January 31, 2010
If you work in an office and wear a lot of dry clean only clothes, you are probably sick of the bi-weekly visits and cost of getting all of your clothes dry cleaned regularly. Here are a few tips to keep you out of the Chicago cleaners and living your life:
- Buy enough shirts so you can go two weeks or more without a trip to the dry cleaners. This might seem impossible, but by getting two or three extra shirts when they are on sale, you’ll be able to take one load every ten days to your Chicago cleaners. This might not seem like a time-saver, but you’ll have fewer instances where you rush out of work early or wake up to find nary a shirt in sight.
- Find a reliable spot remover. Talk to your Chicago cleaners about what they recommend for removing small stains. You might strike something that lets you get that coffee stain out of your shirtsleeve, letting you wear it one extra day before hitting the dry cleaners. You might also save your shirt before the stain becomes set in, letting you hold on to your clothes just a bit longer.
- Avoid products that make you sweat or use oils. If your deodorant is discoloring your shirt or making your shirts musty by the end of the day, find a new deodorant. If your lotion gives you ring around the collar, stop using that lotion. You can start stretching your dollar if you just take a few simple steps to eliminate products that add to your dry cleaning bills.
- Take your work clothes off right after you get home. Make it a habit to head straight to your closet after work and remove your business dress or work blazer. Put your clothing on hangers and let them air out in the closet. This habit will ensure you don’t spill red sauce when wearing work pants or that you toss your jacket over the chair and end up wrinkling it.
- Find a good delivery service. If you can find a good affordable delivery service, you’ll never have to worry about hitting the dry cleaners after a long day. You can find delivery that will even pick up and drop off clothes at your office, so you just have to hit the front desk on your way home for the night and you’ll be ready to go with fresh clothes the next day.
January 29, 2010
No matter what, some of us are going to experience some ring around the collar in our business shirts and collared blouses. This is a natural result of neck grime and oil building up in the neck area. The oils and dirt collects and leaves a natural stain that is hard to remove. There are a few steps you can take to reducing the ring and to removing it before and at the Chicago discount dry cleaner.
The first step to reducing ring around the collar is to launder your shirts regularly. Take your shirts to your Chicago discount dry cleaner after every wear, and talk to your cleaner if you notice a ring starting to develop. They can often use some solvents to keep the collar looking good. Keep an eye on your garment tags – if it says not to dry clean, don’t try it. Follow the proper steps to clean the shirt by hand. Or talk to your dry cleaners about laundering the shirt. Let them know you have a tendency to get ring around the collar, and they might be able to help stop trouble before it starts.
Another step before even talking to your Chicago discount dry cleaner is to take good care of your body. Shower before getting dressed in the morning, and be sure to take extra care with your neck. Wash your neck with soap and water thoroughly and be sure to wash your hair carefully as well. Since your collar hits near or at your hairline, any oil from your hair will only contribute to the ring.
If you wash your own dress shirts, carefully look at your collars after every wear to determine if you need to spot clean. Find a quality degreasing product that your cleaners recommends. Since the ring around the collar is oil-based, it is important to find a stain remover that works with oil stains.
If you keep getting ring around the collar and do not typically sweat that often, you might want to check the body products you use. Some body lotions or creams are oil-based or can help promote oil production, meaning that no matter how much you bathe, you will continue to get ring around the collar. Avoid using these products near your neckline and you might be able to cut some of the brown ring buildup. That might be the only thing bringing you collar rings!
January 27, 2010
Using a laundry service to sort, wash, dry and fold your clothes can see like something only for the rich and famous. The right Chicago laundry service might give you more free time by cutting out the weekend laundry routine while not costing you more than your local Laundromat. Taking the time now to analyze what your needs and costs are in terms of laundry is a great way to possibly elminitate the fluff and fold from your life.
Look around at your local Chicago laundry service options. Many different cleaners charge rates by the pound of clothing. At your next laundry day, weigh out your clothes and see how much it would cost to wash your clothing. Find a scale that is fairly sensitive. Weigh out your laundry basket, and then put your clothing inside. Find the difference and add up how much that would be every week to do your laundry. You might be surprised how little it costs.
