What You Don't Know About Wrinkle Free Shirts

This is a guest post by Don Desrosiers of Tailwind Systems.

Ruth Benerito

The idea of wrinkle-free/ wrinkle-resistant cotton rings a bell to those who hate ironing those shirts all the time. After all, if cotton shirts can be made to resist those unwanted creases and wrinkles then why even bother with regular cotton? This is the very idea that early researchers and garment manufacturers were tinkering with when synthetic fabrics such as nylon were beginning to replace cotton. Cotton manufacturers had to find a way to market cotton as the favorable choice of fabric. During the 1950s and 60s, a chemist and researcher named Ruth Benerito, made notable accomplishments in producing easy-care cotton fabrics.  The good news was that garments made by this new process were wrinkle-resistant- it did not have to be ironed. The bad news was that this process required the use of formaldehyde- a harsh chemical often used for preserving dead animals and body parts and classified by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as a probable carcinogen.

 There are generally five different methods used to produce wrinkle-free cotton: pre-cured fabric, post-cured fabric, dip-spin, spray method, and vapor phase. The main goal is to artificially swell the fabric by applying formaldehyde and heat so that instead of curling, the diameter of the fiber increases and makes it straight. While many of the issues associated with the use of formaldehyde in treating fabrics have been corrected through research during the past few years, and while the use of formaldehyde has been reduced, it has yet to be eliminated. Even the most popularly used resin, DMDHEU, which was meant to reduce the concentration of formaldehyde, is nevertheless a type of formaldehyde. In addition, wrinkle-free fabric has a reputation of being stiff and uncomfortable to wear. Many people also find that wrinkle-free garments still require some ironing due to the creases that form in some areas.  This is good news for drycleaners because it keeps them in the loop, at least to some extent.  Furthermore, for customers used to finely pressed cotton, an un-ironed “wrinkle-free” shirt, isn’t up to par.  This perhaps puts you, the consumer, in a disappointing place.  Wrinkle-free sounds like you might not need your drycleaner as much, but this doesn't turn out to be true.  

Many consumers fail to realize or simply do not care about the harsh and toxic chemicals that are being used in the products they use every day and researchers are still in the process of studying the long term health risks associated with being exposed to such chemicals. While society moved on to the 21st century, everything was manufactured and marketed to be fast and less time consuming. However, this sort of mindset comes with costs. While wrinkle-free means no more ironing, it also means a higher risk of health hazards associated with the toxins being used. Until researchers come up with more health-and-environmentally-friendly methods for producing wrinkle-free cotton, taking some time to iron those shirts don’t sound so bad after all.

 Natural Finish vs. Wrinkle Free Cotton

The best shirts are made from the finest 100% cotton, using Pima, Egyptian or other long staple cotton fiber. They will use a minimal amount of chemical finishes. The best quality shirts are not made of wrinkle free cotton. Aside from the potential health risks, the heavy use of chemical finishes that are necessary to achieve the performance, greatly diminishes the natural properties of cotton that have made it the fiber of choice in the better shirt world. These are facts that everyone buying shirts today should know.

Wrinkle free performance is achieved in 100% cotton by changing the cottons natural properties through the application of chemicals called resins. Most if not all of these resins contain formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical with proven links to cancer. These resins coat the fabric and are actually baked onto the fiber. It is only of late that people have started to question the negative consequences of wearing apparel that has been so heavily treated with chemicals.

Government Study Regarding Health Risks

A recent study mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and prepared for the US Congress by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicates that the formaldehyde based resins used in wrinkle free cotton shirts may be hazardous to one’s health. Here are some highlights of the report issued in August of 2010:

The GAO specifically stated: “Some clothing – generally garments made of cotton and other natural fibers – is treated with resins containing formaldehyde primarily to enhance wrinkle resistance. Formaldehyde is toxic and has been linked to serious adverse health effects, including cancer, and some federal agencies have regulations that limit human exposure which occurs primarily through inhalation and dermal (skin) contact.”

Many countries limit the amount of formaldehyde that can be in apparel. Among them are Germany, France and Japan. For some reason, the US does not.

Japan has among the strictest limits, allowing no more than 75 parts per million for shirts.

