How do you remove coffee stains from clothes?

One of the more common stains that the professional dry cleaner encounters is the Tannin stain. Tannin is a substance found in vegetable matter, such as coffee, tea, nuts, grass and the bark of trees. Tannin stains are visible when fresh and become brown on contact with heat, as in drying and pressing. Tannin stains should not be confused with the invisible stain or also known as the caramelized sugar stain. Tannin stains are easy to identify. Often the location of the stain can be the first clue. Tannin stains will vary from a light tan to a dark brown color. The stain is absorbed by the fabric. It will not be built up or stiff and can often smell like the staining substancec (coffee) when heated with the steam gun. Tannin stains are considered a wet-side stain (meaning they will require wet-side stain removal procedures). Let's look at how to remove coffee stains. Stain Removal Agents Used In the Removal of Tannin/Coffee Stains: •Neutral Lubricant •Tannin •General Formula •Rust Remover •Oxidizing Bleach - (Bleach will be selected based on the fiber content and dye.) •Levelling agent Steps In the Removal of Tannin/Coffee Stains: 1.Pretest in an un-exposed area of the garment using the following procedures to see if the garment will withstand the stain removal procedure. 2.Place a towel under the stained area and flush thoroughly with steam. 3.Remove the towel and apply neutral lubricant to the stained area. 4.Tamp lightly with the spotting brush. 5.Apply tannin stain removal agent to the stained area and tamp lightly. 6.Place a towel under the stained area and flush thoroughly with steam. 7.If the stain remains, remove the towel and reapply the neutral lubricant. 8.Apply General Formula. (Make sure you have tested the effects of General Formula on an unexposed area of the garment, as this is an aggressive type stain removal agent.) 9.Tamp lightly with the spotting brush. 10.Place a towel under the stained area and flush thoroughly with steam. 11.If the stain remains, reapply neutral lubricant and several drops of rust remover. 12.Flush with steam. At this point, if the stain still remains, bleaching will be necessary to remove the stain. If color permits the use of bleaches sodium perborate or 3% hydrogen peroxide can be used on wools and silks. On cottons and rayons, sodium perborate or a diluted sodium hypochlorite solution can be used. Before using any bleaches PRETEST the garment on an unexposed area. Once the stained area is clear of the stain, place a towel under the area and flush thoroughly with steam, remove the towel, feather and dry, apply levelling agent and dry clean. The tannin stain is a very common stain found in dry cleaning. It is also a stain that you must be able to remove with a very high degree of success. By following these procedures you should achieve that high degree of success and be on your way to being known as the dry cleaner that gets the stains out. For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit: www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also service Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va., Sandston,Va., and Varina Virginia. Stay connected with our blog to remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry.

Why do cleaners charge more for exra lare shirts?

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. For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit us at www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also service Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va.,Sandston,Va., and Varina,Va.. Stay connected with our blog and remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry.

Is starch bad for my shirts?

Most cleaners offer different levels of starch for their laundered shirts. The choices are typically; no, light, medium, and heavy. I recommend choosing “no starch”, for several reasons. 1. Comfort - Using no starch on your shirts is much more comfortable than using starch. Starch will make your shirts feel stiff, may cause itching, and it will prevent the fabric from breathing. Starch can be especially uncomfortable on warm days, because it blocks the evaporation of your perspiration. 2. Wrinkles – Starch will give your shirts a smooth finish during pressing, but as you move around during the day, the inevitable wrinkles actually become more pronounced. If you use heavy starch, by the end of the day, your shirts can have a crinkly aluminum foil looking finish. 3. Lifespan - Starch builds up with repeated cleanings. This build-up causes the fibers in the fabric to become overly stiff, weak and brittle. Using starch dramatically decreases the expected lifespan of your shirts. So, is there a way to have smooth crisp shirts without using starch? Yes! In general, 100% cotton shirts finish much smoother and crisper than poly blend fabrics. Also, the heavier the fabric the better. If you love that paper smooth finish on your shirts, I recommend buying the thicker 100% cotton shirts and skip the starch. For answers to more frequently asked quesions, visit us at www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also service Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va., and Sandston,Va. Stay connected with our blog and remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry.

Why does the dry cleaner charge more for silk and linen?

