SPOTTING
Any stain that resists the normal washing or dry-cleaning process can usually be removed using a special treatment called spotting. Spotting is a

Table 6-2.- Basic Stain Groups

specialized art in which a spot or stain is identified and removed using the proper chemical agent without damaging or affecting the clothing. Aboard ship, basic spotting chemical preparations, which we will discuss later, should be used for removing stains contained in the basic stain groups shown in table 6-2. Stains are easier to remove when they are fresh and, therefore, early identification is essential.

THE SPOTTER
The person who does the actual spotting is called the spotter. The spotter's job is to identify the substance that caused the spot or stain and to know what cleaning agents and type of treatment to use to remove it. Many of the fabrics the spotter handles are expensive. Serious damage to any of them means financial loss as well as inconvenience to the owner. Therefore, the spotter should know before trying to remove a spot or stain that the substance and methods to be used will not destroy the fabric or ruin its appearance. When in doubt about whether a spot or stain can be removed without serious damage to the material, the spotter should contact the supervisor and obtain his or her advice before starting the work. We have indicated earlier that identification and treatment of some spots are necessary to keep them from becoming stains. This is not always possible due to heavy workloads and lack of time to check clothing items. In this case a note should be placed in the plan of the day (POD) by the supply officer asking the owners of articles requiring spotting to tag the articles with a note identifying the spots. This information makes the spotter's job easier, faster, and more accurate. It also alerts the spotter to do spotting before dry cleaning.

SPOTTING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
The spotter must know and understand the equipment and tools used in spotting operations in order to get the best possible results. Spotting tools and equipment consist of the spotting board assembly- main spotting board, sleeveboard, garment tray, chemical tray, and spotting gun; spotting brushes; spatula; chamois and towels; cheesecloth and blotters; magnifying glass; soap solution containers; and spotting bottles and agents.

Main Spotting Board
The main spotting board is the spotter's worktable. (See fig. 6-15.) It is shaped like an

Figure 6-15.-Spotter using the spotter board.

ironing board to provide large and small work spaces for articles of different sizes. The board is usually a combination of a smooth area and a perforated or screened area. The smooth surface is hard and usually made of glass, marble, or Monel metal, all of which are resistant to alkalies and acids. The smooth area is used for tamping and for applying spotting agents. The perforated or screened area is used for flushing. The perforated area must be taken apart and steam-cleaned each day to remove excess chemicals or dyes.

Sleeveboard
The sleeveboard is mounted about 6 inches above the level of the main spotting board. The sleeveboard, like the main spotting board, also has a flushing and tamping area. The sleeveboard is attached to the main board by a movable arm that can be adjusted. This board is used when working out stains on sleeves and other small areas. Clean the sleeveboard in the same manner as the main spotting board.

Garment Tray
The garment tray is under the main spotting board, midway between the board and the floor. The tray must always be clean; otherwise, the garment resting in it will be soiled.

Chemical Tray
All the basic spotting agents are placed on the chemical tray.

Spotting Gun
The spotting gun is used for removing spots or stains from wool, silk, and synthetics. The gun is adjusted so that slight pressure on the steam pedal provides steam and more pressure provides hot water or wet steam. If compressed air is piped to the spotting board, it will come through the gun when the appropriate foot pedal is depressed. When vacuum is piped to the spotting board, it is controlled by a foot pedal. However, the vacuum is piped to the perforated area of the board to dry and hold the garment in place while spotting. The spotting gun must be held about 4 inches above the garment. If the gun is held closer than 4 inches from the fabric, the steam or air pressure at 70 to 80 pounds per square inch can cause permanent damage to the fabric. The spotting gun should be held perpendicular when blowing the chemicals or spots off a garment. Before using the spotting gun, point it toward the deck and depress the steam pedal to remove excess condensation. The spotting gun must be cleaned daily and all chemicals removed from the nozzle.

Spotting Brushes
Spotting brushes help break up stains so that spotting agents can penetrate into and around the stains. When the spotting brush is not being used, the bristles should be pointed downward to allow the agents to drain from the bristles. The brush can also be placed in the brush holder to obtain similar results. When the brushes are used for tamping, the bristles should hit the fabric flat to prevent damaging the fabric. Never brush or scrub the spot. Spoting brushes usually come in two sizes (2-inch and 3-inch) and two colors (black and white) and are made of nylon bristles. The large brush is used mainly on woolens and synthetics because the bristles are spread far apart. The small brush has a close set of bristles and is effective on silk. The black-bristled brush is used for dry-side spotting and for dark-colored fabrics. The white-bristled brush is used for wet-side spotting and light-colored fabrics. After a brush is used on a garment, clean the brush with the spotting gun.

Spatula
The spatula is made of stainless steel, bone, or ivory and is about 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. The spatula is usually pointed on one end and rounded at the other end and is used to manipulate chemicals, soften the stain, and to get better penetration. The pointed end should not be used because it will dig into the fabric and distort it. The rounded end should be used for better results. After each use the spatula should be cleaned.

Chamois and Towels
A thick, heavy chamois is used for absorbing water and spotting solutions as they are removed from fabrics. The chamois should be spread smoothly over the portion of the spotting board being used. A medium-weight Turkish towel serves the same purpose. chemicals, particularly prevents pitting of the By absorbing cleaning acids, the absorbent spotting board. Keep chamois cloths or Turkish towels available for this purpose.

Cheesecloth and Blotters
Cheesecloth, because it is soft and absorbent, is used in spotting or feathering out- picking up all the moisture around a spot just removed. This prevents rings from forming. Chamois, because of its heavy texture, is not good for feathering out. You can use blotters for absorbing materials rinsed from the garment. You can also use them to test the resistance of dyes in fabrics to cleaning chemicals and/ or spotting agents. Put a small portion of fabric on a blotter and apply the chemical or spotting agent. The amount of coloring matter dissolved by the chemical and absorbed by the blotter indicates the effect of the chemical on the dye.

Magnifying Glass
When in doubt about the substance that caused a spot or stain, a spotter may examine it under a magnifying glass. Although an inex-perienced spotter may get few results with a magnifying glass at first, through practice the spotter will learn to identify various substances as they appear when magnified. The magnifying glass is used to observe the weave and imperfections of the fabric and to determine if a discoloration on the garment is a spot or damaged fibers. It helps to determine the kind of spot or stain and to observe the action of the spotting chemical. The glass can also be used to determine whether a spot has a staining substance or whether the spot has a chafed area with loss of dye. The magnifying glass will help you determine if the stained area is too weak to stand treatment and if a spot on a synthetic fabric was caused by heat damage.

Soap Solution Containers
Usually each spotting board has two con-tainers to hold soap solutions. The containers should be cleaned daily.

Spotting Bottles and Agents
Spotting bottles and chemical agents are held in a tray at the right end of the spotting board. Dropper bottles with ground glass stoppers and rubber bulk pipettes are preferred. These types of bottles control the chemicals and conserve materials. However, on board ship, squeeze-type containers with a dropper top have been found to be more convenient and satisfactory from the standpoint of handling and breakage. The chemical agents commonly used to remove spots and stains are listed in table 6-3. Their characteristics and uses are given, and also the precautions you should take with them.