The GAO study tested for formaldehyde levels in 166 apparel items randomly chosen throughout the US over various apparel classifications, from outerwear to sweaters to shirts.

9 items of the 166 tested exceeded the Japanese standard. Of those 9 items, 5 were marketed as being wrinkle free or resistant. The worst item was a wrinkle free cotton dress shirt that was almost 3 times the limit.

The GAO specifically stated: “More than half of the items we had tested that exceeded these limits were labeled as having fabric performance characteristics related to durable press (wrinkle free), which may indicate the use of resins that contain formaldehyde.”

The characteristics that have made cotton so popular in the better shirt world are greatly compromised by the vigorous processing required to achieve wrinkle or stain resistant finishes. The baked on coating of the resins actually changes the natural performance characteristics of the cotton fiber. Arguably, for all practical purposes the fabric is no longer cotton because breathability and absorbency are greatly diminished making the shirt far less comfortable and unable to defuse natural perspiration.

The process weakens the fabric, which makes it wear faster at cuffs, collars and elbows and makes it more susceptible to tearing at seams.  How many times have you seen that lately and assumed that it was your drycleaner's fault?

The appealing natural feel of the fabric is compromised. The coated fabric often has a slick, synthetic, sometimes harsh feel to it. Especially in warmer conditions.  Cotton doesn’t absorb a spill like it used to and you can’t dry your car with it anymore.  That’s because the cotton is coated and unnatural.

The vibrancy of color is diminished. The fabric is coated; therefore there is film over the fabric that diminished the vibrancy of the original colors.

Lastly, it should be further noted that wrinkle free shirts eventually lose their wrinkle free feature. The performance that is achieved when the garment is new diminishes over time and is usually entirely exhausted after 25-30 washings.

Wrinkle-free shirts may not be what you think they are.  Hopefully, you've been enlightened.  

Don Desrosiers has been in the laundry and drycleaning industry since 1978.  Desrosiers is a monthly columnist for The National Clothesline, Korean Cleaners Monthly, The Golomb Group Newsletter, NEFA’s Headlines and More and Australia’s The National Drycleaner and Launderer.   He is also a contributor for DLI’sFabricare Magazine and other regional industry publications.  He is a member of the Society of Professional Consultants and is the 2001 winner of IFI’s Commitment to Professionalism Award.  He is an occasional teacher at DLI, and a frequent speaker at industry gatherings where he lectures on Management Philosophy, Shirt Laundering, Business Management and Labor savings.  He has a corporate website at www.tailwindsystems.com and can be reached by telephone at 508.965.3163 and via email at tailwind.don@me.com.

Guide to Knit Care

Living next to the ocean, there is often a crisp cool feel in the air and knits are popular here all year around.  Knit is a practical, yet stylish fabric that provides warmth, comfort, and durability; however, knit fabric has the potential to overstretch and distort if cared for improperly.

 

Purchasing

When purchasing knitwear, ask the sales representative for extra buttons. If the buttons fall off, it can be nearly impossible for the seamstress to find a perfect match, which can alter the appearance of the garment.

Unique Buttons

St John Knits is one of my favorite brands for knit wear.  Besides looking great, they have a spectacular repair facility in Irvine California.  I have had the opportunity to go there several times.  Odds are if you have any trouble at all with a St John Knit less than five years old, including missing buttons, they will take care of it for you!

Purchase knit separates together within the same season to ensure perfectly matched items. Dye lots can vary—often dramatically—from season to season.

Storing

Avoid hanging knits because gravity can distort the garment’s shape. Store knit folded in a drawer.  Always CLEAN items before storage.  Invisible stains can't be seen and may attract insects - which is where holes often begin!  If you had them drycleaned - there should be tissue in between the folds of the sweater.  This tissue should be left there during storage.  It will absorb out-gassing and help preserve your knits.  Also, for long term storage, try wrapping them in a clean white sheet or pillow case (not NEW sheets - wash sheets a couple times before using them for garment storage) to help them retain their shape and keep them clean.

After the winter, store knit garments in a cedar chest or in a cedar-lined closet to keep them fresh and free from insect damage.  Please do not put any garment in direct contact with the wood.  Resin or sap can cause discoloration and deterioration.

Beware the Care Label!

