26 SELECTION AND CARE-STAIN REMOVAL, MENDING, DARNING, AND PATCH WORK. LAUNDERING METHODS AND STORAGE

S. Karpagam Chinnammal

1.    Introduction

A home is a space to live, to raise a family, to entertain others and to express oneself .It needs to be furnished in a way that will make one feel comfortable, safe and delighted. Furnishings protect furniture from soil and wear, they also add color and design to the room. The look of a room is enhanced with the right choice of Soft furnishing.

2.      Learning objectives

• To get familiar with the factors to be considered in selection and care of furnishing materials
• To understand about stain removal, mending, darning and patchwork
• To be acquainted with the laundering methods and storage

3.      Selection of soft furnishing

3.1.        General Factors to be considered

3.1.1.    Appearance: Different fabrics give different look to the room. For a glossy and elegant look, real silk or faux silk and for a simple and sophisticated look linen or velvet is a good choice.

3.1.2.    Serviceability: It is important to choose fabrics that will be durable.

3.1.3.    Care properties: Fabric must be chosen according to use and maintenance. Bigger pieces of furniture like sofas should be upholstered in poly-silks or poly-cottons as they can be maintained easily. Linen and synthetic fabrics can be washed at home. Silk and velvet requires dry cleaning.

3.1.4.    Affordability: Budget must be kept in mind. Silk is very expensive, cotton is one of the least expensive fabric.

3.1.5.    Climatic condition/Temperature Moderation: Suede, velvet and tweed fabrics keep the room warm, linen or cotton may be used to keep it cool

3.1.6.    Pattern and Color: Pattern and colour scheme of a room must be considered before choosing furnishing

3.1.7.    Theme idea: One must follow a central theme -Modern or traditional. Mix and match style could be messy and uncomfortable.

3.1.8.    Suitability or fitness for use: Commonly used rooms, like living rooms and bedrooms , must be furnished with materials that are easy to maintain. For kitchen and dinining cotton is the best choice as it is absorbent and washable. To add an elegant look to the space, silk or tussar fabrics can be used.

3.1.9.   Other points to be considered are texture, quality, amount of light and air to be permitted inside the room and status and prestige.

3.2.        Selection of material for specific item

•  Bedspread – Cleanable, wrinkle resistant  materials that require no  ironing may be preferred
•  Blanket -must be attractive and give warmth
• Pillowcases- It must match the sheets in colour and texture and should be larger than the pillow.
• Slip covers- must be firmly woven with smooth surface and must be guaranteed against shrinkage and fading
• Sofas- These fabrics must be resistant to snagging, pilling , seam slippage and must be thick and durable. Silk and jute is not suitable for upholstery, as the fine silk will tear even with a little pressure or rough usage and jute is rough and frays easily.
• Towels- must be durable and absorbent
• Rugs-one should select rugs which are flat and firmly woven
• Cushion covers- Colourful cushions in orange, pink add sparkle to a subtle room . For trendy look blue and green can be preferred
• Curtain-Light , air and privacy are main considerations in choice of curtain fabrics. It must be sheer enough to let in light but opaque enough to give privacy ,it must also have good drape, colourfastness to sunlight and laundering

4.    Care of furnishing material

To keep fabric home furnishings looking their best and to make them wear longer, they must be given proper care. The care required is determined by the Fiber content, Fabric construction and Fabric finishes. Labels and hang tags provide specific instructions

4.1.        General care

•  Frequent brushing and airing of the material
•   Immediate mending when damaged by tearing
•   Stain removal before washing or further use
• Intelligent choice of cleaning methods, washing or dry cleanin
• Frequent laundering if fabric is washable
• Proper Laundering method for type of fabric, it must not be laundered with strong bleaches
• Proper pressing and ironing. Must not iron with extremely hot iron

4.1.1.    Cleaning

To prolong the life and look of furnishings they must be regularly vacuumed and cleaned. Curtains and upholstery must be vacuumed once a week, and dry cleaned twice a year

4.1.2.    Washing/Laundering

For small items like cushion covers or removable slip covers machine washing is suitable. The care instructions regarding temperature, machine cycle setting, method of drying and ironing should be followed.

Large items such as full-length curtains or loose covers must not be washed in a domestic washing machine – the additional abrasion resulting from a large washing machine load will create colour loss, shrinkage and creasing.

Never use bleaches. A mild liquid detergent is preferred for items that will be washed regularly as almost all washing powders contain some sort of bleaching or optimum brightening agent which will dull colours, or cause fading. Fabrics must not be soaked for prolonged periods of time or left in the washing machine while damp, as this may encourage the colour to run.

4.1.3.    Drycleaning

For delicate fabrics that cannot be washed drycleaning can be done.

