Fibers and Weaves

Question 1

Fabrics are made by weaving at least 2 sets of yarns. These yarns are called _____

Answer 1

warp yarns (that run vertically) and filler yarns (that run horizontally)

Question 2

What is a Plain Weave?

Answer 2

Weave where the filing yarn passes under and over each warp yarn. This is the simplest of all weaves. It’s creates a strong fabric.

Question 3

What is a Twill Weave?

Answer 3

Weave that creates diagonal lines on the fabric. Examples are denim and garbardine. Fabrics made from this weave are strong.

Question 4

What is a Satin Weave?

Answer 4

Where one set of yarns goes over one yarn then under between 4 to 8 yarns. This creates a fabric with a sheen and smoothness.

Question 5

How should a Satin Weave garment be spotted?

Answer 5

Spot from the wrong side of the fabric. Don’t brush the fabric. Instead, tamp lightly with a padded brush and hold the steam gun at least 4” away at 90 degree angle.

Question 6

What is taffeta?

Answer 6

A type of fabric made in a plain weave that has a smoothness and crispness, due in part to the high-twist of the yarns. Can be made out of acetate, silk, polyester or nylon.

Question 7

How should taffeta be spotted?

Answer 7

Taffeta must be kept smooth at all times.
So, don’t brush a stain. Instead, use light tamping. Don’t allow POG to stay on acetate taffeta or color loss will happen.

Question 8

What is chiffon?

Answer 8

Lightweight, sheer fabric made in a loose plain weave. Usually made of silk.

Question 9

How should chiffon be spotted?

Answer 9

The yarns are fragile. Never brush. Instead, tamp lightly with a padded brush. Limit the amount of moisture used when spotting and dry quickly with the steam gun. Clean on short cycle in net bag.

Question 10

What is crepe?

Answer 10

A fabric with some elasticity and and uneven surface.

Question 11

How should crepe be spotted?

Answer 11

Since most crepe shrinks when wet, limit the amount of moisture used in spotting and keep the spotted area small. Do not wetclean unless the label says it’s safe (or after testing the fabric)

Question 12

What is a basket weave?

Answer 12

A plain weave using two-sets of warp yarns and two-sets of filling yarns. Generally a strong fabric.

Question 13

What is a knit?

Answer 13

When yarns are inter-looped together instead of interlaced (weaved). Allows for garments to fit the body closely while also having stretch and recovery.

Question 14

When spotting a knit garment, ______

Answer 14

keep the steam gun at a right angle to the fabric and at least 5” away.

Question 15

When spotting Velvet fabric, never ______

Answer 15

spot on the reverse side (causes the pile fibers to come out)

Question 16

Velvet with an Acetate pile should never ___

Answer 16

be spotted with water or any wetside chemicals (it will permanently flatten the pile).

Question 17

Velveteen is usually made of ______. Unlike velvet, it can be _______

Answer 17

cotton; spotted on both the wetside and dryside.

Question 18

Acetate is a __________. Things to watch out for with acetate include _______

Answer 18

synthetic fiber; often has dyes that come out with dryside and wetside chemicals, sensitive to heat (ie: subject to fume fading), alcohol bleeds the dye, and color change can occur with exposure to acids (often seen as a change from blue to red).

Question 19

Acrylic is a ________. Things to remember about acyrlic include ________

Answer 19

synthetic fiber; put acrylic items in net bags both when drycleaning or wetcleaning, very sensitive to heat, use light steam when finishing.

Question 20

Polyester is a _________. Things to remember with polyester include _____

Answer 20

synthetic fiber; wrinkle-resistant, hold creases and pleats well, sensitive to heat, generally a sturdy fabric, colors generally won’t bleed in wetcleaning or drycleaning.

Question 21

Nylon is a ________. Things to remember about nylon include ________

Answer 21

synthetic fiber; accumulates static and pills, wet cleans well, sensitive to heat (will permanently yellow in high heat)

Question 22

Spandex is a _________. Things of note about spandex are ______

Answer 22

synthetic fiber; it is washable and drycleanable (though it may shrink/lose color in drycleaning), avoid high temperatures and chlorine, oils tend to weaken the fiber. If possible, you should wetclean spandex and dry on low temperature.

