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At
times we are posed with questions like this
one regarding stains, QUESTION:
Someone told me that mustard stains can't be
removed, is this true?
ANSWER:
Mustard stains are one of the more difficult
stains to remove due to the nature of the natural
dyes in the ingrediants but with many of the
additives used to make the mustard. - not
only an oily stain (there is oil in it),
the pigment (what makes it yellow), can do a
very good job of staining the fabric. However,
many times it can be completely removed. It
is important that it be properly attacked in
a specific order to maximize its removal. The
Bible talks about how small a mustard seed is,
in comparison to the bush/tree it grows on,
but when it comes to color power, mustard has
it. Our staff has been trained on removal of
mustard stains. Unfortunately, heat, age of
stain, etc. material can make removal impossible.
The
sooner we can apply our techniques the easier
mustard stain is to remove, sometimes.
Hope
to see you soon,
Ed
and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company |
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Pass
the mustard please...oops
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The
History of Dijon Mustard
Mustard
is an ancient and romantic spice, and throughout
time has remained one of the world's most popular
seasonings. Both the mustard seed and plant
have been glorified for centuries in conversation,
literature and poetry, and its use has been
traced to prehistoric times.
Click here
for the rest of the story.
http://www.honeydijon.com/toplogo.gif
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If
you really want to get into mustard take a look:
Click
here
History
of Mustard
Mustard
and Medicine
Mustard
in the U. S. Supreme Court
Mustard
Geography Quiz |
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Mustard
- Varieties & Uses
Black:
English mustard made with
whole brown seeds and molasses. Use as a condiment.
Bordeaux:
Sweet
and spicy. Use as a condiment, excellent with
smoked meats and cheeses.
Chinese:
Very hot. Hot mustard flour mixed with water. Use as a condiment.
Colman's Dry:
A mixture of mild and hot
mustard flour. An English
mustard: Use
for making a condiment and Chinese mustard, as
a spice, and for pickling.
Creole:
Brown,
tart and slightly coarse grain. Varies with brand.
Use as a condiment.
Dijon:
Mildly pungent, smooth French mustard. Grey Poupon
is the only true Dijon produced outside of France.
Use as a condiment, in sauces, and as a marinade.
Dijon, extra strong:
Pungent,
smooth French mustard produced for export. Use
as a condiment, in sauces, and as a marinade.
Dijon, extra-forte:
Very pungent,
smooth French mustard. Use as a condiment, in
sauces, and as a marinade.
Dijon-style
and flavored Dijon-style: Inferior
to French Dijons.
English: Full flavor,
often hot, made with a blend of mild and hot mustard
flour. Available dry or prepared. Coleman's dry
is an English mustard. Use as a condiment.
German:
Brown,
sweet, often hot and flavored with horseradish.
Available coarse-grain and smooth. Use as a condiment.
Meaux:
Very tart
and slightly spicy coarse-grain French mustard.
Available as the brand Pommery. Use as a condiment.
Mustard flour, mild: Also
known as mustard, dry mustard, ground mustard,
and mustard powder. Pale yellow powder, mild heat.
Use for making a mild condiment, as a spice, and
for pickling.
Mustard flour,
hot: Also
known as mustard, dry mustard, ground mustard,
and mustard powder. Dark yellow powder, strong,
vapor-producing heat. Use for making a hot condiment
and Chinese mustard, as a spice, and for pickling.
Prepared American
yellow: Sharp taste with little heat. Made with white mustard seeds, tumeric,
and vinegar. Use as a condiment.
Prepared American
brown:
Mild, slightly spicy. Use as a condiment.
Seeds, brown:
Tiny and
black. Use to make Dijon-style mustard.
Seeds, white:
Yellow. Use
to make coarse-grain mustard, as a spice, and
for pickling.
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The
little pile of mustard seeds to the left in
the photo is where it all starts.
From the list above one can gather that
mustards around the world have different ingrediants,
some of these mustards make it to our
kitchens and tables, and subsequently on
our clothing, not all of them, but some of them,
and you can see that with the diversity of ingrediants
it make our job a little tuffer, but here we
go.....
Ready,
Set, Go
Step One:
We determine the
age of the stain and whether or not our challenge
has been complicated by ineffective home remedies
or prior stain removal attempts.
Step Two:
We identify
the type of mustard -
a. is it plain
mustard, or
b. is it a Dijon,
which means it could also contain wine, or a
dijonnaise which could contain both wine and
mayonnaise! These component parts of the
stain require extra stain removal steps.
Step
Three:
We test the garment
for fiber content and dye solubility so that
we know which stain removal techniques and agents
are safe to use.
Step
Four:
Bear in mind that
all mustard stains contain a vegetable oil derived
from the mustard seed (shown above). This
oil poses special problems in stain removal
because it is easily oxidized. This means
that humidity, water, heat and age will work
with the vegetable oil to set the stain.
Step Five:
To
remove the stain we must address each component
as a separate stain, and begin the process by
removing each element of the stain one by one.
Step Six:
The oil is the first component
that must be removed, which we do using a dual
dryside lubricant and solvent solution.
All residues of the solution and oil are flushed
from the garment before we proceed.
Step Seven:
Next we address the
vegetable part of the stain. To do this
we must create a chemical reaction between our
stain removal agents and the vegetable portion
of the stain. The selection of the appropriate
stain removal agents is determined by limitations
of the fabrics and dyes that comprise the garment.
Once again, we flush and air dry before proceeding.
Step Eight:
If it was a Dijon mustard
that contained wine, we treat the wine stain
and flush the stain from the garment.
Step Nine:
The final step is the treatment
of the stain with an oxidizing agent to render
the yellow dye colorless, and then flush the
dye and the agent from the fabric.
Sometimes, we are
100% successful in removing all traces of the
stain. Sometimes, either because the stain
is 'old' or someone treated it with club soda,
water, hair spray or some other home remedy,
the stain oxidized and cannot be fully removed
with 100% safety. Then there are times that
the nature of the fabric or the dyes used in
construction limit the choice of stain removal
agents we can safely use, and we are forced
to stop before all remnants of the stain are
removed. We always spend the time and
undertake every step in the complete stain removal
process, but our success is dependent on the
history of the stain and the nature of the garment.
Well, that's the
story. As you can see, there are no magic
wands. The stain removal process requires
expertise, professional tools, time and patience.
If you have any questions about what we do and
how we do it, feel free to ask us - we're happy
to share with you.
These steps were
originally shared by friend Carl Shaday
of Diamond Cleaners and alothough represent
standard practice in our industry are interimly
credited to NCA, Neighborhood Cleaners
Association, We appreicate their sharing
them with us.
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Coupon
When
you bring your garments to us for cleaning and
stain removal, take a moment to discuss them
with us. The more we know about the stain, be
it mustard or otherwise, its age, and any prior
attempts to remove it, is very helpful. When
you bring in your next order along with a copy
of this page, and discuss your stains with our
counter person, we will take 10% off your order.
Offer good through the mustard season or December
10th 04.
Can not be used in
conjunction with other specials. |
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The Iris
City Cleaners Connection
is
a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest
of fine garment care, preservation, and
restoration. It is published in Mt Pleasant,
Iowa by Iris City Cleaners and is an extension
of its web site of www.iriscitycleaners.com |
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the symbol to the right if your would
like to send this and future newsletters to
a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
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