Beware of The FTC Care Label

In the US, garments are required to have a care label indicating a method of cleaning.  While most garment manufacturers take great pains to give you reasonable care label instructions, there is no law stating that the care label has to be correct.

That said, these are a few care label instructions where I would avoid buying an item if I saw it on the label:

• Spot Clean Only- this means the garment must be cleaned inch by inch, by hand! It is time consuming and costly. This instruction works best for a dark color garment and one that you plan on wearing only once on special occasion.

• Dry Clean Exclusive of Ornamentation- this means your cleaner must remove all the trim, buttons, bows and other ornaments BEFORE the garment is processed, and then sew them back on again. Another time intensive and expensive process, and at times, not even possible.

• Two Distinctly Different Label Instructions- if the care label on the garment’s lining calls for washing and there is another label on the face fabric that suggests dry cleaning, your cleaner will have to remove the lining in order to process in accordance with the Care Label instructions. You don’t want to know how much that would cost.

• DRYCLEAN ONLY. DO NOT TUMBLE. AIR DRY AT 100º it is virtually impossible for an environmentally friendly drycleaner to follow this instruction.

• And for men's shirts - avoid any thing that says cold water, or cool iron.

For those of you who want the details behind the FTC. . . here you go http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/textile/carelbl.shtm

Do you have FANCY shirts?

My favorite shirt at the moment is Robert Graham. . . But preferences change quickly.  What I do know is often these cotton shirts can cost $200, $300, $400+ each!  That is quite an investment.

The best deal at your local drycleaner is cleaning a standard men's cotton dress shirt.  In the industry it's known as a "commercial laundry."  However, I learned a long time ago that everything has a trade off.  In this case it is the wear and tear on your shirts.  And if you have fancy shirts, you may want to reconsider having them cleaned this way.

Better cleaners will scrub the collars and cuffs before putting your shirt in the wash.  All cleaners will wash the shirts (detergents may vary) and then press the shirt.  I do not call it ironing because it is not ironing.  These shirts will not go into a dryer.  They are dried by the pressing process which is a big hot metal plate, the size of a standard mans shirt, that clamps down on the shirt.  This results in a crisp smooth finish that many people love.  However it is hard on the shirt.  The life of the shirt that is cleaned this way is between 36 and 52 washings.

Any shirt with fancy buttons or snaps, tapering, loose plackets can be damaged by this process.  Many shirt materials such as corduroy, linen, seersucker or flannel cannot be processed this way without being damaged (or looking really bad) and only shirts that fit on the special machine can be processed this way.
  
When I was first entering this industry I had the opportunity to visited the New York Turnbull & Asser store (where they make fancy shirts.)  I asked them "why they put those little bubble in the tip of the collar,  when all commercial laundry equipment just flattens it right out?!"

By the look on the associates face, I had just said something horrible. 
It was clear he thought the drycleaner (me!) was irresponsibly cleaning their shirts.  The Turnbull & Asser people fully expect that every shirt would be cold water wash, gently dried and hand ironed.  This service is often 3 times as expensive, or more!

So here is a HUGE disconnect between the maker of the clothes and the cleaner.  I believe in an effort to provide value, the cleaner has unknowingly done a disservice to their customers.

So how much should you pay to have your shirts cleaned?
Well, that depends on your preferences an how long you want them to last. 

What is your time worth?  Hand ironing takes time, and time is one resource that we can't get back!
When in doubt, ask your cleaner - we are here to help you take care of your wardrobe.

Men's Wear Classics

Fashions come and go, but laughing makes you feel great!

A Consumer Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Drycleaning

I just read a great article in a Miami newspaper and wanted to share.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-drycleaning-guide-20110304,0,1866198,full.story

This article does a good job of talking about manufacturing issues where the drycleaner is often blamed, color loss during cleaning is one example. They also talk about a few instances when the manufacturer was fined. One note: in the US, all wearable garments are required to have one method of cleaning on the care label and a content label. It is NOT required to be correct.

I recommend that you look for a cleaner that does not rely on the care label. He should read the care label, but the cleaning method should be based on the Drycleaners experience and testing the garment before cleaning.

Care labels are often wrong and any drycleaner worth their salt will use a care label as a guideline only!

New app to help with dry-clean errand!