Finding a good Chicago laundry service is especially important if you are a busy professional with no time on the weekends. If your time is valuable, then your time would be better spent taking care of yourself, putting in extra time at the office, or running the million other errands you have in your life. Who wants to sit at the Laundromat for 4 hours on a Saturday if you barely have time to eat?
Consider some other important factors. Add up how much time you spend going to the Laundromat, waiting for clothing, and taking them home to be ironed. Think about how much you make an hour at work. Are you spending more time and money to do your own laundry then if you paid a professional to do it for you? If so, consider finding a laundry service.
Another consideration should be if you take your laundry yourself to the cleaners. A delivery service would shave off another hour or two a week of time spent with your clothing. There are many delivery services that come pick up your clothing when you are not at home and have it ready a few days later. Some even offer free same day delivery and pickup. You can even have them pick up and drop off your clothing at your office building, so you don’t have to worry about inclement weather getting to your clothes.
Sometimes we focus on the outward cost of what a service charges without taking into account the opportunity cost. You might very well be better served handing your laundry off to a professional and using your time to take care of your other needs.
January 25, 2010
The convenience seems invaluable, but many people wonder if using same day cleaners chicago is a big waste of money. It doesn’t have to be, if you plan carefully and find the right dry cleaners for you.
There are always going to be times when you need to find same day cleaners chicago for getting your favorite suit cleaned in a hurry or having a clean shirt ready for a last minute business trip. These services can be expensive if you have not planned in advance. When looking for a local cleaner, look around at the rates for same day services. Make a comparison chart of prices and general reputation to see if you can find a place near your home and near your office that you could turn to in a jam.
More and more cleaners are competing for business, so there are a lot of services and businesses that are relatively inexpensive for same day cleaners chicago. If you find a business that you trust but that has a higher rate, ask them if there is any way to get a discount or use a coupon. If you take a lot of business there, they might be willing to negotiate. At any rate, it doesn’t hurt to ask!
If you need something ready quick but can’t find anything in your price range, consider buying a news shirt or dress for that day. If you can buy a shirt for the meeting or a dress for the last-minute party, it could end up being cheaper in the long haul than paying for rush same day service. A $10 cleaning bill for a $30 shirt is only worth it if you need that specific shirt for its excellent fit, perfect color or unique look.
Be cautious of places that only specialize in same-day service: while many of them probably provide a quality service, there are many cleaners that will not take proper car of your clothing and will then charge you exorbitant prices. You might find an affordable place, but you should be even more cautious of the services they provide. Read reviews and talk to customers to see if they are happy with the service provided by the same day cleaners.
The most important thing is to do your homework. A little legwork at the beginning can save you time and money later down the line, when you are looking for a good service that gives quick turnaround.
January 23, 2010
When looking for dry cleaning chicago, it makes sense to find a place that is convenient for you. A cleaners located on your way to work, near your favorite coffee shop or around the corner from your apartment means that you won’t have to spend time on your days off driving around to run yet another load to the dry cleaners.
But no matter what dry cleaning chicago you go to, there are always going to be days when you just can’t make it there. There are always those work meetings that run past your cleaners’ closing times, or mix-ups when you need your best suit but you won’t be able to get there before work.
Finding a good dry cleaning chicago service that delivers is a great way to cut down on your errands, avoid forgetting about that dress you need for tomorrow, and save yourself a little piece of mind. There are some common concerns about having your dry cleaning picked up that can be dispelled.
To use a dry cleaning pickup service, you do not need to be at home when the cleaners come by. You can talk with the cleaners and arrange a place for the cleaners to find your dry cleaning – at your back door, with your building’s front desk, or at the fond door. You might worry about people stealing your clothes, but this shouldn’t be a concern. If you do not have a problem with people stealing package deliveries, then you shouldn’t have to worry about someone taking a plain bag sitting at your front door.
You can also talk to the cleaners about providing a key to your place that they can use to enter and pick up or drop off clothing. This is very common and safe, as your cleaners have a vested interest in keeping you as a customer. This will also help if you feel that the weather will be inclement and you won’t be able to get to your delivery in time. Many delivery companies will put your clothing in weatherproof packaging, but that added feature will leave you with confidence.
