’s volume of clothes. High volume plants will do more clas- sification than low volume ones. There is no single way to classify but here are 4 categories that might be used, with weight being the primary concern. 1. Weight – Lightweight fabrics include silks and lightweight garments usually acetates, rayons, some polyesters, and knits. Heavyweight garments include wool, heavier cottons. 2. Color – whites and light-colored garments should be separated from bright and dark-colored garments. This minimizes the chance of dye bleeding from dark dyes and staining the light-colored garments. 3. Hard or soft finish – garments requiring a regular or hard finish generally withstand more mechanical action and solvent exposure than garments that are fragile or re- quire a soft finish. 4. Construction – The type of weave, decorative trim (beads, sequins, plastic, emblems, feathers, leather) lin- ings, and filler materials may indicate that a garment needs special classification. Special Considerations Situation #1 Black and white garments are difficult to classify due to the possibility of dye bleeding, especially if a stretch fiber such as spandex, Lycra, or Elastane is in the fabric blend. If cleaned in a dark load the white might pick up dyes and soils from other garments. If cleaned in a light load, the black might bleed into everything else. Solution: Use best judgement and experience with your cleaning system and similar garments to determine how to classify clothing. It may possible to wetclean this garment but test for colorfastness with the detergent solution that will be used before proceeding. Situation #2 A 10-pound load of silks needs to be drycleaned in a 50- pound machine. In general, the cylinder should not be un- derloaded by more than 50 percent of its prorated capacity. Underloading can cause redeposition of soils before they are flushed away or the appearance of streaks and swales, par- ticularly in lightweight silks and polyesters. Solution: Wait for more clothes or run the small load with a dummy load or ballast consisting of lightweight garments. You may want to net bag the garments for easier identifica- tion after cleaning.