Consumer Concerns

Important Garment Care Tips

• Bring soiled garment to dry cleaner as soon as possible

• Alert the cleaner to any stains, visible or non-visible

• Apply perfume, hair spray, deodorants and lotions carefully. Contact of these items with the fabric can affect the color dyes.

• Protect the garment from excessive perspiration

• Don’t hang clothes in direct sun, dyes will sun fade and fume fade.

• Do not press soiled clothes, heat sets stains.

• Applying water to “remove” a stain can cause rings that are more difficult to remove than the original stain.

Constant attention should be given to all care labels before purchasing a garment. The RN number shows the registered number that identifies the company that manufactured or distributed the garment. In addition to indicating the size of the garment, brand name and number, type of fabric and where it is made, the following symbols indicate the proper cleaning and handling of the garment. Click for a full size, printable .PDF (Acrobat) version. 

Most garments can be dry cleaning even if the label does not say dry clean. One common rule, when a label says, “professional dry clean only”, this garment can not be laundered. Stains can be set in a garment, when it is ironed when soiled.

Garments can be damaged when water or club soda is applied to a stain, prior to dry cleaning. We recommend not trying to remove the stain before bringing the garment to Anderson Cleaners for cleaning. Natural fibers, such as wool, cotton and silk, can shrink and lose color when washed, but will dry clean beautifully.

Items that cannot be dry cleaned include:

• Buttons and beads made of polystyrene, that dissolve in dry cleaning

• Trim that is glued, not sewn on.

• Belts or items that contain cardboard or plastic backing.

• Some screen print garments.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has strict regulations, concerning labeling, that all manufacturers are supposed to follow. Care labels are intended to benefit both the consumer and the dry cleaner. Any garment that fails to clean under the recommended process should be returned to the retailer. All trim, buttons, interfacing and lining should be tested by the manufacturer in order to withstand whatever cleaning process is intended. Some problems that the manufacturer should address are:

Most knowledgeable dry cleaners will be aware of such problems so the consumer can perhaps return them to the retailer for a proper refund. Cost of a garment does not necessarily guarantee the quality of that garment. Designer clothes have fewer regulations and usually no testing of serviceability. Designers sell one of a kind, and have no need to test the garment. Major department stores have addressed the manufacturing problem, for they have a large customer repeat business and need constant monitoring of garments quality and serviceability.