Did Your Dry Cleaner Shrink Your Blouse?

So Why Did Your Blouse Shrink?
A customer recently asked us about a problem she had with one of her St. Johns blouses (the photo to the right is not a St. John's blouse).  St. Johns is a popular label and usually good quality.  She washed it at home and allowed it to air dry on a clean towel according to care label instructions.  So did she do something wrong or is a problem with the blouse?
My opinion is the fabric in the blouse was not pre-shrunk so when the blouse was washed, it shrank to a smaller size.  Garments should be made from fabric that is pre-shrunk and when this has not been done, it is a manufacturer’s defect.
Garment manufacturers stretch fabric as much as possible to get the maximum amount of fabric when making a garment.  When the garment is washed, it returns to its natural state.  When manufacturers use pre-shrunk fabric, that problem is solved.
If shrinkage occurs when you followed care label instructions, here’s how to handle the problem:

• Return it to the retailer.  Responsible retailers will replace the garment or refund your money.
• If you get no satisfaction from the retailer, contact the manufacturer.  Use the label information, including the Registered Number (“RN#”) and a quick Google search and you’re usually just a phone call away from a solution...depending on the customer friendly orientation of the retailer or manufacturer.

We have helped scores of customers resolve problems like this and have found that most manufacturers keep data bases on complaints on the different garments.  We’ve heard comments from customer service representatives like, “Yes, we are having a problem with this item.  May we ship you a replacement that should not shrink?”
If you have a garment that shrinks but has been cleaned according to care label instructions, it’s not the fault of the person cleaning the garment...you or your dry cleaner.  We can help you resolve this type of problem.

Comet Cleaners

507 W. University Drive

Denton, Texas 76205   940-381-1182