Comments on: Label lessons to learn

By: Harper

Harper — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:59:23 +0000

Speaking of alcohol, the World’s Oldest Theatrical Wardrobe Cleaner is 50% water, 50% The Worst Rotgut Vodka you can find in a spray bottle. Turn garment inside out, hose it down, and let it air dry overnight. Takes ancient funk out of things that can never be cleaned and doesn’t damage a thing.
Good vodka does not work for some reason! Get the crap in the plastic flask behind the counter. When I worked for the Bolshoi, they used Chinese vodka

By: Sally Conant

Sally Conant — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:25:39 +0000

There is a lot of misinformation about care labels. The main thing to remember is that the care instructions offered by the manufacturer may not be the only way to clean the garment or even the best way to clean it. For six myths related to care labels go to

http://weddinggownspecialists.com/wedding-gown-preservation

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:10:25 +0000

I know we all think this label is a little silly. But how could it have been done differently? All of that information seems important, to cover all of the bases. Is there a way to inform the customer how to treat the special trimming without all of that wording? I also notice that the style number and size were written in. Which brings us to our ongoing question about what will hold up the longest in putting the new dating requirements on the children’s labels. Also, how long is this label required to hold up? I have clothing that I can’t see anything on the label anymmore, due to regular washing. There seems to still be a lot of questions regarding the new labeling requirements that are due to start next year.

By: Eric H

Eric H — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:00:26 +0000

“Though the bride would probably need to be drenched in it before the beads dissolved”

Sounds like every wedding I’ve ever been to. Oh, wait, I thought you were still talking about alcohol …

By: Barb Taylorr

Barb Taylorr — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:55:23 +0000

Were the beads glued on? There could certainly be componets in hairsprays and such that could dissolve some glues if were staurated enough. I also suspect there probably really are people who only care if they get one time use from a wedding dress and would have no concern about this if the price was right.

By: Esther

Esther — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:28:37 +0000

Connie, I wonder if the dress was made of Acetate? Acetate fabrics will melt or dissolve in finger nail polish remover. This dress claimed to be 100% polyester, which should stand up to dry cleaning ok. I suspected the Do Not Dry Clean statement was because of the beads. I probably should have included that statement in my revised label.

Do Not Dry Clean
Hand wash or spot clean
with mild soap…

I don’t always take the Do Not Dry Clean/Dry Clean statements as fact. I have worked with a lot of special occasion fabrics and know how they react. The beads are the unknown factor in this dress, so the statement may be valid. Manufacturers have a tendency to pick the method which is the least risky, and for good reason.

By: Esther

Esther — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:42:05 +0000

Does the dry cleaner have to saturate the entire piece with solvent? Couldn’t they focus on the areas that need the most cleaning like the hem and underarms? I knew one dry cleaner who seemed to have this ability as I had some dresses w/beads cleaned by him. (BTW, this dress had plastic beads in one area across the waist).

By: Darcy Moen

Darcy Moen — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:38:28 +0000

I found your comments that a cleaner should clean around the beads equally as hilarious. How exactly does one clean around the beads? Is it the same as hand washing around the beads? Most likely, the beads (If they are not safe to clean in any solvent) should be removed, then reattached after drycleaning. Yes, that would be expensive, but it is the only safe way to clean the gown without damaging it.

I suspect that this gown’s beads are made of a compressed styrofoam. Any contact with any solvent will cause those beads to melt. I would test an upexposed bead with a solvent with a similar KB value to dry cleaning solvent in the presence of the gown owner to prove the gown will fail in conventional dry cleaning, then offer wetcleaning as an alternative cleansing process should the fabric prove to withstand wetcleaning procedures. Water is likely the only solvent that will clean the gown with the beads attached.

I will commend and agree with you on the FTC care labelling rule. Kudos for sharing that information accurately.

Of course, one could also send the gown to wedding gown cleaning and preservation companies such as: http://www.leadingcleaners.org or http://www.weddinggownspecialists.com

By: Abby

Abby — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:03:27 +0000

Disposable wedding dress…wear it for your special day, then throw it away.

By: Connie

Connie — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:27:48 +0000

I kinda like the Chinese instructions. At least something is on the label.

When one of my daughters was little she had a lovely white dress that she had stained. I don’t remember there being a warning of any kind. I started with the mild soap and cold water routine, moving to hot water and in my frustration eventually started using alcohol or acetone to see if they were better solvents. The dress melted like the wicked witch of the west.