In order to properly assess the residual value of clothing or furnishing textile items, we have divided them by article classes and composition, taking into account on one hand the stress they are subjected during their use and maintenance (e.g. sofa, curtain, knit, coat, raincoat, dress, etc.) and on the other hand the individual fibres properties (wool, silk, polyester, metallic fibre, etc.), which have different residual values to the various alteration factors to which they are subjected during the use of textile items and garments. The garments life time is measured from the date when the store sells the garment to the customer, and not from the date when the manufacturer is producing it.
The purchase price of the garment, necessary for estimating its residual value, must be documented by the retailer or by the manufacturer of the garment. For documented antique garments or garments that have a special value (>€1,000), it is necessary that the customer indicates written the value of the garment at delivery, just in case of any damage that might occur during the washing; the document must be signed by the laundry if it is accepting the cleaning. For the wedding gowns, moreover for those in silk, without a care and a composition label (in most of the cases), besides a written statement regarding the value of the garment, the laundry is not assuming any responsibility for the washing result, that will be made on the customer’s own responsibility.
by Ing. Vittorio Cianci
Director LART – Textile Research and Analysis Laboratory
Detergo Magazine Number 12, December 2022
