Ruined show jacket

[Jumbo]

I have a show jacket which is a very well known brand (I don't want to name them). It is dry clean only. It has been cleaned approximately ten times all at the same place. I collected it last week and it is wrinkled all the down the front and across the shoulders. The dry cleaners have said it is a manufacturing fault due to the adhesive that binds the lining to the coat not being applied properly. To me it looks like they have used a hot iron on the material! I have emailed the manufacturers but I wondered if anyone had a similar problem? I can't return it to the seller as it was from a trade stand at Hickstead and I can't remember who it was and do not have the receipt. Thank you

 

[Fiona]

Its happened to hubbys lovely grey pikeur jacket too

Exactly the same fault.

He still wears it, but it looks dreadful.

Fiona

 

[madlady]

Given the fact that it's previously been cleaned then I would take up the dispute with the dry cleaners.

If it was a first time clean I could understand but when it's previously been cleaned - by them - then I'd be sceptical.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

This happened at a local dry cleaners near us with my daughters show jacket. They told us that they've had loads of issues with 'named' brand jackets to such an extent that they are reluctant to take any in now. The issue was the same that is outlined above with the adhesive between lining & jacket material. She rarely uses one of those jackets now but uses the 'Technical Fibre' jackets which don't have that problem.

 

[Shay]

Our local dry cleaner actually won't accept many show jackets now as the problem is so common. (Although I'm not sure a common issue can be deemed a manufacturer's fault?) It doesn't happen first time - but it does happen eventually and apparently the cleaner always gets blamed. We switched to Technical show jackets which can be machine washed and the dry cleaner still takes the Myers Pytchley tweed.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have had it happen to I would say it's common with thin jackets .

 

[Chris&TheBoys]

Dry Cleaner here!
I'm afraid your cleaners were correct. It's the degrading of the binding. The steam irons used are a set temperature, and can be left on a shirt for an hour with no ill effect.
It can be improved with good skilled pressing, but can't be undone.

 

[conniegirl]

Dry Cleaner here!
I'm afraid your cleaners were correct. It's the degrading of the binding. The steam irons used are a set temperature, and can be left on a shirt for an hour with no ill effect.
It can be improved with good skilled pressing, but can't be undone.

It can be left on a SHIRT for an hour there is no adhesive in a shirt, different materials require different treatment!
I work in R&D and every adhesive will degrade if the conditions (heat and humidity) are wrong. I work on a daily basis with all manner of adhesives and materials (not just fabrics) and you can't treat them all the same.

I would say if your steam iron only has one setting then that is the problem and the iron is not fit for purpose if it causes degradation of the adhesive.
My steam iron at home has 3 different settings!

 

[Chris&TheBoys]

It can be left on a SHIRT for an hour there is no adhesive in a shirt, different materials require different treatment!
I work in R&D and every adhesive will degrade if the conditions (heat and humidity) are wrong. I work on a daily basis with all manner of adhesives and materials (not just fabrics) and you can't treat them all the same.

I would say if your steam iron only has one setting then that is the problem and the iron is not fit for purpose if it causes degradation of the adhesive.
My steam iron at home has 3 different settings!

And I also work on a daily basis with all fabrics.
Our irons are designed to be used on items from hessian(you would be amazed what fashion throws up) to silk. No need to adjust.
I'm sure in your line of work you will have seen the problem first hand. But it is just one of those things, no one is to blame.
Sorry it happened to your jacket OP.
Maybe you can treat yourself in the sales tomorrow!

 

[conniegirl]

And I also work on a daily basis with all fabrics.
Our irons are designed to be used on items from hessian(you would be amazed what fashion throws up) to silk. No need to adjust.
I'm sure in your line of work you will have seen the problem first hand. But it is just one of those things, no one is to blame.
Sorry it happened to your jacket OP.
Maybe you can treat yourself in the sales tomorrow!

