The Dilemma
Imagine getting home from the dry cleaners and taking off the plastic covering your clothes and noticing a hole or tear in one of your shirts. You’re likely to be angry and most immediately you’re probably going to blame your dry cleaner for ruining your clothes. Problems with garments do happen at even the best cleaners. So what happened here? At first glance it would appear that the shirt was carelessly handled and was somehow torn on a press or other type of equipment. That is exactly what the owner of this shirt believed. He was outraged because his linen shirt was relatively new and he had only worn it a few times.
The Culprit
Deodorants and antiperspirants contain many chemicals including aluminum chloride, alcohol and fragrances. (Also include tanning creams, perfumes, hair and insect sprays and many other hygienic products). When these active ingredients, which happen to be quite acidic, bond with your sweat, they can stain, weaken and ruin your clothes. Cotton, linen, rayon and some synthetic blends are especially susceptible to stains and damage from aluminum chloride. Your dry cleaner has no way of knowing that your underarm fabric is becoming weakened until the effects are visible, often AFTER the item is cleaned.
How to Avoid this Type of Damage
You might consider changing to an underarm product that is labeled “natural” and doesn’t contain aluminum and has a neutral PH. Check out this list from Goodhousekeeping.com. After showering, wait until your skin is completely dry before applying deodorant and then apply a very thin layer and allow it to completely dry before putting on your clothes. Another solution, although not as popular as they once were, wearing an inexpensive undershirt can very effectively protect your expensive dress shirts from stains and premature aging. Disposable underarm shields are another product that can help protect your clothing. Finally, washing your shirts as soon as possible helps remove the product from the garment. Keeping soiled clothing in hot cars before your trip to the dry cleaners can make the matter even worse, so again clean sooner than later.
We’re On Your Side
As a quality cleaner, we know your clothing is important and a big investment of both time and money. We’re always looking for ways to extend the life of your clothing. We feel your pain when a favorite item is damaged and our goal is to give you a speedy resolution and keep you as a happy customer.
So What Happened with the Shirt Above?
It was sent to the National Center for Garment Analysis where lab experts carefully examine garments, test them and prepare an objective report on the cause and responsibility of the problem. The report from the lab concluded that the hole in the shirt was caused by perspiration and antiperspirants and is not always visible prior to cleaning. Cellulose-based fibers, like linen are more susceptible to this type of damage. This chemical reaction degrades fibers virtually making them dissolve. (A link of the entire report is here.)