I am a long time Verizon user and have been longing for an iPhone for years! Recently, I purchased an iPad. And I love it! Unfortunatly, my burning desire for an iPhone has only increased as I experience the usefulness and fun aspect of the iPad applications also known as apps. From google goggles, to star gazer, from vuvuzuela to pull my finger, these apps range from the useful to the silly.
Apps are elegant and fun to use.

So what does this have to do with Drycleaning? Well, I just ran across the dry-clean only app! I have downloaded the lite version for the iPhone on my iPad, and so far, it looks pretty useful. Enter in your receipts when you drop off your items. . . And get a push notification 2hours before your pick up time.

Pretty cool!

If you want true convenience, get pick up and delivery Drycleaning service -you can still use this app for that.
So far, this app only has rated 2 stars. I was so excited that it existed, I wanted to share immediately.

Click here to read about this app: http://www.nightclubapps.com/2010/04/23/dry-clean-only-nightclub-apps-review/

If you have any experience, positive or negative, with this app please share with us!
Thanks and happy cleaning!

Shopping Know-How for Men: Greater Rewards in Less Time!

Since this is a blog about drycleaning, I am going to focus on those most common garments that must be drycleaned: A sport coat and dress slacks.

Identifying issues before you buy, can save you a lot of grief at the drycleaners and save you money in the long run!

SPORT COATS: There are 6 (or 7 depending on how you count) major issues you should address before you buy a sport coat (and that does not include how it looks and feels when you try it on)!

1. Lapel Roll

• Lapels are meant to be rolled, not pressed with a crease.
• ALL jackets are meant to have the lapel roll to about one inch above the top button.
• Gabardine and soft wools are hard to train to roll, do not buy if it does not roll properly!
• If you wear your jacket open frequently, you should also avoid these fabrics, the material will gain a new "memory" over time and likely not roll properly after a while.

2. Back Collar Felt

• The back collar of the jacket should always cover the felt below it.
• Before buying a jacket. check to ensure this is the case! It usually appears fine when hanging on the hanger, however it may be different when you try on the jacket (a good reason to bring a companion when you shop).
• If the felt has been cut or fitted poorly, it will show below the collar.
• Posture may also create this unfortunate condition.
• If you see progressive shrinkage with drycleaning, ask your cleaner to steam, stretch, and reblock the collar to cover the felt.

3. Fusible vs. Sewn Construction

• The fusing process usually uses an interfacing, an adhesive, and material.
• This process gives the jacket a clean, smooth line and is commonly used with gabardine and tropical-weight fabrics.
• Adhesive will ALWAYS break down eventually. In time or after several years, the glues just give up.
• This results in a bubbling or puckering most commonly in the front area.
• There is some debate over what causes this - but I am certain it is just the chemical nature of adhesives!
• Price does not dictate the quality of fused construction. However fused construction is typically less expensive than a sewn construction jacket.
• If you want your jacket to last over 5 years, I recommend not purchasing a fused jacket
• The Problem with Sewn Construction? The lining is typically made of a different material from the jacket. So after several cleanings, different rates of shrinkage cause a rippled effect.
• -- A decent tailor can normally correct this problem.

4. Two-Button vs. Three Button Jackets

• ALWAYS keep the extra buttons that come with your jacket!
• The traditional 3 button jacket (made famous by Brooks Brothers) presents a special problem: the top button is usually hidden under the lapel roll. However, since most cleaners machine press the lapel, you will be left with a circular button impression! That is quite unsatisfactory! (if you have any 3 button jackets, go check and see if you have that ugly button impression).
• I recommend removing the top button if this is the case. You can's see it anyway, so why not avoid having your cleaners mess it up?
• If you want to wear a three-button as a three button, please get a designer jacket that was designed to be a three-button jacket.

5. Single Breasted or Double Breasted

• Single-breasted jackets are easy to wear and have less material than double-breasted jackets.
• A single-breasted jacket can be worn unbuttoned and still look neat.
• Double-breasted jackets may not be the best choice for a shorter man with a full build.
• Double-breasted jackets are designed to be worn buttoned at all times! Wearing them unbuttoned not only looks bad, but it can damage the lapel roll.

