GARMENT LABORATORY TESTING SERVICES

Garment care is a specialist business where despite all efforts of the dry cleaner, occasionally the cleaning process results in damage to the garment. This causes stress for the dry cleaner and their customer as often clothes are handed in for cleaning before special occasions (weddings, interviews), for work and are needed back immediately. There are many reasons for the cause of damage to the garment. Here are some of these;

Wrong care label on the garment. In this case despite the dry cleaner following correct cleaning instructions, garment is still damaged as it has wrong care label. Faulty chemicals used. There are instances where wrong spotting and cleaning chemicals have been used, resulting in obvious damage to the garment Wrong cleaning process followed. That the dry cleaner cleaned the garment in the wrong way despite the garment having correct instruction label. For example garment has colour run, excessive stretching or shrinking after cleaning. Pre-damaged or pre washed garments. Garments that have previously been washed/cleaned in wrong medium (such as water) where as the garment should only be cleaned in solvents (Perchloroethylene or Perk, hydrocarbon solvents) can also be damaged easily. It is difficult for the dry cleaner to always determine the history of a garment and what has happened to it before it is brought in for cleaning (unless of course if the customer explains it all at the time of handing in the garment) and thus unwittingly causes even more damage.

The most difficult thing when damage has occurred is to determine the exact cause of the damage. Often the only way is to scientifically prove the cleaning process undertaken (whether instructions were followed) and the chemicals used which resulted in damage, is to send a garment in for laboratory testing.

We at Excels provide this service for the dry cleaner and the dry cleaning customers who can send the garment into us directly. Laboratory tests cost are approximately £100 per test but vary depending on fabric, test required etc so please contact our office for more details.

A Simple overview of the laboratory testing process is as follows;

	Contact Excels to obtain consent forms. All customers requiring laboratory testing are required to fill, sign and send consent forms with the garment.
	Garments are analysed for fault definition and tested for exact cause of damage
	Garments sent in to us are tested and returned to the dry cleaner with a laboratory test report.

The laboratory test report can then be used by the dry cleaner to resolve the dispute and settle any compensation issues.