A final concern is cost. Many delivery companies are competitive with the rates of local dry cleaning services. When considering the overall cost, keep in mind the time you will save headed over to the dry cleaners. That time is invaluable – you can get home to your spouse earlier, have your clothes on time and conveniently delivered, and never have to worry about getting to the cleaners in time. That piece of mind is invaluable!
January 21, 2010
Many people develop a preference fairly early on whether they like to have their dress shirts dry cleaned, washed or pressed by their cleaners. If you use dry cleaning in Chicago, you might not have ever considered whether it might be better for you to use one method over the other. Old habits die hard, and it doesn’t seem to make sense to question a method if you have used it your whole life.
The first thing you should consider when using dry cleaning in Chicago for your shirts is whether your shirts specifically say to dry clean them, or if they recommend laundering. This is not a hard and fast rule, but to be safe, always use the recommended cleaning technique for the shirt in question. Or talk to your cleaners to see what they recommend. Often, companies will recommend dry cleaning just to ensure that you do not ruin your shirts by improperly washing them.
Dry cleaning uses chemicals, and washing uses water, so that is an important consideration when talking to the place you use for dry cleaning in Chicago. Dry cleaning can be better for delicate materials, but laundering can be better for someone who might be overly sensitive to chemicals.
Cost can be a factor in your decision to dry clean or launder. In general, dry cleaning is more expensive than laundering. There are often bargains to be had when bringing in multiple dress shirts to the same location at one time. Ask your dry cleaners if they have a discount for large orders, or if they often put out coupons and where.
‘Press only’ is another option open to those who prefer to wash their clothes themselves by hand but don’t want to deal with the hassle of getting perfectly pressed collars and sleeves. If you have particular buttons that you are cautious of putting through dry cleaning or laundering, or if you just enjoy the control of hand washing, press only is a great option for you.
If you find a shirt company that fits you well, it might make sense to buy multiple shirts in different colors and to launder them all the same way. This will allow you to know what works well for that particular fabric and company so that you can just dry clean them all or have them all washed. There is less to worry about if you know that all of your shirts can be treated the same. The best advice is to find dry cleaners that you trust. If you can do that, you should have no worries at all!
January 19, 2010
It’s easy to forget that there are other fabrics and textiles in your life that need to be dry cleaned beyond the clothes you wear. Drapes, curtains, your hallway rug, and bedspreads could all use a good cleaning, but aren’t necessarily things you can toss into the washing machine. Good cleaners in chicago will help you clean your household textiles, giving them new life and letting them sparkle once again.
Removing dust and everyday grime from your rugs and drapes is a good idea to reduce allergens and make your home feel renewed. Talk to your cleaners in chicago about what services they offer for your textiles. It’s probable that they service all sorts of household objects, but make sure before you cart your heavy and large rugs over to their storefront.
Many people might not like the idea of taking the rugs they walk on to the cleaners in chicago and doused with chemicals. These days, the word chemical makes a lot of people shudder and shy away. If you use dry cleaning for your shirts, however, you are putting those chemicals near your body and have probably never experienced or heard of anyone experiencing negative side effects. Dry cleaning is safe for most surfaces, has been proven safe and works on the most delicate of materials. There are even many eco-friendly dry cleaners that use organic cleaning materials.
You can choose to find an in-home cleaner, but that can be costly. You will have to wait at home for the cleaners to do their work, and it could take up to several days for the rugs and drapes to dry. This is not a huge problem, but if you have kids or pets you are going to want your rugs to be ready for use immediately. If you take your area rugs in to be cleaned, you can pick them up in a few days, bone dry and ready to go. The dry cleaners will have the equipment you need in order to properly care for your valuable and expensive home textiles.
There are a lot of objects that you just won’t be able to clean in your home washing machine, and you might not want to take them to a Laundromat to be cleaned either. Talk with your dry cleaners about what they service. Sleeping bags, decorative pillows, tapestries and even bedspreads are often taken to dry cleaners to be brought back to life. We spend so much time and money cleaning the clothes we wear; we should take just as much time to revive our homes to be as clean as our pants.