No it is not just one of those things, it would be totally unacceptable for us to allow anything out of the door like that!
That is why if something is temperature/humidity sensitive we put warnings on pack, on label and in all shipping information.
If someone ruins a product by mistreating it, it's not our fault! It is not exactly a secret that adhesives don't like humid conditions!

I find it absolutely unacceptable that any dry cleaner finds it acceptable to totally ruin a very expensive jacket by mistreating the item. If the item has an adhesive then DONT use a steam iron! It is the moisture that damages the adhesive normally

 

[Fiona]

I'm agreeing with the fact that if this is a common problem, why is there not a warning care label on the jackets?

Hubby's jacket has been dry cleaned only about half a dozen times...

Fiona

 

[Chris&TheBoys]

No it is not just one of those things, it would be totally unacceptable for us to allow anything out of the door like that!
That is why if something is temperature sensitive we put warnings on pack, on label and in all shipping information.
If someone ruins a product by mistreating it, it's not our fault

I find it absolutely unacceptable that any dry cleaner finds it acceptable to totally ruin a very expensive jacket by mistreating the item. If the item has an adhesive then DONT use a steam iron! It is the moisture that damages the adhesive normally

It's not acceptable no, but it's not our fault. It happens because the manufacturer hasn't sufficiently tested their product prior to releasing it.
It can happen to any jacket at any time made that way.
In an ideal world they would have tested it thoroughly.
Unless of course the care label in the jacket says do not iron/ steam/ press. In that case it is a fault of the dry cleaners.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Any riding jacket that cannot have a steam iron used on it is not fit for purpose.

Riding jackets get grubby, get dry cleaned, get steam pressed, that's how it goes.

 

[conniegirl]

It's not acceptable no, but it's not our fault. It happens because the manufacturer hasn't sufficiently tested their product prior to releasing it.
It can happen to any jacket at any time made that way.
In an ideal world they would have tested it thoroughly.
Unless of course the care label in the jacket says do not iron/ steam/ press. In that case it is a fault of the dry cleaners.

There are NO adhesives available that are not in some way affected by moisture!

I would think it should be industry standard NOT to steam any garment that has an adhesive in it.

You wouldn't use the same method of cleaning for cotton as for silk so why do you assume you can use the same method of ironing them?

If it happens to every jacket (which it will) due to the steam then IMO dry cleaner should know this and not use steam!

 

[conniegirl]

Any riding jacket that cannot have a steam iron used on it is not fit for purpose.

Riding jackets get grubby, get dry cleaned, get steam pressed, that's how it goes.

They get grubby and dry cleaned but you can press things without steam

 

[fatpiggy]

Another good reason for using a wool tweed jacket - they don't show the dirt unless you go face down in a swamp, and they can be sponged and brushed without the bother of having them cleaned.

 

[Shay]

Or a modern technical jacket you can stick in a domestic washing machine!

 

[EQUIDAE]

Why would any manufacturer use adhesive? What's wrong with good old fashioned stitching?

 

[fatpiggy]

Why would any manufacturer use adhesive? What's wrong with good old fashioned stitching?

Um, speed and cost? But as we all know short cuts lead to long delays

 

[conniegirl]

Mainly cost, most suits and jackets that cost under around £500 will have an adhesive in them to bind the top layer and the lining, the alternative is a hand stitched floating layer consisting of canvas and Melton between the lining and the outer layer, but you are not getting that cheap (think savile row prices). The layer or adhesive gives the jacket it's structure, stiffness and crisp lines.
The puckering is the adhesive breaking down, how long it takes to break down is dependant of type of adhesive, the quality (cost) of the adhesive and how often the adhesive is subjected to high heat and extreme humidity (steam!)

I have a tweed jacket that was costly (£300) but it defiantly has an adhesive not a floating layer, hence it is sponged when needed and generally only dry cleaned once a year.

My mother has a 40 year old Bernard weatherill tweed jacket (modern equivalent costs £2000+ today) and it has a floating layer (you can feel the difference when it is on) and you could dry clean it every day of the week and it would be fine.

Not many people are willing to pay the price for the floating layer so the adhesive is industry standard.