Washing Tips and Precautions for Clothes with Many Accessories

In the daily operation of the laundromat, the clothes with many accessories often pose quite a challenge to the staff. Although the accessories on clothes are beautiful, if not handled carefully during the washing process, they may cause the accessories to fade, fall off, or even damage the clothes themselves. To avoid these problems, laundry shop owners should master the correct washing methods and precautions to make sure the clothes are not damaged during the washing process and maintain the fullness of the accessories. The professional suggestions for washing clothes with many accessories are as follows.

Types and Textures of Accessories

Before washing clothes with many accessories, you must first identify the types and textures of the accessories and choose proper solutions according to the characteristics.

• Metal accessory

Metal accessories tend to have friction with other objects and be damaged or even lost in the washing drums. As a result, it is suggested to use cloth to wrap the metal accessories and sew them to prevent them from moving or being damaged in the laundry process. Metal zipper heads should also be fixed with wire seams to prevent them from loosening or getting damaged during the washing process.

• Accessories with paint

The accessories with paint are usually not suitable for dry cleaning. Dry cleaning agents may cause damage to the paint color and result in uneven shades of patterns. This kind of clothes should be washed in water with moderate detergents to avoid high temperatures and strong scrubbing.

• Plush accessories

Plush accessories (like the eyes of the plush toys) may easily have a chemical interaction with the dry cleaning oil, causing the color to be blurred and affecting the appearance. As a result, this kind of clothes should adopt the water washing method and control the water temperature to avoid the deformation or fading of plush accessories caused by high temperatures.

• Button

Buttons of different textures require different treatments:

Aluminum button:

It easily breaks down, and it is suggested to wrap it with a cloth and sew it to avoid friction with other items.

High-end button:

It easily gets lost, and it is suggested to take it down before washing and reinstall it after washing.

Plastic button:

It easily melts in high-temperature or dry cleaning detergents. It is recommended to remove it before cleaning and to clean it separately.

Horn-like button:

They can be washed by turning them inside out after being fastened, but be careful to avoid collisions with other hard objects.

The Way Accessories are Fixed

The way the accessories are fixed differs, so the stability in the laundry process is different as well. As a result, people should choose proper washing methods before washing according to the way accessories are fixed.

• Sewn accessories

Sewn accessories should be checked to see whether it is firm enough. If the fix is not firm enough, it is suggested to take it down before washing and reinstall it after washing. If it is firm enough, people should choose the proper washing method but should avoid excessive friction in the washing process.

• Adhesive accessories

Adhesive accessories are suitable for water washing. The drying cleaning agents may have a chemical reaction with the glue so as to make the accessories fall off. Before the dry cleaning, it is suggested to do a washing test first on the fixed parts of the accessories with a small amount of dry cleaning agent. If the test shows the accessories won’t fall off, the dry cleaning can be done without worry. If there is a chemical reaction, it is suggested to remove the accessories first and then wash the clothes.

Adjust the Washing Program

To ensure the washing effect of the laundry and avoid damage to accessories, it is suggested to put clothes with accessories in the laundry bag and wash them separately. The washing programs should be adjusted based on the gentle wash program. Generally, it is recommended to wash within a short period of time (about 5 minutes) and at a low temperature (not exceeding 30℃). This can effectively reduce friction and damage to accessories during the washing process.

Precautions for Hand Washing

For complicated clothes with many accessories, hand washing is a safer choice. When people choose hand washing, they had better choose gentle washing agents and slightly scrub the clothes to avoid long-term soaking or powerful scrubbing. After washing, people should use pure water to rinse it and place it in a place with good ventilation for natural drying. For metal accessories, a layer of transparent nail base coat polish should be applied before cleaning to isolate the accessories from air and moisture and prevent rusting.