Question 23

Modacrylic is a ________. Things to remember about it are _______

Answer 23

synthetic fiber; often used in making fake fur, it is sensitive to heat, avoid steaming (or allow light buck steam), let it dry completely before moving. To dry it, give it a short, low-temperature (under 120 degrees) cycle.

Question 24

Microfiber is a ________. Things of note include ________

Answer 24

synthetic fiber; usually made from polyester or nylon, often feels like silk and may have a clammy feeling.

Question 25

Cotton is a ______. Things of note are _______

Answer 25

Cellulose fiber; often has sizing or dyes that are soluble in solvent or water, strong acids left in the fabric cause damage, wrinkles easily, prone to shrinkage, finishes and fiber can yellow from long exposure to light. Also, it can lose its strength if chlorine bleach is used too often.

Question 26

Linen is a ________. Things to remember include ________

Answer 26

Cellulose fiber; wrinkles easily, poor colorfastness in washing or drycleaning, damaged by strong acids, fabric is weakened in areas that are repeatedly creased, hard to press unless dampened with water first, when spotting tamp only, never brush

Question 27

Rayon is a _______. Things of note include ________

Answer 27

Cellulose fiber; Damaged by strong acids, loses much of its strength when wet, hard to remove water spots, goes by other names (Tencel, Viscose, Bemberg)

Question 28

To test the color(s) on a garment before applying a spotting chemical, first ______, second _______, then ________, an last ______

Answer 28

place a hidden seam of the garment over a white cloth; apply the spotting agent you want to use; fold the white cloth over the spotted area; unfold the cloth and check for color bleeding.

Question 29

When testing the color on a garment, always ________

Answer 29

test with the chemical you intend to use to spot or clean the garment (ie: if you want to see if it’s washable with NSD, then test with NSD).

Question 30

Velvet fabric can show rapid loss of its pile in the following areas:

Answer 30

elbows, knees, and seat areas. This is usually due to normal wear.

Question 31

When spotting acetate, be careful when using the chemical ________ because it can ______.

Answer 31

POG; bleed the dye.

Question 32

Generally, cellulose fibers can be damaged by ________, and protein fibers can be damaged by _______.

Answer 32

strong acids (ie: General Formula, Rust Remover); strong alkalis (Protein Remover, Ammonia).

Question 33

Why must garments made of high-contrast colors (usually black-white, red-white, or navy-white) need to be cleaned carefully?

Answer 33

There is a good chance the color will bleed during drycleaning or wetcleaning. This can be due to the manufacturer over-dying the fabric and/or not stablizing the dye so it doesn’t bleed.

Question 34

You should never mix _______ bleach and ______ bleach in a bleach bath.

Answer 34

oxidizing; reducing bleaches

Question 35

To increase the penetration of bleach in a fabric, what can you do?

Answer 35

Add a few drops of NSD.

Question 36

If there’s a chance a garment may shrink if wetcleaned/put in a bleach bath, you should _________

Answer 36

measure the garment beforehand and then measure again afterwards to ensure the garment hasn’t shrunk.

Question 37

After you bleach soak a garment, how should it be dried?

Answer 37

Hang to dry. Heat, moisture and mechanical action can cause shrinkage.

Question 38

Generally, you should hold the steam gun at least ______ away and at a ______

Answer 38

4 inches away from the fabric; at a right angle. The more delicate a fabric is, the farther away you should keep the gun.

Question 39

Most wetside stains tend to _______, while dryside stains will ________. Thus, if you want a clue as to whether a stain is wetside or dryside, look ______.

Answer 39

penetrate into the fabric; remain mostly on the surface; look on the reverse side of the fabric. If the stain is visible on that side, it’s likely a wetside stain.

Question 40

Check for alkaline-sensitive dyes on these fabrics before using an alkali agent:

Answer 40

blue and green wool or silk and red dyes on cellulose fibers

Question 41

Check of acid-sensitive dyes on these fabric before using an acidic agent:

Answer 41

blue acetate and red dyes on cellulose fabrics.

