FIRST QUARTER 2019 37 Drycleaning Dissolves Trim What Is The Problem? Certain types of plastic trim such as buttons, plastic rhinestones, studs, or beads that are attached to drycleanable garments will partially or completely dissolve during cleaning. What Does It Look Like? Many times, the trim partially dissolves, leaving a distorted melted looking mess. In other cases, the trim completely dissolves during drycleaning, leaving only the uncut stitching threads. Not all trim is affected by cleaning solution, thus only certain kinds of plastic trim may be dissolved while other trim attached to the same garment remains unaffected. With shiny coated beads, the cleaning solvent enters the bead through the thread holes and dissolves the plastic from under the coating, causing the bead to distort and collapse. In addition to the damaged trim itself, there may be dissolved plastic staining on nearby fabric. What Caused It? There are many different chemical formulations of plastics, but they all start as a liquid and then harden into desired shapes by further processing. Certain plastics will dissolve during drycleaning and begin reverting back to a liquid state. When that occurs, trim damage as well as plastic staining of fabric can be seen after professional drycleaning. Can It Be Prevented? Only the garment manufacturer can prevent such trim damage by using a plastic formulation that can withstand accepted drycleaning procedures without dissolving. Who Is Responsible? On fashions labeled as drycleanable, it is mandatory that all attached components withstand cleaning without damage. The drycleaner has no practical means to identify all the decorative trim attached to a garment that might be a problem in cleaning. Many drycleanable plastics are available for use as trim, so if a non-durable plastic is used instead of a more durable type, then the manufacturer must be responsible. Is There A Remedy? Unfortunately, there is no practical restoration. By Jim Kirby, DLI Textile Analyst TABS T E X T I L E A N A LY S I S B U L L E T I N S E R V I C E BULLE TIN NO. 496 The decorative beads on this dress dissolved during drycleaning. The small black beads on this blouse dissolved and stained nearby fabric during cleaning. Other trim remains unaffected.