Why do dry cleaners charge more for extra large shirts?

Posted January 6, 2012 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , ,

The short answer is, “Dry cleaners charge more for extra large shirts because they cost the cleaner more to process.” Here’s why…

About 80% of the cost of production in processing a shirt is the cost of labor. Most of the labor is spent on pressing the shirt. The dry cleaner uses special presses designed specifically for pressing shirts. These special presses more than triple the number of shirts that can be pressed by hand in the same amount of time. However, they only accomodate shirts within an average range of sizes. So, extra large or extra small shirts that fall outside of this range must be pressed by hand, because they will not fit on the presses.

To cover the cost of labor increase caused by the additional time and handling required to press the shirts by hand, the cleaner must charge more.

You can watch these special shirt presses in action in this related article “Why are women’s blouses more expensive to clean than men’s business shirts?”

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Are dry cleaning delivery services safe to use?

Posted July 20, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags:

Yes, they are quite safe! The good people at 1-800-DryClean service over 50,000 busy people, just like you, every day, all across the country. We have been providing safe & reliable dry cleaning delivery service for over 25 years.

But…

What about thieves?

Used clothing isn’t normally an item of interest for most thieves. However, in the highly unlikely event that your clothes are stolen, we will quickly reimburse you for the loss. If Fedex leaves boxes full of “mystery goodies” on your doorstep without a problem, you should have no problem leaving your used clothing there.

What if it rains?  

Your clothes are delivered inside protective plastic covers, so the rain can’t touch them. However, if you prefer, when it’s raining we can hold your clothes until the following delivery day. Or, we can deliver them to an alternative spot, like inside your garage or on your back porch.

What about my expensive suits? I can’t just stuff them in the laundry bag!

Why not? It won’t hurt them a bit. In fact, in order to properly clean a suit, the dry cleaning machine submerges your suit in soapy solvent, along with about 35 of your neighbor’s garments in each load. It then applies significant mechanical action to remove all the dust, oil, and dirt. The wrinkles are removed afterwards with professional steam presses.

What if I need next day service?

No problem! Just let us know what you need and we will take care of you. We are “automatically” in your neighborhood twice a week; however we can come by any day of the week.

What if I have special instructions?

Just jot down a note and drop it in the laundry bag or give us a call or send us an email. We love special requests!

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Shirt Button Replacement Tips

Posted July 13, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: ,
  1. If your button keeps popping off or working its way loose, try using dental floss instead of thread. You will need to use a larger sized sewing needle, but dental floss is incredibly strong and should certainly outlast the lifespan of the garment.
  2. If you can’t find a good match for your missing shirt button, try moving the bottom button of the shirt to the missing spot and then attach the mismatched button to the bottom spot. Shirt tails are often tucked in, so people are less likely to see the bottom button.
  3. If you don’t have the right color thread available, try using a colorfast magic marker or Sharpee permanent marker to “dye” white thread a different color.
  4. If you have multiple buttons that are chipped or cracked on a shirt, consider replacing the entire set of buttons. Top quality “unbreakable” shirt buttons are inexpensive and can be found at your local fabric store.
  5. A good full service cleaner will often replace shirt buttons, free of charge, as part of their cleaning service. Be sure to point out missing or cracked buttons when sending in your shirts.
  6. Replacing a button is often an unexpected chore that catches you when you’re in hurry. You can save time and frustration by having a needle pre-threaded and tucked away in a drawer ready to go.

Here’s a video I found on YouTube on How to Sew on a Button.

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How to Find the Garment Manufacturer

Posted July 13, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , ,

The Federal Trade Commission, FTC, requires that every garment manufacturer who imports to, or manufactures clothing in, the US must register with them. The FTC also requires the manufacturers to attach a care label to their garments. In addition to instructions on at least one safe method of cleaning the garment, each care label must display the manufacturer’s FTC Registration Number.

The Registration Number (RN or WPL) can be used to look-up the manufacturer on the FTC’s RN Query page on their website.

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Should dry cleaners replace buttons for free?

Posted June 28, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: ,

It’s reasonable to expect your dry cleaner to replace any missing or broken buttons on your business shirts, free of charge. I’ve found that the overwhelming majority of dry cleaners provide complimentary button replacement on shirts, as part of their cleaning service. They usually do this automatically, without being asked, but it’s always a good idea to point out any buttons that may need replaced when you send in your shirts. Many of the better full service cleaners will go so far as to replace the entire set of shirt buttons, free of charge, if they are unable to find a good match for the missing button OR if multiple buttons on the shirt are missing, cracked, or chipping. Cleaners are willing and able to provide free button replacement for shirts mainly because most shirt buttons are normally very generic in style and can be purchased inexpensively ahead of time in large quantities.

Free button replacement is usually not extended to blouses, dresses, and other garments which often have very unique, hard to match, expensive buttons. In these cases, the cleaner will typically ask you to shop for a replacement button or set of buttons and then offer to attach them for you, free of charge. However, if the buttons were damaged during cleaning, due to the dry cleaner’s negligence, they should reimburse you for the purchase price of the buttons as well. Some buttons are so delicate that they need to be either covered up or removed before the garment is cleaned, in order to avoid damaging them.

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Why does dry cleaning turn clothes dingy gray?

