b'Handling Challenging Garments At The CounterBy Dry-cleaning & Laundry InstituteWhenacceptingWhen accepting garments for cleaning it is important to g a r m e n t sf o rlearn as much about them as possible, such as the age cleaning,thereareof the item, whats been done in prior care, and whether some basic things wethereareanycoordinatingitems,sothecleanercan mustlookforduringbetter determine if they can be safely cleaned without everytransaction,causing damage.such as:Spot Clean Only Spots and stainsMissing buttons According to the Care Label Rule, if a garment cannot Damaged trims becleanedbyanyavailablecleaningmethodwithout Color loss being harmed, the label must state this. For example, if Care instructions a product would be harmed by both washing and dry cleaning, the label might say, Do not washdo not dry There are also some more challenging items that needcleanspot clean only.tobecheckedcarefullybeforeacceptingthemfor cleaning.YouwillneedtoknowwhatyourplantsItisthepracticeinsomeplantsthattheseitemsbe policies are, what types of items require release forms,taggedforthedrycleanertodeterminewhatcanbe and the items your plant does not accept for cleaning. done. Others accept them only if the customer signs a release or permission-to-process form. Still, others do No Care Labelnotacceptitemswiththislabel.Checkyourplants policybeforeacceptingtheseitems.Iftheitemis Some items that come into ac leaning plant wont haveaccepted, assure the customer that the garment will be careinstructionsattached.TheFederalTradechecked carefully and if the dry cleaner feels there will CommissionsCareLabelRuledoesnotrequirecarebeanyproblemcaringforit,thecustomerwillbe instructionsonallitems.Anotherpossibilityisthecontacted to determine how to proceed.customer may have removed the care label.Household Goods TheCareLabelRulerequiresthemanufactureror importer of textile garments to provide instructions for aDrapessinglecareprocedure.OtherapparelitemssuchasDrapes can be made of many dierent bers and have leather,fur,shoes,gloves,hats,handkerchiefs,belts,liningsorcoatedbackings.Theyshouldbeinspected suspenders, neckties, and non-woven garments madecarefully for the following:forone-timeusearenotrequiredtohavecare instructions.Householditemssuchasdrapes, Lookforcareinstructionsandbercontent comforters, and bedspreads also are not covered by theinformation.Iftheyarenotattachedtothe rule. drapes, ask if the customer has that information. Check for light fading, water spots, weak or thin The following items do not need care instructions: areas, and stains. Explain that water spots are very dicult to remove and that every eort will 1. Productssoldtoinstitutionalbuyersforbedonetoimprovetheappearanceofthe commercial usefor example, uniforms sold todrapes.employersforemployeeuseinjob-related Measure the drapes.activities, but not purchased by the employees.Examinedrapeswithcoatedbackingsfor 2. Garmentscustom-madebyatailororpeelingandtoevaluatetheconditionofthe seamstressfrommaterialsprovidedbythecoating. If it has started to crack, peel, or has customer. been altered in any way, it may be best to not 3. Products granted exemptions under the originalaccept them.CareLabelRulebecausetheyarecompletely washable and retail for $3 or less.Midwest Drycleaning & Laundry Institutewww.MWDLI.org / 765-969-5745 12'