I have been approached by a potential commercial client about cleaning yoga blankets. They are heavy wool blankets about the size of a twin bed sheet. This client doesn’t want to dryclean the blankets. What’s the best way to wash them? And how would I dry these items – in a cool dryer or hang dry?
If you’re going to accept this commercial account, you will need to wash the blankets in cold water. I would recommend using a product called Woolite, which is specifically made for wool-type, cold-water washing.
When it comes to drying the blankets, be careful. Wool has a tendency to shrink, even in cold water. Therefore, it’s important to dry the yoga blankets in a dryer that’s set to blow just cold air. And, above all, do not hang dry these items. The blankets likely will take a considerable amount of time to dry, and it will depend on how thick they are – but that’s the only way I would consider drying them.
I am having trouble with heavily soiled perspiration stains. I have tried ammonia and vinegar, but with little success. Do you have any ideas?
First of all, perspiration stains, if they are set in for a long period of time and in a consistent manner, are very difficult – and sometimes they cannot be removed at all. The acid and oil in perspiration can actually discolor the molecules in the fabric.
Your best bet is to purchase a gallon of spray spotter for drycleaners. Most laundry suppliers carry this product, which features the necessary chemicals to disburse most perspiration stains.
Typically, spray the spotter directly on the stain, and then run the garment through a normal wash cycle. If you are using bleach as well, use non-chlorine bleach.
I recently washed a load of white garments, which came out with several yellowish-brown spots. I used standard products – detergent, bleach and softener. And the spots won’t come out. What can I do?
Most likely, those spots have been created either by iron deposits in the water, or by fruit, tea or coffee stains. Try using a product called Iron OUT, which you can get at your local supermarket. Test the spots. If they disappear, they are obviously iron stains – and you can use Iron OUT in your wash cycle to remove the rest of the spots.
If the spots remain after testing them, more than likely they are fruit, tea or coffee stains. At this point, call your local distributor and see if he carries either Tannin Remover or YellowGo. One of those products should work on the stains.
When it comes to iron and fruit stains, the red flag is the yellow-brownish color. Unfortunately, when stains get into the darker brown shades, they can be almost anything.
I recently landed a contract with a security company to do their shirts. This client wants the shirts washed and ironed. Unfortunately, I’ve been having a difficult time finding a decent iron that will last. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
You’ve probably been using residential-type irons for this account, and while such irons are great for home use, they simply aren’t constructed to stand up to the rigors of commercial use. The elements are too thin, and the water chambers are too small. In addition, many people tend to put tap water into their irons, which will calcify the water chamber prematurely.
I would suggest calling your laundry supplies distributor and ordering a quality commercial iron that features an independent, hanging water bottle. Such an iron would be ideal for the type of work you described. And, remember, use only distilled water in your iron, and it should last for years.
