Wash With Wally
I offer a wash-dry-fold service at my laundromat, and I was wondering if there is any product we could use in place of chlorine bleach. The problem we occasionally run into is that my attendants will mistakenly use the chlorine bleach on colored garments, which will spot or strip the colors on those items. Of course, we also carry color-safe bleach, but that’s not as effective on whites as chlorine bleach. Is there another option?
One option would be to try using ammonia, rather than chlorine bleach. It has stronger cleaning properties than color-safe bleach. However, there are a couple of drawbacks – (1) ammonia has a strong odor, and (2) if it accidentally mixes with chlorine bleach, the results could be quite harmful.
Another simpler option is to carry chlorine bleach in liquid form and have color-safe bleach in powder form. This will help to keep your employees from accidentally ruining colored garments with chlorine bleach – because each type of bleach will require a different laundering process, and it will be much easier to distinguish between the two separate types of bleach.
My laundromat enjoys a thriving drop-off laundry business, and one of our regular customers is a drycleaner who often will bring in shirts for us to launder. He recently brought in 30 silk shirts to be washed. Wally, how do I wash silk? I have absolutely no experience in working with this type of fabric. Help!
Before you do anything, read the care label on every shirt. Different manufacturers use different types of dyeing processes and different types of dyes on their particular shirts. Some clothing companies will use metallic dyes. Some will use vegetable-based dyes. Some will use eco-friendly, Earth-based pigments. As a result, each type of shirt may require a slightly different laundering process. And, in fact, some silk items simply can’t be washed without stripping off the colors. So, definitely read the care labels closely.
Next, be aware that any garment make of silk needs to be washed in cold water only. Also, set your washer to its gentlest cycle, and use a very mild detergent, such as dishwashing detergent. If you’re using a bleach, use only a liquid, color-safe bleach.
In the drying cycle, use dryer sheets. And, above all, set your dryers to air-dry only. Be sure never to use any heat when drying silk garments so that you avoid any shrinkage issues.
Good luck!