In the dry cleaning industry, the practice of charging more for certain fabrics is called “upcharging”. When cleaners upcharge, they are passing along an increased cost of production to their customers. Some fabrics are very difficult to work with and take significantly more time, labor and skill to process properly. For this reason, most cleaners upcharge for clothes made from silk or linen. Both fabrics are made from natural fibers and present unique challenges for the cleaner. Successful stain removal is a critical step in the production process for cleaners. Many stains are removed by the dry cleaning machine and require no additional resources from the cleaner. A group of stains, called stubborn stains, require the attention of a stain removal specialist. The art of removing stains is called “spotting” and the person doing the stain removal is called the “spotter”. The spotter is typically one of the highest paid employees in a dry cleaning plant. To remove them, stubborn stains often require a combination of stain removing solutions and a significant amount of mechanical action. Silk and linen are notoriously prone to stubborn stains. For silk in particular, because of its extremely delicate nature, when attempting to remove the stains, the spotter is limited in the types of stain removing solutions he can use and the amount of mechanical action he can apply. The risk of dye loss and fabric damage during stain removal is very high. It routinely takes multiple cycles of spotting, machine cleaning, and re-spotting to safely remove stains from silk and linen. This process requires a high degree of skill to avoid damaging the fabric. Removing wrinkles is another critical step in the production process for cleaners. The removing of wrinkles is called “finishing”. Most garments require a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing to achieve the desired finish. The more hand ironing required, the more time and labor expense goes into finishing. Finishing silk and linen requires significantly more hand ironing than most fabrics. Linen in particular is very challenging. Some wrinkles in linen become so “set” that they are virtually impossible to safely remove. Linen holds wrinkles so well, that manufacturers sometimes intentionally give a wrinkled finish to their linen fabric. They intend for the garments never to be pressed! For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning question, visit us at www.olddominioncleaners.com

Can you unshrink clothes?

Sometimes it is possible to reverse shrinkage. It all depends on the garment’s fabric. Some fabrics are much easier to unshrink than others, but with all garments, the goal is to ”relax” the fabric’s fibers. For dry clean only garments, applying steam is the most effective method to relax the fibers. In the dry cleaning industry the process is known as “blocking”. Blocking restores a garment to its desired shape by repeatedly steaming and stretching the garment until the desired shape is reached. Some fabrics, such as knits, are notorious for stretching out of shape. All knits distort with both wearing and cleaning and should be blocked by an experienced blocker after each cleaning. Most cleaners will measure a knit garment prior to cleaning it to ensure that when blocking they will return it to its original dimensions. For fabrics that can safely be washed in water, such as cotton, soaking the garment in white vinegar for an hour and then washing them in hot water will often do the trick. If that doesn’t work, try ”hand stretching” the wet fabric until it reaches the desired size, then allow it to dry flat using heavy objects to hold down the edges in place. Be careful when stretching your clothes! Just like a rubber band eventually breaks, if you stretch the fabric using too much force it will rip; usually along the seams. For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit: www.olddominioncleaners.com

What is an invisible stain?

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. For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit us at: www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also offer free pick up and delivery to Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va., and Sandston,Va. Stay connected with our blog and remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry.www.olddominioncleaners.com

Does frequent dry cleaning shorten the life of a garment?

No, unlike washing your clothes in water, dry cleaning does not cause the fabric to slowly fade and does not shorten the life of a garment. On the contrary, frequent dry cleaning actually extends the life of a garment for the following reasons. 1. Dirt Removal – Frequent dry cleaning removes ground in dirt that acts like abrasive sand paper and causes rapid wear to the fabric’s fibers. As it wears down, the fabric becomes thin, weak and vulnerable to rips and tears. The damage usually shows up first in the crotch area of pants and under the arms of blouses and jackets. 2. Stain Removal – Frequent dry cleaning removes certain stains that, if left untreated, could oxidize and cause yellowing. With the passage of time, stains from food, beverages, and oily substances can oxidize and turn yellow or brown. Known as “tannin” stains, once they become yellow or brown, these stains often cannot be removed. 3. Prevent Insect Damage - Frequent dry cleaning prevents moth and other insect damage. Insects are attracted to soiled clothes. Usually appearing as small holes, damage is caused when insects feed on spilled food or perspiration on the fabric. A good “full service” cleaner can mothproof your garments. Mothproofing is a chemical treatment that provides protection from insects without making your clothes smell like mothballs. 4. Restoration & Preservation - A good full service cleaner will offer Restoration & Preservation service. Often done for antiques or family heirlooms, through a special restoration process, dry cleaners can restore very old garments to like new condition. It’s not uncommon, for a cleaner to restore a wedding gown originally worn by the bride’s grandmother well enough that the bride can wear it in her wedding. After the wedding, the cleaner can then provide preservation service to the gown. Preservation is a special type of storage that helps prolong the life of a garment. Cleaners often say that they aren’t just preserving a customer’s garment, they’re preserving a memory. For answers to more frequently asked question, visit us at: www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also offer our dry cleaning pick up and delivery service to residents of Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va., and Sandston,Va. Stay connected with our blog and remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry. www.olddominioncleaners.com

