TheCleaners.net

We program everything today -- our VCRs or DVDs (those of us who can!), our computers, gizmos in our car that keep us on track, the lawn sprinklers.  But what about clothes?  Can't they be "programmed" to do more than just look good?  You bet!

They're called Body-Responsive fibers, and they work to keep you feeling comfortable whether it's hot or cold.  This time of year it's a real drag to go outside and then come back in because your clothes will quickly feel like... well, a wet blanket.  Not with these innovative fabrics, which use channeled polyester to draw the moisture away from your skin, making you feel better.

No matter whether your clothes are responding to your signals or not, at this time of year perspiration, body salts and lotions can do a number on them.  Remember to maintain your regular garment cleaning regimen so that they'll be ready to wear when you need them.

See you soon!

Jim Nixon
www.thecleaners.net

SHORT WEEK COUPON
No, its not a special on Shorts, actually

 We will dryclean all garments for
1/2 of our regular price....No Limit
(but it  DOES NOT apply to Shirt Laundry or Suede & Leather)
  You MUST bring in the coupon with your initial order - not when you pick it up.
Not valid with other coupons, VIP or Wells Fargo Link Card
Expires July 10, 2004

Body-Responsive Fabrics

A new genre of fibers and garments suited to the wearer's needs.

We spend an inordinate amount of time just trying to get moisture off of us -- or keep it from forming in the first place.  In the muggy days of summer, clothing tends to get dampened by our perspiration and then feels clammy when we go from natural to conditioned air.

The sports world is way ahead of the rest of the fashion industry when it comes to developing clothing for ultimate comfort -- but you can expect the fashion industry to catch up quickly, now that body-responsive fabrics have been gaining ground and recognition.  What's a body-responsive fiber?  Simply put, it's fibers in a garment that are specifically designed to react to the condition of the body and keep it comfortable.  In most cases, that means getting moisture off your skin so that you feel cooler.

What's in a Name?

These new fabrics have funky names like Sensatech, Microlite, DriTech (all trademarks of SportHill, Inc.) as well as CoolMax (Dupont) and Akwatek (Comfort Technologies).  In each case, the fibers have been engineered to be both lightweight and exceptionally adept at wicking moisture away from your skin so that it can evaporate faster.  Most will disburse the moisture faster than bare skin alone.  They do this by the way the fabrics are made (for instance, with channels or ribs in the fiber closest to the skin to enable it to absorb more) or by coating the fibers themselves with unique compounds.

Pick me!  Pick me!

All of the fabric manufacturers will tell you their fibers are the best, of course, so you have to compare claims.  Here are some of the more interesting ones:

• Holofiber claims to utilize ambient light and use it to increase oxygen levels and absorption -- therefore to reduce cramping and muscle fatigue because blood oxygen levels are higher.  Their slogan is, "Play better on Sunday, feel better on Monday." They have tested socks of this fiber on diabetic people and found "statistically significant" changes in oxygen level on their feet.  More testing is needed to prove this, but it could be a boon to circulation-challenged diabetics.
• CoolMax produces garments for different levels of activity, since they involve more or less need for moisture absorption -- Everday wear, Active wear, and Extreme wear.  It claims to retain 8 times less moisture than nylon, 14 times less than cotton.
• Akwatek and Akwadyne modify the fiber itself so that repeated washings won't affect the ability of the fabrics to either keep you warm or keep you cool.  In either case, they keep you dry since that's a major factor in comfort.  An innovative use of this fabric is in nightshirts, particularly for women who suffer from night sweats.  Undergarments are also available for ultimate comfort.

Where is all this going?

You'd be surprised at the avid interest in fiber technologies, until you stop and think about the actual sales potential for items made from such things.  For instance, carpeting.  How many hundreds of thousands of square miles of the stuff is covering our floors?

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are using MRI technology (yes, the same kind of machine your doctor uses to see inside you) to watch carpet fibers dry from the inside and see how fluids move through them.  Why?  Two reasons: Drying is a major time-consuming part of the carpet-making process, and carpets that are more resistant to mildew will be snapped up in humid areas of the country.

No matter how unexciting it sounds to watch carpet drying, the payoffs to you and me in superior fibers for clothing, household textiles and more will probably amaze us in coming years.