January 17, 2010
If you live anywhere, you might wonder why your St. Louis or Seattle or Chicago dry cleaners got their name. We all wash our own clothes at home in a washing machine knocking around with a tub full of water, so the idea that anything can be cleaned without water seems preposterous.
Dry cleaners do clean without water – well, without a tub of water. Most everything in this world contains some water, and the liquids used by Chicago dry cleaners are no different. While the clothes aren’t cleaned by water, there are definitely plenty of fluids involved in dry cleaning.
The basic steps taken by Chicago dry cleaners and dry cleaners through out the world include inspection, pre-treatment, dry cleaning, post-spotting and finishing.
The first inspection allow for the cleaners to make sure your clothes get tagged, and any missing buttons or hidden stains are pinpointed for future reference.
The next step, pre-treatment, lets the dry cleaners look for stains on your clothes and treats them. The stain removing process is similar to what is done at home – any fresh stains are blotted and treated with an appropriate solvent.
The actual dry cleaning uses a chemical called tetracholoethylene, or percholoethylene. This is often abbreviated at “perc” in the industry. This chemical has been used since around the 1940s and 1950s as the industry standard chemical – prior to that, kerosene and gasoline were used to dry clean. There are different types of dry cleaning machines in use, but the routine is similar to that of a standard washing machine. Chemicals are pumped in and out of a tank, which contains the clothing. One cycle runs through to gather and disperse impurities, one cycle goes through to remove the chemicals, and centrifugal force is used to remove excess chemicals from the items of clothing.
After this, the clothes are checked again for stains and to ensure that any spots have been removed in the dry cleaning cycle. If not, they are spot treated again and possibly re-dry cleaned.
Dry cleaning is a bit of a misnomer – liquids are used, just not water. And now you know when people ask why it’s called dry cleaning! It’s not a magical process, just one that doesn’t use tubs of water. It’s a lot faster way to clean delicate clothes than hand washing, and it works like a charm to remove difficult stains that hand washing wouldn’t be able to remove.
January 15, 2010
When looking for the right Chicago dry cleaners, it can be easy to find the store closest to you for all of your daily needs. You take your shirts there every week, maybe a pair of pants there every so often, but you never really test their services.
Any Chicago dry cleaners could make your shirts smell nice and press your pants nicely – that’s the bread and butter of any dry cleaners. It’s only when you run into an emergency that you start wondering if your guy can get the job done.
There are a few steps you can take before you take your wine-laden pants to your Chicago dry cleaners. As soon as you notice a stain, take some action so that your dry cleaners have a better chance of getting the stain out. First, blot up any excess liquid if the stain is fresh. Don’t wipe or rub – just place clean towels or paper napkins on the liquid so it gets sopped up. Be gentle with the fabric – it’s better to leech the stain out of the fabric slowly than to quickly rub it off only to damage the fabric and rub in the stain.
Next, these tips are more suited if your clothing item can stand a little bit of treatment. If you are not sure, don’t try it! Take your item of clothing in as soon as possible.
If you can handle a bit of hand washing, soak the stain in cool water. Don’t use warm or hot water! This can help set in a stain instead of washing it out. Use a tub full of cool water versus a washing machine – it will be gentler than even the gentle cycle on your machine. Find a gentle stain remover and spot test your garment for color fastness. If it works, then gently treat your item of clothing. Launder the garment, using the hottest water safe for your garment. Do not use laundry soap of any kind! This can help set a stain in instead of removing it.
If your stain is old, or if your stain is on a very delicate garment, take the garment in immediately to the dry cleaners. Dry cleaners will use enzyme treatments, which help break up older stains and remove the tannin in red wine that makes the stains so hard to treat.
Tell your dry cleaners exactly where the stains are and what you have done, if anything, to treat it. That will help them choose the best way to renew your clothing item. If worse comes to worse, talk to them about bleaching a white shirt or dying a lighter item. There are a lot of ways to give new life to even the most stained items!