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.

Drycleaning with gasoline: Do not try this at home!

I love these old safety videos! Hope you enjoy

Drycleaning has probably been around since the advent of textile clothing. There are many stories about the origin of drycleaning, all centering on a surprise discovery when a petroleum-type fluid was accidentally spilled on a greasy fabric. It quickly evaporated and the stains were miraculously removed. In spite of the name, drycleaning is not completely dry. Fluids are used in the drycleaning process. In the early days, garment scourers and dryers found several fluids that could be used as drycleaning solvents, including camphene, benzene, kerosene, and gasoline. These fluids are all dangerously flammable, so drycleaning was a hazardous business until safer solvents were developed. In the 1930s, percholoroethylene or *perc*(a nonflammable, synthetic solvent) was introduced and is used today in many drycleaning plants. Other cleaning solvents have been added, and still others are currently being tested. Silicon (GreenEarth) and CO2 are two arguably more environmentally benign solvents - but they are still being tested. Driven by concerns about perc and other drycleaning solvents, has resulted in a sophisticated machine-based process called “wetcleaning” which uses water as the solvent. Wetcleaning is done in specially-designed machines that have to be operated by garment care professionals. While professional cleaners have always employed some form of water-based cleaning methods, often by hand, these historic methods bear little resemblance to the new machine-based wetcleaning process.

Have a problem with odor in you clothes? Read this!

I ran across this article and thought it some of you may benefit from this information.
I posted my 2 cent response, and was impressed by all the ideas.

It's mostly accurate, but please don't use infused vodka for removing odor, and use caution on any dry-clean only garments.

http://corporette.com/2010/06/08/when-drycleaning-just-doesnt-help/

Ruined Clothes: What does a drycleaner owe you?

Buyer Beware!

I ran across this article this morning that I thought was well put together and a good reminder for all drycleaning consumers. It was fair and had all the right information. In a nutshell, a woman took her sample wedding gown into a cleaners to be cleaned before the wedding, and it came back ruined. She is now out over $1000 and the cleaners is doing nothing.

Ruined Clothes: What does a drycleaner owe you?

One important thing not addressed was; How much did Gigi's French Cleaners Charge for the gown cleaning?

Now I know on the surface, this looks like the cleaner is all wrong. And maybe he is. But all cleaners are not alike. It takes a tremendous amount on training to clean gowns that are intentionally manufactured to not be cleaned (hence "spotclean only")

In 2010, a full wedding gown cleaning should cost between $200-$400 dollars. That's how much it cost to be able to 1) afford the proper training, 2) take the time necessary, 3) honor the error and cover the cost of any possible damage. The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists has members that can replace panels, and have even ordered replacements for brides (from damage by the client that was irreparable).

When taking treasured items into a cleaner, YOU should 1) check the reputation of the cleaners - the BBB website is an easy way to see, 2) ask a clothing boutique (in this case she could have asked where she purchased the gown) and 3) Remember, you get what you pay for. I believe if you that spend less than 8% of the new cost of the clothes - you may not be getting the service you should. For example: If you have a $1000 Armani suit, and you are paying less than $80 to have it cleaned. . . . then you may just end up getting what you paid for, a ruined suit with no compensation.

10 Things Your Drycleaner Wants you to Know! Here is a GREAT article!

Usually when there is a dry cleaning article in the general press, it is very negative. However in this case I want to show everyone I meet the article.

The only downside is the name. Rather than "10 things your dry cleaner won't tell you" I would call it "10 things your dry cleaner wants you to know!


http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Shelter/Organizing-Cleaning/10-Things-Your-Dry-Cleaner-Won-t-Tell-You.html

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.

Happy Earth Day!

I believe that everyday is Earth Day. Today I want to express my opinions about drycleaning and the environment. These are my opinions from working in the industry for many years and being interested in protecting our environment most of my life.

The most frequent questions I get from the general public are normally related to drycleaning and the environment. Drycleaners get a lot of bad press in this area. And really that is too bad. However, the industry has brought this upon themselves through poor practices. Today this industry is heavily regulated. Drycleaners, like any business, respond to what their customers want. So the biggest thing you as a consumer can do is voice your opinions!

Here are some things you can think about when considering environmental concerns:

1. Ask your cleaner what they are doing to be environmentally conscious. The answer should be a list - not just the type of solvent
2. Be aware that operating in an environmentally conscious way is more expensive - beware of the "cheap eco-cleaner"
3. Take back your plastic
4. Take back your hangers for reuse - please be gentle with them! Reuse saves tremendous resources. Often the fatigue strength of hangers (due to the extrusion process) is such that the metal can no longer be recycled. Hangers are the last stop for metal on the way to a landfill - so be gentle and re-use them.
5. Voice your willingness to pay extra for environmental bags
6. Be aware that using less chemicals, or less harsh chemicals increases the labor necessary to remove stains. More time must be spent doing hand removal by a specialist - this increases the cost (Harsh chemicals in the machine removes more stains). Something that use to be removed without comment may need more time and effort.
7. Solvent types include: perc, petroleum (often called organic, however perc is organic by definition also), green earth (silicone based, and not organic), water, CO2. ----

Perc and Petroleum have been around pretty much since drycleaning started. So any cleaner that uses something other than these 2 solvents, is probably working to minimize their environment impact.

Drycleaning uses very special chemicals and solvents that are not fully understood. The majority of publicized environmental concerns are about the solvent. While it is true that if a drycleaner does not maintain their equipment, or operate it correctly, they may release toxins into the atmosphere and into the ground, careful use of any equipment results in 95% or better recycling of the solvent. The remainder should be disposed of properly.

The 2 most "environmental" forms of drycleaning are considered to be "wet cleaning" or CO2 cleaning. Wet cleaning uses water instead of a chemical solvent and CO2 uses liquid Carbon Dioxide.

Wet Cleaning is promoted by our local EPA as environmentally superior. However I question this, at least where I live, where water shortages occur more frequently than I would like. Drycleaners (as opposed to industrial laundries) are still allowed (and really have no other choice) to discharge the water, soap, etc., down the drain. NONE of the water is recycled by the cleaner. Even if the cleaner is conscientious and uses only full loads - there is still an impact on the environment.

Thanks for your time, and remember to tread lightly!