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