6. Fabrics: The fabric you select will have a tremendous impact on the life, wear and cleanablity of you clothes!

LOW MAINTENANCE: 100% Wool wears longer than blends. Fall and Winter weaves (flannel, tweed, herringbone, etc) are the easiest to maintain because they are 100% wool, wrinkle resistant, and respond to brushing after wearing (you should always brush your wool jackets after wearing!)

Blended Fabrics that contain some polyester are wrinkle resistant but tend to shine faster. Fabrics with a nap or texture show less soil and tend to press well.

Of the cotton fabrics, seersucker is the most durable and least labor-intensive. Some seersucker can be washed, although drycleaning is more gentle.

HIGH MAINTENANCE: Thin, summer cotton may feel great, but it wrinkles easily. And frequent pressings of a light color will cause the jacket to wear more quickly.

Lighter fabrics also show perspiration and may have more damage due to perspiration - be sure your jacket is lined if you have a summer jacket!

Natural fibers do not hold color! So a brightly colored linen, or cotton jacket, besides needing to be pressed frequently and damaged by perspiration, will fade. And if you get a stain, there is a high likely hood it will not be removable without pulling a little color. This leave a light spot where the stain used to be! NEVER RUB A STAIN ON THIS MATERIAL - You will be left with a damaged area!

Gabardine - can shine easily, and if it is heavy weight - often has fusing issues.

Superfine Wool - also known as Super 100, Super 120 and even Super 180. This is very delicate material and not a good idea for an everyday suit. It wears easily and most quickly at the elbows.

Camel, cashmere and silk blends - not for everyday wear. These materials should be cleaned on MANUAL drycleaning cycle and are therefore expensive to clean. If your cleaner is not charging for these items, beware!

Raw "nubby" Silk - Pill easily, Difficult to clean (fading and stain removal - this is also a natural fiber),

Suit and Dress Slacks: Pants take more abuse than the jacket does, and they are typically drycleaned more often than the jacket. Consider the fabric (discussed above) when you are purchasing your pants!

GOOD IDEA: When you buy a suit, purchase an extra pair of slacks at the same time!

Whew! This is already longer than I intended. Now you know why none of my friends take me shopping! Take my advise, and you will be enjoying your purchase for years to come.

Why you should read Garment Care Labels

Ever wonder what those strange symbols are in the labels of your garments?

Well you should! Taking just a minute to review that label may make the difference between a favorite peice and a nightmare at your drycleaners!

One of the best tips I can give you is ALWAYS look at the label before you make a purchase . . . For example; Prada has just come out with several gorgeous pieces - if you look at the label it says "do not dryclean, do not wash, no steam." If you get any soil or spills on this item, it very likely may be the end of the garments life.

$500 is a lot to spend for a garment you will only be able to wear a handful of times. You may still want to purchase the item (they are gorgeous!). And now you are making a fully informed decision.

In the US, garment care labeling is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. They REQUIRE manufacturers to list at least one acceptable means of care for the garment. NOTE: There is NO requirement that the label needs to be correct, there is NO requirement to indicate what should not be done to clean the item ("Do no dryclean" for example). However, even with these shortcomings, at least in the US, we have care labels. Other countries often have no care/content label at all.

Better dryceaners will always read care labels. However, because of the shortcomings listed above, they may not always follow them exactly. They are really used as a guideline. For example, many silk and some cashmere sweaters can be cleaned with water. They feel and look wonderful when cleaned that way properly. However the label may have said "dryclean". BEWARE - the water temp, agitation and detergents must be carefully controlled. I am not suggesting you throw your cashmere sweater in the washer with some Woolite!

So now onto explaining how to read those little labels.
A circle typically indicates drycleaning. Letters inside the circle represent the type of drycleaning solvent. Tub shaped symbols are often a form of machine or hand washing.
Numbers within the tub represent temperature in degrees Celsius. The iron symbol of course relates to ironing and the dots inside the iron correlate to temperature. An "X" over any of these symbols prohibits the use of that process.
There are some fabrics that tend to be difficult to care for regardless of the care label and require special precaution. These include:

1. Sueded or Sand washed Silk (think Tommy Bahama)
2. Appliqued, beaded or otherwise embellished garments (I once had a metal piece that melted in the dryclean machine! I still wonder what that "metal" was made of!)
3. Brightly died pigskin sued (it cannot be repainted like leather)
4. Printed fabrics that only have print on on side

Better drycleaners use creative cleaning methods not normally in use by conventional drycleaners. They also have considerable ongoing training for new materials and experience. There is no substitute for desire and experience

Save Money On Your Wardrobe

It seems that everyone is feeling the pinch of our downward economy. Talk of doom and gloom is all around. It looks like 2009 will be a bad year for most of us financially.

