Articles

How Advances in Soft Goods Restoration Can Make a Win Out of a Loss
By Mike Rusciolelli
Restoration and Remediation Magazine, November/December, 2009

When assessing the damage brought on by a total loss due to fire, smoke, water or mold damage, it can be difficult to determine the salvageable from the irretrievably destroyed. As a restoration contractor, every piece of policyholder property that can be identified as restorable instead of replaceable is going to benefit you, the adjuster and the policyholder more in the long run.

30 to 40% of the items damaged in total losses fall under one of three categories: garments, textiles or soft goods. Textiles and garments are defined as clothing of all types, bedding, tablecloths, towels and window treatments. Soft goods specifically are shoes, belts and purses. Replacing soft goods instead of restoring them can take up an astonishingly large amount of the allowances that are outlined in the insurance company’s policy limits.

Due to major advancements in soft goods restoration, items that only a short while ago would have been classified as beyond repair can be restored for far less than an outright replacement would cost. In fact, up to 95% of soft goods brought in for restoration can be returned to like-new condition.

To demonstrate exactly how much of a cost difference we are dealing with when discussing replacement versus restoration, we will use the example of a pair of men’s running shoes. A typical pair of men’s running shoes can cost anywhere from $50 to $70, and that is on the modest end of the spectrum, as we are all aware of how expensive quality footwear can be.

Consider then that the cost to restore a pair of shoes such as these is, on average estimation, only about $13 (this price varies slightly by market). The difference is staggering. That is around $40 or more that can be allocated elsewhere. When you are able to aid the adjuster in their efforts to conserve policy limits on such a large scale by utilizing soft goods restoration, you satisfy their needs as well as the policyholders’. Ugly situations, like an adjuster having to inform a client that insurance funds have been depleted, are far less likely to occur.

Adjusters will actively seek out future business with you if it is clear that you comprehend the rigid constraints that indemnity expenses constantly impose upon them. If you are mindful of the most frugal and sensible alternatives to replacement, it will make the adjuster’s job of getting the most property back to the policyholder for the least expense that much easier, resulting in a stronger relationship with the adjuster and more work for you.

Having clarified some of the benefits of soft goods restoration, let us examine the process in depth. Restoring leather goods is a very involved and specific process that starts with washing the goods in an exact balance of cold water, ozone and special additives.

The use of ozone as a deodorizer in the field of garment restoration is not a new advancement, but doing so in water that is highly ozone saturated as opposed to in an air chamber greatly lessens the chance of further damage or adverse effects on the item to be restored. It also dramatically reduces the time investment, as air ozone treatments sometimes can take days to complete while high saturation ozone washing removes even heavy smoke odor in minutes.

The type of detergent used in the process is also extremely important when restoring leather soft goods. During the tanning process, all leathers have natural oils removed, which are then replaced by synthetic oils to create a wearable product. It has been proven that modified textile detergents cannot successfully clean soft goods because such detergents do not replace oils lost either as a result of the original damage or in the cleaning process.

Washing soft goods in the cold water, ozone and detergent mixture accomplishes three things. First, the combination of the three elements ensures that any odors will be completely removed. Second, any soot or soil that is on the leather is loosened and suspended. Lastly, the special detergent formula imbues synthetic oils and moisture back into the leather.

This third and final point is crucial, as restoration contractors have often been under the impression that soft goods made from animals just could not be restored properly. The methods that are being used now have been carefully formulated to deal with such obstacles.

After the items are cleaned using the above process, they are carefully dried and thoroughly inspected. Any remaining damage from smoke or water as well as lingering odors are detected and corrected. After inspection, the items are sprayed with a special finish. The spray process can also involve the addition of dyes and special treatments if necessary to do the very best in returning the leather to its original state.

This is what makes restored soft goods look so close to new, as this chemical finish is the same product that is used by many of the world’s leading shoe companies, which is applied to leather goods when they are manufactured.

The items are then closely inspected for a second time, stuffed with tissue and wrapped separately before being boxed to return to the policyholder in the most pristine condition possible.

The finishing process is the critical element in successful restoration of soft goods. Cleaning alone is simply unable to return soft goods to pre-loss condition (or better!)

Claims as bold as these may be met with skepticism from restoration contractors. Adjusters and policyholders certainly have been doubtful in the past when soft goods restoration is presented as an alternative in situations of extreme ruin.

In one exceptionally notable example, an adjuster made a hasty assessment that could have cost his insurance company thousands. Included in the loss in this particular situation were 21 pairs of custom made cowboy boots, which carried an estimated price tag of $1,000 per pair.

The adjuster determined that losses from fire and smoke were so colossal that there would be no point in the soft goods restorer to even bother investigating the damaged boots. The adjuster actually apologized to the restorer for wasting his time and energy to come to the site.

The restorer decided to attempt restoration and instead of replacing the hand-made footwear, the boots were restored to the policyholder’s complete satisfaction at a cost of $19.31 per pair. What would have cost over $20,000 to replace was restored for just over $400, and that was just the cowboy boots!

Imagine for a moment all of the other footwear, belts, purses and leather goods that were involved in this loss and ready to simply be discarded by the adjuster. 87% of the soft goods that were collected after this particular fire were restored, saving the insurance company thousands and thousands of dollars.

Even in the most dire and seemingly hopeless situations, using soft goods restoration allowed the contractor, the adjuster and certainly the policyholder the maximum benefit possible. It is clear that by working with a qualified garment, textile and soft goods restoration specialist, contractors can build relationships with adjusters, deliver the highest levels of policyholder satisfaction and generate substantial additional restoration revenues.

About the Author
Mike Rusciolelli is the Managing Director and founder of Evans Garment Restoration, LLC, a national textile, garment and soft goods restoration franchise. He is the inventor of the Evans patented process as well as several proprietary soft goods restoration systems.