Picking up your laundry in the dry cleaner is almost as good as carrying a loot bag in your favorite store. The freshness, the service, the attention, the hangers and the bag without folds make the choice of dry cleaning instead of washing at home much more fun. But the hidden mentality and mind that we blindly use when we put our clothes in the dry cleaner could actually hurt us.
The idea for this article came from a very popular Reddit thread in which a dry cleaning veteran, we'll call him "Mike", shared all kinds of internal knowledge of his more than 10 years in dry cleaning. We checked your claims against many other sources to create this dry cleaning guide.
We're here to help you with some myths, tips, and best tips from three dry cleaning professionals to get the best cleaning for your money.
SB TIP: The experiences with the gurus for chemical cleaning Caroline, "Mike" and Philip cited in this article may not be that of all chemical cleaning. So keep that in mind as you read.
SOME MYTHS
Myth : Dry cleaning is dry.
Truth : chemical cleaning isn't really dry at all. "Instead of washing with water, the clothes are cleaned with a liquid chemical solvent. The simple fact that water is not used in this process makes it "dry," explains Caroline Tolmie, project manager at 2ULaundry , a unique startup in the south for laundry and cleaning services. The clothes are placed in a large industrial machine that is based on color (yes, with other people's things!) And dipped in a chemical solvent. "Clothes are cleaned with the low-rotation liquid that stains the surface. Then they will completely remove the chemicals and stains during a very fast spin cycle, "continues Caroline. Garments are completely dry when they leave the machine, how well they are treated to spot stains, pressed and packaged for delivery or collection.
Myth : I should put my clothes on hangers and plastic cleaners.
Truth : It seems a lot of work to break the plastic bags and turn off the wire hooks, but it's worth it. Think about it: there is a reason why dry cleaners hang and cover every room with their customers' clothes: it's cheap. But it only aims to protect your items on the way home. The plastic contains chemicals with which cotton, silk, rayon, wool and cashmere are not immersed. Plastic suffocates the fabric and can degrade it over time. Metal hooks can create hard lines and new shapes along the shoulders and neck. We want a better life for our precious pieces, don't we?
Myth : chemical cleaning is expensive and all cleaning products are similar.
Truth: The cost of dry cleaning can add up, but investigate. "Check the reviews online before trying a new dry cleaner," suggests Caroline. "When you look at the reviews, check the volume and the number of 5-star reviews. Also ask your housekeeper if she has any special offers or special offers. Some cleaners offer discounts on days when the volume is smaller. "
Myth : My "green" dry cleaning is really "green".
Truth : maybe. In general, green dry cleaning is referred to as an alternative chemical cleaning that does not use perchlorethylene, the main liquid chemical used to degrease and deodorize textiles without shrinking or fading. Although it is very good at work and is still used in most dry cleaners, some believe that "Perc" has negative effects on the environment and possibly on our health. There are safer and non-toxic alternatives, such as professional wet cleaning, which uses water and special equipment to gently clean, dry, and restore fabrics. Other "green" methods include cleaning with liquid carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons or liquid silicone. Research to find a cleaner without a Perc near you.
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Myth : I can only wash or clean my items thoroughly for chemical cleaning.
Truth : no No matter how delicate your clothes are, it can be a costly mistake. Your items may shrink, stretch, tear, fade, or bleed. And even if they survive the gentle cycle or hand washing, difficult stains are likely to remain. Caroline says: "My golden rule when I get a seat is not to touch it! Take it to your cleaning facility or arrange a pickup immediately. Embedded stains are much more difficult to remove than fresh stains. ""
She also suggests pointing to the source of the stain. "Depending on the type of stain, chemical cleaners use different methods for the localized treatment of stains. Knowledge and years of experience are required to understand how to deal with different types of spots. ""
Many third-party cleaning products and companies like 2ULaundry offer free delivery so your clothes don't stay in the back of your car for weeks. Image: 2ULaundry
Think Twice: NEVER DRY CLEAN
This is where our Mike information about Reddit comes in. Mike has had a dry cleaner for five years and worked on one ten years earlier, both front and rear. It burdens the things we should think about before dry cleaning so we don't waste money without knowing it.
down
Down items are usually more expensive to clean because they have to wash themselves so that the feathers don't fall on other people's clothing. "Quilts are rarely dry cleaned, but washed and then hung up to dry overnight and put in a dryer for a few minutes to fill the feathers before they are shipped to the customer," says Mike. Down is not pressed, so you can wash a jacket, hang it to dry and get the same result.
duvets
Repeat the chemical cleaning of your duvet, unless the label expressly says "dry cleaning only". According to Mike, some dry cleaning owners only want to dry-clean a duvet when they do, because washing is cheaper. Bedspread cleaning can vary between $ 40 and more, and you may get less quality than a wash. "Quilts are rarely seen for stains and are washed in a commercially available basic machine with a single configuration, hung up to dry overnight to save drying time, then placed in a commercially available dryer and done," says Mike. Yes moral of the story: it is better to spray the stains, pay $ 5 in a wash and choose your own cycle and spin settings.