Question 42

What are some reasons you shouldn’t put damp or wet items in the dryclean machine?

Answer 42

The wet areas will pick up soils and dyes removed by the perc, it will cause pilling and chafing of wool and silk, and it can create hard wrinkles in wet-spotted areas that may not come out in pressing.

Question 43

Describe Acetate’s characteristics and things to be wary of.

Answer 43

Made from wood pulp. Has dyes that are soluble in solvent and water. Be careful with POG, as it can bleed the dye. Sensitive to heat. Can change color from contact with acids. Alcohol bleeds the dye (as can be found in cologne/perfume). Soluble in acetone and acetic acid at 33% concentration or more.

Question 44

Describe Acrylic’s characteristics and things to consider in cleaning.

Answer 44

Made from petroleum. Can be dry cleaned or wetcleaned. Always put in a net bag for cleaning. Dries quickly. Very sensitive to heat, so use light steam to finish. Any movement while it’s warm can cause permanent stretching.

Question 45

Describe Polyester characteristics and things to consider in cleaning.

Answer 45

Source is petroleum. Wrinkle-resistant, retains creases and pleats well, often blended with wool, rayon, or cotton. Heat-sensitive. Usually colorfast to dry cleaning or washing.

Question 46

Describe Nylon’s characteristics and things to consider when cleaning.

Answer 46

Made from petroleum. It accumulates static electricity and pills. Wet cleans well. Heat sensitive, will yellow in high heat.

Question 47

Describe Spandex’s characteristics and things to consider when cleaning.

Answer 47

Known for its elasticity. It is washable and usually dry cleanable, though some Spandex may shrink or lose color in dry cleaning. Chlorine and high temperatures should be avoided. Body oil and other oils slowly weaken it

Question 48

What is Modacrylic?

Answer 48

Synthetic fibers used in making imitation fur. It’s heat-sensitive, so give it a short, low-temperature drying cycle (under 120 F). To finish modacrylic, either avoid steaming it or give it a light buck steam and let it dry completely before touching or moving.

Question 49

Never use ______ or ______ on protein fibers

Answer 49

strong alkalis or chlorine bleach

Question 50

Describe wool’s advantages.

Answer 50

great insulating properties (keeps wearer cooler in summer, warmer in winter), absorbs moisture well, dyes well with stable dyes, generally not affected by diluted acids, generally retains its shape well.

Question 51

Describe wool’s disadvantages.

Answer 51

sensitive to alkaline solutions, can be damaged by excess agitation when wet with water.

Question 52

Unlike worsted wool, woolen items can’t _____

Answer 52

hold a crease or retain their shape well.

Question 53

There are two types of Angora. One comes from _____, while the other comes from _______. Both may be blended with wool or other fibers to ____ and both should be treated as fragile fabrics, which means _____

Answer 53

the Angora rabbit; Angora goat; create a softer more luxurious feel; they should be both be spotted and cleaned with reduced moisture, heat, and agitation.

Question 54

Camelhair fiber comes from _______ while Cashmere comes from _____. Both should be treated as a fragile fabric, meaning spot and clean with _____

Answer 54

the under coat of camels; the cashmere goat; reduced agitation, heat and moisture. Cashmere in particular has poor abrasion resistance.

Question 55

Describe some of silk’s strengths.

Answer 55

It’s absorbent, dries quickly, and gives up most soils easily.

Question 56

Describe some of silk’s weaknesses.

Answer 56

Sensitive to sweat and sunlight (can weaken the fabric and damage the dyes), can be damaged by strong acids and alkalis, dyes can be removed or damaged by agitation, especially when wet. Spot and clean with reduced agitation, moisture and heat.

Question 57

Describe what weighted silk is.

Answer 57

silk fabric with metallic weighting. It adds weight to the silk to improve how it drapes. However, it decreases the durability of the silk (ie: may split/crack with little wear or during dry cleaning, sunlight and sweat will quickly weaken it, spotting chemicals may react negatively with the weighting).

Question 58

All cellulose fibers come from ______. They all tend to ______

Answer 58

plants; dye well, are non-linting, absorb moisture well, and can be damaged with strong acids.