I'm sorry, but do I have stupid on my face?

[DietCokeLover]

I took DD's white silk Strasburg Children dress to the dry cleaner to remove a very small red crayon stain on the chest area. I went to pick it up today, and the red stain is gone, however, there was a brown stain on the back of the left shoulder. I questioned them and said that was unacceptable. She then said she would have to send it back. Then, she tells me "Stains sometimes pop out after they are cleaned". What? She says it again to me. I say to her, I have never heard anything like this before in my life. I just looked at her and thought... does she think I have stupid written on my face?

Clean my dress, or you will be buying me another one!

[Melaine]

OH my word. That is insane. Kind of like the bakery that said they don't frost between the layers of cake!!!

[sariana]

That explanation does not sound that "out there" to me, actually. The chemicals used for cleaning very well could cause an older stain to show up.

Are they charging you for the recleaning?

[SnuggleBuggles]

Hmm, some stains do come out with certain chemicals. Or over time- maybe the dress hadn't been worn for a while? I'm just thinking of things like spit up stains that you think you got out, you put the item away for the next baby, 2 years later the stain is back. The does stink though and i hope they can clean it!!

Beth

[DietCokeLover]

Hmm, well, if a chemical did bring out a stain, wouldn't commonsense say they should clean it before sending it back to the customer? :tongue5:

Actually, it's a brand new dress my DD wore as a flower girl in a wedding 2 weeks ago, so there shouldn't be anything on there.

Anyway, hoping it will get clean.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Hmm, well, if a chemical did bring out a stain, wouldn't commonsense say they should clean it before sending it back to the customer? :tongue5:


:thumbsup: Very good point!!!

[gatorsmom]

Hmm, well, if a chemical did bring out a stain, wouldn't commonsense say they should clean it before sending it back to the customer? :tongue5:




Not necessarily. I worked in a dry cleaners for 3 years in high school. Seemingly stain free garments would come in and after they went throught the dry cleaning fluid and drying process, stains would show up. Certain stains with lots of sugars in them (milk, clear fruit juice, white wine, white frosting, etc) can be invisible when dry but be carmelized in the dry cleaning fluid. Once they go through the cleaning and drying, they can be nearly impossible to get out. They are easy to get out BEFORE they go through the cleaning fluid.

I can remember MANY a time when the dry cleaner would come up from the cleaning area to the front area where I would check in clothes and ask me, angrily, if I remembered seeing a stain on a particular garment and forgot to mark it. My job was to look over the clothes carefully, indicate stains on the garment with either pins or tape, mark them on the check-in sheet, and send them back for processing. There were many times that stains showed up where I had seen none. And there were many times when the customers would ask, angrily why there was a brown stain on their shirt after it was just dry cleaned. It's an unfortunate situation for everyone because it costs the dry cleaner money to reclean and repress the item for no fault of their own. And of course, it costs the customer a damaged piece of clothing. But it happens.

If your daughter wore it to a wedding, there is a good chance something could have gotten on it at the wedding. There is even the chance that something got on there while the dress was being created.

Of course, there is the chance that it IS not a carmelized stain and that the cleaners made the mistake and will be able to get it out after cleaning it again. And they shouldn't charge you for recleaning it. But if it doesn't come out, I wouldn't give them too much grief. Unfortunately, it happens sometimes. jmho.

[ThreeofUs]

Lisa, you just cleared up a longstanding question I've had. Thank you for the explanation.

[gatorsmom]

Lisa, you just cleared up a longstanding question I've had. Thank you for the explanation.

Happy to help. :waving4: I tell everyone I know that many garments are marked "Dry clean only" but actually turn out better being handwashed and pressed at home with a cool iron. Many stains dissolve better in water than in dry cleaning fluid (perchlorethylene), especially the sugary ones. Grease being an exception- it comes out great in the dc fluid. The only items I get dry cleaned are anything wool (wool can shrink so easily in water), suitcoats, satin silk (which does great in dc fluid) or any fabrics that are heavily died and fade with washing. Men's ties never turn out in the wash OR the dry cleaners. I've never seen their ties turn out well at either place. Once they get soiled, they are pretty much ruined.

[DietCokeLover]

Thanks for that perspective Lisa. I honestly thought the lady was trying to pull something over on me. I NEVER dry clean, so this was the first time in probably 10 years.

I'll go back with a kinder attitude when I pick it up.

[Uno-Mom]

Aaaww. This is the first time I've seen such a happy resolution to a B-post!

[smiles33]

OH my word. That is insane. Kind of like the bakery that said they don't frost between the layers of cake!!!

LOL. Funny that you remembered my thread on this.

OP: I am sorry to hear about the stain on a presumably gorgeous dress. DD1 had a Strasburg flower girl dress for my brother's wedding that I just adore!

Lisa: VERY informative post. Thanks for sharing!