HINTS & TIPS All about shirts

A poorly ironed, wrinkled shirt can ruin an otherwise well-groomed appearance. Trust us to keep your shirts impeccably laundered and finished with collar and cuffs a picture of perfection. After all, when you look good, we look good.

Starch: Is it Good for Your Shirts?

Heavy, medium, light or no starch. Which should you choose? Testing at the International Fabricare Institute has found that starch affects the wear- life of shirts in several ways. Starch acts as a shield, protecting the surface of the shirt from abrasion and some staining. Soil will accumulate on the surface, but will not penetrate into the fibers. Also, starch increases the light reflection of the fabric, making it appear whiter. Unfortunately, starch will decrease the fabric strength and cause some creasing and breaking of fibers. Your IFI member professional launderer and drycleaner recommends medium starch as the best choice.

Shrinkage

The manufacturer has already allowed for the normal two- percent and progressive shrinkage requirements. This shrinkage is usually not enough to cause a complaint. Shrinkage beyond this is usually due to poorly stabilized materials. Shrinkage complaints can easily be resolved by measuring the collar and sleeve length. If these measurements correspond to the shirt size, it has not shrunk.

Wear Life Expectancy

Determining how long a shirt should last is difficult due to the variances in frequency of wear. However, industry experience shows that, on average, shirts have a two year wear life expectancy. The number of launderings is a better measuring method. The average shirt should have a wear life of 35 to 50 washings. This will fluctuate depending on the amount of abrasion and strain placed on the shirt during wear, the fiber content, the type of fabric, and the laundering procedure.

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