So it is natural that we are all watching our spending. I have noticed that there are fewer people out at the restaurants during the week and stores seem to be closing daily. If you are watching your finances, you probably want to make all your investments last, including your clothing investment.

I have noticed a significant drop in clothes going to the drycleaners. I have talked with cleaners around the country and the trend is everywhere. While I understand why many people have no choice but to reduce spending, cleaning clothing after use is still the best investment for your clothes. As long as you are conscientious, and follow care labels and detergent directions cleaning your clothes yourself is a much better option than just wearing them more frequently between cleaning, or not cleaning them and putting them in their closet.

If you want your garments to last and look sharp like when you bought them, ALWAYS clean them after wearing. When you store soiled garments, many things can happen. Also keep in mind that just because a garment looks clean, it may not be.

Please, if you want your garments to last, the important thing to remember is you will almost always clean garments after you wear them. How you clean them is up to you.

3 Common Types of Damage Caused by NOT Cleaning After Wear:

1. Body oils are often not readily visible, but perspiration and other things that we exude from our pores are often acidic and damage fibers over time. This can create holes or color loss. Men's shirt collars can be especially problematic. Those oils around the neck may be nearly invisible, but if they have time to oxidize, the shirt may not recover!
2. Some spills like white whine or 7up dry completely clear. However, if they are not removed they will oxidize and turn brown the same way an apple turns brown after you take a bite and leave it out. Once these stains turn brown they are very difficult, and sometimes impossible to remove.
3. Insects such as moths are really after the soils in the cloths, and they will cause damage.

Pay less to clean your shirts!

I want to illuminate one of the most frequent complaints I hear about drycleaners.
“I wanted my shirt laundered. Why did you dryclean it? I don’t want to pay 3 or 4 times what you charge for the laundered shirt!”

Even worse – the public often get the impression that their cleaner charges more for women’s clothing than men’s. That is illegal! Unfortunately, the clerks working at many cleaners don’t understand why the prices are what they are. Poorly trained Customer service reps re-enforce this common misconception.

Before I address the WHY, here are my tips for buying shirts so that you won't experience this:



First: Buy 100% cotton! Rayon, spandex blend, silk, etc. CANNOT BE Machine Finished! The machine has 400F plates that close on the WET material. These materials melt, tear or otherwise cannot withstand the process!

Second: Select shirts with standard buttons. - Pearl buttons, snaps, etc. will break or melt!

Third: Do not buy shirts with pleats, tacks, ornamentation or linings that can flop around.

Lastly: Buy your shirts between a size 6 and 12 - anything too large or too small SHOULD cost extra because it won't fit on the machine.

Shirts can be finished by 3 methods: Machine Only (Least costly), Touch up - Machine and then touched up with an iron (More Labor intensive), Hand Finish - Ironed the old fashioned way (If you have ironed your own shirts, you know what I'm saying when I say this is the most labor intensive. A skilled finisher with the best equipment can still take up to 15 minutes to properly iron a linen or cotton blouse!)

The reason drycleaning is expensive is because of the time, supplies, labor and utilities involved.



So the natural question would be "Why don't they make machines for other types of clothing?" Well there is no garment as uniform and frequently used as a man's dress shirt.





I hope this photo of the shirts as they come off of the machine (no touch-up) make my point. Every one is a different brand. Some are short sleeve, some are button down. But they are notably all alike.



Try this with women's blouses and you will begin to understand your drycleaners dilemma!

So let's review why these shirts are so inexpensive: First off, shirts are not dried. There are no utilities necessary to dry the shirts, because they are pressed wet. The shirt machine is “dressed” with a wet shirt, and then 2 400 degree hot metal plates close on the shirt drying and pressing it at the same time.