Only perfect clothes
"Many customers don't check or understand their care labels, and dry cleaners love it," says Mike. If some of our most elegant items say "only clean spots", it means that they cannot be washed in a conventional manner. However, dry cleaning can melt the shine or the embroidery on the fabric and damage the dress. "Depending on the fancy of the dress, dry cleaning can cost up to $ 50 if they can't even clean it," warns Mike. You can individually identify the treatment areas or, at best, wash the soaked garment by hand in cold water and hang it to dry overnight - nothing that is not possible at home. And with glitter or elegant appliqué, the item generally cannot be pressed.
Wedding Dresses
Cleaning a wedding dress can cost up to $ 200, even if chemically cleaned like a pair of pants for $ 6. Mike says he never chooses the can. This storage box can increase your costs by $ 50 or more, but the cleaners don't squeeze the wedding dress that is placed in the box. If you open it three or 20 (or more!) Years later, you will find that you are in no hurry and that it is too late to start the cleaner again. "You get more for your money if you buy the storage box somewhere else and put on your clean and ironed dress," says Mike.
leather
Leather is the most expensive detergent, but most detergents send it to an external cleaner. Then charge up from the start. "There is also no specific method for chemical cleaning of leather," says Mike. "The leather is simply lightly colored with a leather detergent formula and then hung up to dry outdoors at night in a moisture-free environment." Basically pay labor costs. To save money, lightly wrap the jacket with Dawn soap, water, and an ultra-soft microfiber cloth.
Sports jerseys and decorated clothing
Sports shirts and other decorated clothing cannot be dry-cleaned because logos and other accessories melt. However, they look nice and fresh when pressed. Save money by washing items like golf shirts and shirts and keeping them crispy and starchy at the touch of a button.
LIST OF VALUE: WHAT 'S DRY CLEAN
Just as there are items that you don't necessarily need to dry clean, some parts ALWAYS need to be dry cleaned. This includes:
Shirts for men
Men's shirts are the cheapest dry cleaning product. They are bleached in bulk and then hot pressed on their own machine in less than 20 seconds. Dry cleaning doesn't make money with it, so it's a great value for customers.
Wool
As is known, wool attracts fluff and can only be dry-cleaned. The counter staff often removes the fluff by scraping and shaving the fabric, making it much easier to pick up.
Staples for dry cleaning only
Business suits, silk blouses, cashmere sweaters, etc. They should be left with their dry cleaning.
Oil and grease contamination.
Dry cleaning is based on oil and absorbs oils in the fabric, such as food, blood, body sweat, motor oil and other stains that water cannot remove. If you have oil in your tissues, dry cleaning is worth it. It is particularly ideal for removing annoying body oil stains around the armpits and cervix.
While chemical cleaning is very effective in removing stains, some simply cannot go.
Mike's conclusion: To get the most out of your money, make sure you can benefit from a professional quality press if you put something in the dry cleaner. If your article cannot be pressed, you often pay more for an article than you could do yourself.
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CUSTOMER RELATIONS CLEANER
To take a look at the customer experience with cleaning products, we spoke to Philip Lang, owner of Mom and Dad Park Avenue Cleaners in Nashville (a very well kept secret, but I let the cat out of my pocket). , here). Philip has an inexpensive cleaner where every item receives the same treatment and costs $ 3.99 to dry clean. We asked him what his customers should know before entering. He laughed and replied, "Don't bring shoes, bags, underwear or socks. Many people think we're a full laundry service, but most dry cleaners aren't!"
In Philip's Shop and on the website the price conditions and rules for fabrics are clearly stated. However, you may need to ask your cleaner for guidelines, prices, and delivery times for skins, leather, and suede.
Philip suggests taking four or more items out of the suit before cleaning, but bring your shirts with you after each use. "Wrists and necks get rings and dirt even after wearing them once. And the three cleaners say that cleaners generally squeeze their items for much less than a full dry clean. Philip will do it while you wait.
What happens if you take the clothes out of the laundry and an item has a new stain? "Above all, stay calm," says Philip. "Ask to speak to the owner or manager and give them the opportunity to solve the problem. Ninety percent of the problems you face can be solved. If not, most cleaners will pay for the item.
We hope that according to these myths, tips and best practices, a freshly pressed dry cleaning will be created for you and your family.
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More ideas on how to be clean, healthy and organized for spring can be found here .
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