4.2.        Care of specific items

• Bedspreads, Coverlets and Dust Ruffles require regular laundering to keep them fresh and dust free.
• Curtains and draperies: Draperies and curtains are continually exposed to sunlight and dust. Shaking, Brushing or vacuuming frequently gets rid of loose dust. Curtain should be washed often . After a maximum of six months it should be laundered or dry cleaned. Lined curtain, velveteen and tapestry should be drycleaned. . Light weight fabric like lace , gauze must be washed with mild detergent. gently kneaded, through lather and rinsed well, rolled in a towel to remove excess water and pressed. Heavy drapery should be vacuum cleaned regularly and send for commercial laundering once in six months
• Fiberglass Curtains and Draperies should not be laundered in washing machine , twisted or wrung dry or ironed. They must be cleaned by soaking in mild detergent, rinsed and dried.
• Table Linens: Must be Laundered frequently to prevent  accumulation of oily stains.
• Sofa: Must be vaccum cleaned regularly. If pets and small children are at home, it is best to use loose covers on sofas as these can be removed regularly and washed.
•  Rugs and carpets: Are expensive. Proper care is necessary to maintain its appearance and prolong its service . Carpets must be brushed once a day and vaccum cleaned once or twice a week. It must be brushed in the direction of pile. Rugs of small or medium size can be dusted. They must be sprayed with sanitizing solution to kill bacteria and for odour removal. Woolen carpets are sprayed with insecticide for moth proofing.

          Carpet cleaning- New carpets fluff due to loose fibres. Dirt that accumulates in a carpet is mainly of three kinds-dust or light dirt, litter that clings such as threads, hair and grit which are destructive, dangerous, germ laden and is carried on the shoes, it sinks to the root of the pile. Light dirt can be removed by suction. Sweeping removes fluff and litter. For heavy girt at base of pile, carpet needs beating. A vaccum cleaner which has triple action of suction , beating and sweeping is the best.

Appearance retention-heavily traveled area receives the most wear, are crushed and piles are damaged, For better appearance and longer life, reduce traffic on these areas or use small rugs in front of heavily used chairs and furniture. Occasionally move furniture and reverse rug. Regular vaccuming reduces crushing, Depression, Furniture marks. Turn carpets from time to time to equalize wear. Shampooing may be done. But must be dried well. Stains must be removed when fresh. Wipe stain. rinse and remove excess water using tissue. Place layers of tissue and apply weight .Let dry. Brush lightly.

• Cushions-No bleach, hand or Machine wash
• Throws-warm hand wash, do not bleach, pull to shape when wet, warm iron
• Blanket-warm hand or machine wash separately , do not wring
• Quilts-Air regularly, if non washable filling dry clean, do not iron, washable-gentle machine wash. line dry in shade,
• Pillows-air regularly, spot clean with damp cloth, lay flat to dry
• Pillow/mattress protectors– warm gentle machine wash, do not bleach
• Table cloth, tea towel and kitchen accessories-if soiled sponge immediately with a damp cloth, warm machine wash separately, no bleach
• Bed linen and comforters quilt covers-warm gentle machine wash separately, wash inside out
• Shower curtain (polyester or nylon) -warm gentle machine wash regularly, rinse well , drip dry, do not iron or dry clean. If PVC-wipe regularly with warm soapy water, rinse well and drip dry
• Towels, and bath mats-Warm machine wash, wash dark colours separately, no bleach or iron
•  Upholstered or slip covered : Upholstery must be brushed and vacuumed often to prevent dust from settling into the body of the furniture and keep them looking new
• .Once in three months they may be  cleaned using foaming cleanser. Cleanser or stain remover must be checked at invisible spots to check for colour fastness. They should be protected from direct sunlight and sharp objects and pets.

4.3. Cleaning codes

Cleaning codes adopted by furnishing industry and found in tags are as follows.

5.    STAIN REMOVAL

There are many types of soil, stains and spots, which may occur on fabric home furnishings. The factors to be remembered are the composition, colour of fabric and nature and age of stain. The technique used will be important in successful stain removal.

5.1.        Basic procedures to be followed in stain removal

•  For best results the stains must be removed as soon as possible ie when it is still fresh . Blot or wipe the stain and never rub as it causes wear and pilling
•  Pre treat stain before laundering. Washing and hot water can set a stain
• Determine the type of stain—oil-based, water-based, combination of oil and water, or unknown origin.
• Known stains should be treated with   their specific reagents
• Unknown stains should be treated from least harmful method –cold water, warm water, bleach, alkaline solution, acidic solution, oxidising bleach, reducing bleach
• Remove any excess material. Blot up wet or oil-based spills as quickly as possible with an absorbent white cloth, tissue or sponge.
• Never use colored towels or printed paper towels because they may transfer dye or ink to the upholstery.
• For solid or semi-solid spills, lift off excess before treating, using a dull knife or spatula.
• Decide on stain removal method—solvent for oily stains or water solution for water-based stains. Test the method in an inconspicuous place to determine if fabric color change will occur.
• When possible, work from the wrong side of the stain. This will prevent forcing the stain further into the fabric. Use a soft cloth, a white blotter pad, or a white paper towel under the spot to absorb the stain remover and the stain to avoid spreading work from the outer edge of the stain .
• Heat sets the stain permanently so do not pres stained fabric.

