Useful facts about your spotting and cleaning formulations

Chemical manufacturers have made tremendous strides in changing and improving their chemical formulations. The chemical manufacturers do not necessity use the same formulation for their products. I have found in my training that I used different spotting formulations from different companies.

• Neutral Lubricant: This is the most useful spotting formulation since it is the first step in removing wetside stains. If you use the proper lubricant, you will remove more wetside stains in less time. There are many products on the market and some are far superior than others. Some manufacturers have produced a lubricant that works on the principle of microemulsions.  When I do training, I have students use several different types and always find that they all lean towards one manufacturer. There are also some lubricants that are effective for removing dye on fabrics that have bled during wetcleaning. Chemical sales reps will be happy to give you samples of their products for you to evaluate.
• Protein formulas: Some manufacturers make protein formulas with a low PH making it safe to silk and other delicate fabrics that may have color problems. There is also some manufacturers still making their protein formulas with ammonia that can cause problems to color safety. There are also some manufacturers making enzyme based protein formulas that are effective and should be evaluated. The advantage of using enzyme based formulation is that they do not set tannin stains. Protein formulas, however being slightly alkaline are effective in neutralizing rust remover.
• Tannin formulation: The tannin formulas manufactured have a low acid PH and are very effective in tannin stain removal. These formulations usually do not affect color or produce color change. They are as effective as tannin formulations with a stronger acid content or those containing acetic acid.
• Rust remover (Hydrofluoric acid): A useful acid for removing rust and metallic stains and for accelerating titanium stripper. This acid is not easily removed from fabrics even with thorough flushing. Using a low alkaline based protein formula is the best way to neutralize and remove the rust remover from the fabric.
• Oxalic acid: Many manufacturers make up a safe rust remover or fluoride free rust remover using oxalic acid. It is safer for removing the metallic stains from garments with metal or glass trimming. Oxalic acid can also be effective for removing difficult tannin stains. The fabric should be tested for safety before use. It can be applied to the stain, heated with the steam gun and then flushed. Oxalic acid can also be used to neutralize sodium perborate bleach bath instead of acetic acid.
• Oily type paint remover: There are many products on the market and certainly the ones that are environmentally friendly are best to use. These products do not contain alcohol and can be flushed wetside. Some manufacturers make paint removers that will not flush easily when dry. Some products also do not easily rinse out in the drycleaning machine easily when dry.
• Oily based ink removers: These products vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. I like acid based ink removers because they are also effective in removing many plastic based stains such as nail polish and paint. I tested these products on some nail polish stains and found it to be as effective as using amyl acetate.
• Lanolin type ink removers: These chemicals are slightly alkaline and are effective on some inks that other formulations are not.
• Hydron Peroxide: This is a good bleach for removal of last traces of staining. EPA also lists it as an effective agent that destroys the Covid virus. Manufactures have made formulations to be used for soaking and whitening silk and wool safely. Products are also available using hydrogen peroxide and detergents as a booster for the wetcleaning system. Peracetic acid is an acid based hydrogen peroxide bleach that is effective for cleaning wool and silk and is also an affective bleach for mildew removal. I have seen some cleaning systems using peracetic acid for cleaning laundered shirts and seems to be very effective.