So besides the savings in natural gas (which is huge, by the way!) one person can press over 50 shirts an hour!!!! Try that on your ironing board at home. Even with all the fancy technology, pressing a rayon, silk or even (I should say especially) a cotton or linen blouse takes up to 10 minutes. Cotton and Linen hand pressed shirts are even more time consuming.

That being said, shirt pressed by machine feel different. They are a little stiffer than hand finished shirts – That is the your preference.

Also, shirt that are machine finished only last (according to the Laundry & Drycleaning Institute) 52 washings. That is a life of one year if you wash your shirt weekly. Hand finished shirts will not wear out that quickly.

The key to avoiding this:Communication!

AND

You get what you pay for (and what you want)!

How to create free time

If you are like me, you have more things to each day than you have time for. Time is a precious commodity. We cannot make more time and it keeps on moving forward, no matter how we protest. I think time is our most precious commodity. How we use our time shapes who we are.

So how much time do you spend on errands? Things like grocery shopping, going to the post office, and going to the drycleaner.

Going to the drycleaners. What other chore can you name where you have to get in your car and drive to the same shop twice and pay money to get your same old clothes back! And if you clothes are not ready on the promised day, you could be going in yet again! Really! Who has time for that?

Did you know you don’t have to go to the drycleaners? Most areas have at least one cleaner that offers free pick up and delivery. Why would anyone NOT use this free service?

They put your credit card on file. You leave your clothes in a bag on a hook on your front door (or some other predetermined spot). Then on the “ready” date (generally Monday to Thursday, Thursday to Monday, Tuesday to Friday and Friday to Tuesday). Your clothes are returned to you fresh and clean to your door.

Your drycleaner literally becomes your front (or back door). In drycleaning, as in life, it is all about the automating the details. This is one errand that should be a non-errand. After all, don't you have better things to do?

Click here for some time saving tips from the smart folks at MIT!

How to Impress Women

PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU PRESS YOUR OWN SHIRTS!
We can tell if you don't get your shirts professionally laundered. They just don't have that crisp finished look. The lines on the side or arms are a dead giveaway, or maybe its that slightly fuzzy look that gives it away. These days lots of guys are wearing funky dress shirts over jeans. Its a great look! But if its wrinkled (not the wrinkled look - big difference), we wonder "why can't he spend $3 to get a shirt pressed? His time must not be valuable."

I was recently fortunate enough to attend a networking group that consisted of (mostly) very successful (read millionaire) Internet businessmen. It was a fascinating experience! They were all there to network and get ideas from each other. It quickly became clear that they were driven to be successful in ALL aspects of their lives. Many were married and work life balance was discussed more than once. At one point they got so specific as to ask the question "how can I make sure my wife (partner, etc) feels loved when I work such long hours and travel frequently?"

Now as a woman, I have heard this story countless times from the other end of the conversation. I found this discussion really impressive. One recommendation struck me as brilliant in its simplicity; no matter whether both partners work or not, get a house keeper. If you are never home and never clean or do dishes etc. resentment will build in your partner. But if you are home - it is more important to have quality time, rather than spend it cleaning toilets.
Wow! So simple and so true

After the epiphany of the house cleaner, I started questioning how many of them used drycleaners, and of those that did, did they have pickup and delivery service. Actually, I could tell right away that most of them did not use a cleaner. Most were wearing dress shirts and it was apparent that they (turns out it was their wife) did the laundry.

Now the age range of the group was 25 - 50 and the over 40 crowd seemed a little more savvy about drycleaning. However many of the younger ones had never even consider it. When I asked if they could think of a more tedious time consuming chore than laundry, I got the impression most of them didn't do their own laundry. Suddenly a light went on - while they already had a housekeeper, they could also get the laundry sent out. What about sheets? Khakis?
They found a new way to be successful and a hero at home! And it was simple.

These were entrepreneurs that made their living by selling their ideas - that pretty much applied to everyone there. How they looked would be key to making a sale to investors, customers (if they met them in person) or their wives. And every one of them wanted to look as successful as they were (Don't get me wrong there won't be any suits anytime soon) and make life better for their family.

What is important in life? All these success stories put their family, their time and their image at the top of the list and that is exactly what a drycleaner can do for you.