5.2.        Stain removal methods

with cold water, then use method A.

6. Mending

Mending is a common phrase meaning correcting something that is damaged, for example it may be a broken toy or a tear in a pillow cover. The most satisfactory methods of mending torn or worn out materials are patching and darning. Darning and patching are more specific referring to repair of holes and tears .

6.1. Darning

Darning is a technique of repairing small holes and tears or reinforcing frayed and worn out spots in fabric using needle and thread . It is often done by hand, but it can also be done using a sewing machine. Hand darning employs the darning stitch, a simple running stitch worked in rows along the grain of the fabric, the stitches reversing direction at the end of each row, and then filling in the framework thus created, as in weaving. In its simplest form, darning consists of anchoring the thread in the fabric on the edge of the hole and carrying it across the gap. It is then anchored on the other side, usually with a running stitch or two. If enough threads are criss-crossed over the hole, the hole will eventually be covered with a mass of thread. Darning should be invisible and as neat as possible hence thread used should be same as the original fabric in colour and texture. Threads from the original weaving are unraveled from a hem or seam of the material to be darned and used to effect the repair. Invisible darning is appropriate for extremely expensive fabrics and items of apparel. If the tear is large and its edges are fraying a piece of thin material can be kept on the wrong side under the tear and darned through both layers. In machine darning, lines of machine running stitch are run back and forth across the hole, then the fabric is rotated and more lines run at right angles. This is a fast way to darn, but it cannot match the effects of fine darning.

6.2. Patching

In Patching in the place of a tear or hole , an additional piece of fabric of the same kind is inserted and stitched. For repairing big holes, patching is more suitable than darning. it is stronger and can withstand wear and tear. To make it inconspicuous patch should be of the same material. In a printed fabric, patch should be cut to match the design perfectly .The edges of the hole or tear are trimmed to form a rectangle or square. Diagonal cuts are made at corners and raw edges turned under to wrong side. A patch is cut a little larger than the hole and placed beneath with right side facing wrong side of hole. The patch is tacked and hemmed with small stitches

7. Laundering methods and storage

7.1. Laundering methods

Laundering is a process that requires patience and practice and knowledge of the right technique. No one method can solve every washing problem. Dirt in fabrics can be classified as loose dirt resting on the fibres, or fixed dirt which is held fast by grease. Loose dirt is removed by soaking , or brushing and shaking. Fixed dirt is removed by means of absorption, washing and drycleaning. It must be washed as soon as possible otherwise the dirt becomes ’fixed’ and harder to remove.

Washing may be done by hand or on a machine. While using a machine water temperature and length of cycle must be considered. For fabrics that are not able to withstand machine agitation hand washing may be done. Very soiled articles can be cleaned by friction washing by hand, plastic scrubbing brush or rubbing board. The article is wrung out of water in which it is soaked .Soap is applied on the soiled parts and rubbed with hand, plastic brush or on a rubbing board until dirt is loosened. Suction washer can be used for normally soiled articles of large quantities. Permanent lather is made in water with soap solution and soiled articles are soaked in soap solution and pressed with suction washer until clean. For delicate fabrics such as wool and silk kneading and squeezing can be done. Knead and squeeze the soiled article in warm soapy water without lifting it out. Washed fabrics are rinsed well, dried and pressed.

7.2. Storage

• Fabrics must be brushed frequently to keep it free from dust.
• Sun and air kills germs.
• Cupboards should be aired frequently.
• Washable materials should be laundered frequently.
• Others should be dry cleaned.
• Keep articles out of light as it fades colour.
• Never store damp clothes as it causes mildew.
• Use repellents to keep pests away.
• Use in rotation .
• Fold differently each time.

8.  Summary

In this module we have looked into the selection and care of furnishing with special reference to stain removal, mending , darning and patch work. We have also learnt about laundering methods and storage. We spend the highest time of our life at home and has special social, emotional importance attached to it . Furnishing a room is one of the most challenging tasks as it can make or break the look of a room. Regular care keeps fabrics fresh and clean and extends wear.

REFERENCE

1. Susheela Dantyagi, Fundamentals of Textiles and Their Care, Orient Longman, Hyderabad,1959, p-215-274
2. Mary Mathews, Practical Clothing Construction Part I- Basic sewing process, Chennai p-39-40
3. Susan Wright, Care for Fabric, Home Furnishings Cooperative Extension Service College of Agriculture and Home Economics