Posted June 2, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning
Tags: , ,

If you are a frequent dry cleaning customer, you may have noticed that sometimes your lighter colored garments come back dingy or grayish in color after dry cleaning. This problem is most often caused by a process called “redeposition”.

The cause of redeposition is very similar to what happens to bath water when you take a bath, you become cleaner and the water becomes dirtier. When clothes are dry cleaned, the dirt, oil, and grime on the dirty clothes is removed and then becomes suspended in the dry cleaning solvent. Redeposition occurs when the  suspended soil is “re-deposited” onto garments in subsequent loads.  There is often a faint but very unpleasant odor associated with redeposition. It smells like a cross between body odor, stinky feet, and rotting fish.

Dry cleaning solvent is very expensive, so its typically filtered, distilled, recycled, and reused many times. Many higher quality dry cleaners avoid redeposition by continually distilling or “cooking” their solvent, so each load of clothes is cleaned with fresh solvent. However, continually distilling solvent is expensive. So, some cleaners (especially the one price, deep discount, economy cleaners) save money by waiting as long as possible before they distill their solvent. Fresh solvent should be clear, but I’ve seen some cleaners using solvent as dark as black coffee. It’s really gross!

There is some good news. The dingy gray color and foul odor caused by redeposition can often be removed by dry cleaning the garment in fresh solvent. When shopping for a new cleaner, ask them how often they distill their solvent. “Continually” is the best answer.

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What’s an “Invisible Stain”?

Posted May 27, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: ,

As unlikely as it sounds, there is a group of stains known as “Invisible Stains”.

Most invisible stains are caused by either food, oily substances, or beverages. Although quite visible while its still wet, after it dries it becomes invisible. Later on, with exposure to heat or the passage of time, a yellow or brownish stain will appear. This is caused by the oxidation or caramelization of the sugar in the staining substance. It is the same process that makes a peeled apple turn brown after exposure to air.

Oily type stains can be particularly challenging. Dry cleaning can successfully remove most oily stains, unless they are left to oxidize. Once they oxidize and turn yellow or brown, they become much more difficult to remove. This type of stain can be distinguished by the irregular “cross pattern” the oil makes along the edge of the stain as it follows the fabrics fibers.

If you know about an invisible stain, be sure to point it out to the cleaner when sending in your garment. The cleaner will need to treat these stains prior to cleaning, since the heat of drying or pressing may set the stain.

Thank you to the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute for their continued efforts to educate dry cleaning consumers!

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Dry Cleaning Expert Witness Testimony

Posted March 2, 2011 by Darrell New
Categories: Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , , ,

I recently served as an expert witness in a court case. My area of expertise was dry cleaning, laundry, and clothing care. If you are in need of my expert witness services, please email me, darrell.new@1-800-dryclean.com

Thank you!

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What is Wedding Gown Preservation?

Posted December 28, 2010 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: , ,

Few things are as cherished as a wedding gown. After the wedding, most brides will choose to preserve their dress as a keepsake, with the hope of passing it down to a daughter or close family friend.

In order to preserve it properly, the gown must first be professionally cleaned. While a gown may not appear soiled, it is bound to be soiled to some degree by perspiration and body oils. Some stains that may not be immediately visible will oxidize with age, quite possibly causing fabric weakness, discoloration, and irreversible damage to the gown.

After professional cleaning, proper packaging is critical. Traditional wedding gown boxes do not protect or guarantee against oxidation and yellowing of the gown. You should seek out a cleaner that uses a packaging system that will control oxygen and humidity. The cleaner should offer a lifetime guarantee against oxidation and yellowing.

In order to control humidity, the cleaner should hermetically seal your gown in an acid-free inner box. The oxygen should be removed from the box and replaced with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to make oxidation virtually impossible. The box should have a viewing window and be secured with an air-tight seal.

Finally, the inner box should be placed inside a heavy duty cardboard outer storage box for added safety. Any 1-800-DryClean franchise will be happy to pick-up & deliver your wedding gown, free of charge, have it professionally preserved and include a lifetime guarantee against oxidation and yellowing.

If you don’t have a 1-800-DryClean franchise serving your area, you can send your dress to me! If you are interested, please email me at darrell.new@1-800-DryClean.com for the details.

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Comforters: Why some stains come out & some don’t?

Posted December 28, 2010 by Darrell New
Categories: Clothing Care Tips, Dry Cleaning, Laundry
Tags: ,

It’s a very common problem. When you have your comforter cleaned, some of the stains come out but some don’t. Why?

The most likely reason is time. When it comes to stain removal, time is the biggest factor. The age of the stain often determines whether its removable or not. If treated quickly enough, in the hands of a trained professional, ”almost” any stain can be removed from almost any fabric. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Given enough time, an otherwise removable stain can cause permanent damage to the fabric.

Removing stains on household items such as comforters, blankets, drapes, and rugs are particularly problematic, because some of the stains can be very old. Even if the cleaner is able to remove the original stain, you can often still see where the stain was, because the stain changed the color of the underlying fabric. This type of fabric damage is often irreversible.

As a general rule, as soon as the stain hits the fabric, immediately blot up as much of it as possible with a clean cloth. Then, as soon as possible, have the stain treated professionally, the quicker the better.

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