Comforter: Why some stains come out and why some don't.

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. For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning question, visit:www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also service Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va., and Sandston,Va. Stay connected with our blog and remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry.Sig up today at www.olddominioncleaners.com

Does dry cleaning kill dust mites?

Yes, dry cleaning kills 100% of dust mites! Having your bedding regularly cleaned by a professional dry cleaner is an effective way of removing dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic bugs that live on dead skin cells shed from people and their pets. Skin cells are often concentrated in your bedding and carpet. A typical mattress can contain tens of thousands of dust mites. Nearly 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. Fortunately, dust mites are harmless to most people and they don’t carry diseases. However, they can cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to dust mite feces. The average dust mite produces about 20 waste droppings each day, each containing a protein to which many people are allergic. Depending on the person and exposure, reactions can range from itchy eyes to asthma attacks. To help control dust mites, frequent cleaning of bedding and carpet is highly recommended. There are also several other steps you can take. You can learn “Everything You Might Want to Know About Dust Mites” at the Environmental, Health and Safety Online (EHSO) website. For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit: www.olddominioncleaners.com

Why can't the dry cleaners remove every stain?

Unfortunately for everyone, some stains are permanent. They simply become part of the fabric. Continued attempts to remove them will cause dye loss or fabric damage, known as chafing or fraying. Many stains are removed by the dry cleaning machine and require no additional effort from the cleaner. A group of stains, called stubborn stains, require the attention of a stain removal specialist. The art of removing stains is called “spotting” and the person doing the stain removal is called the “spotter”. Spotting stubborn stains requires a high level of skill, knowledge and experience. The spotter is typically one of the highest paid employees in a dry cleaning plant. The Spotter’s Dilemma - When presented with a stubborn stain, spotters are eager to do everything possible to remove the stain, however they must avoid damaging the fabric in the process. Stubborn stains often require a combination of strong stain removing solutions and a significant amount of mechanical action to get them out. Not knowing how much effort its going to take, the spotter will try using the mildest stain removal methods and solutions first. If the stain remains, they will try something a little stronger. They will continue to repeat this process until either the stain is successfully removed or the fabric begins to show signs of dye loss or chafing. At this point, they must stop working on the stain. If they continue, they risk damaging the fabric. How do stains become permanent? - A stain can consist of virtually any liquid substance that comes in contact with your clothes. Time usually determines whether a stain can be removed or not. Almost all stains can be removed if treated quickly enough. However, most stains will become permanent if left untreated too long. When first coming into contact with fabric, most stains will initially remain on the surface and can be removed relatively easily. Over time, stains absorb into the fabric and permeate the fibers. They begin to react with the fabric’s dye. A chemical change takes place and the stain literally changes the color of the fabric. Stains often turn light fabrics darker or dark fabrics lighter. These color changes in the fabric are almost always permanent. Once this takes places, even if the spotter removes the original stain, the fabric where the stain was is now a different color. It looks like the stain is still there, but it’s not. What you are seeing is the permanent damage that the stain caused. Heat causes the same type of stain “setting” that time does. You should never apply heat of any kind to a stain. Do not iron a stained garment and do not put it in the dryer. For aswers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit:www.olddominioncleaners.com

Should dry cleaners replace buttons for free?

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. Old Dominion Cleaners replaces buttons or free. We don't consider it something you should charge for. We don't attach a note to your clothes wen we replace a button to pat ourselves on the back either. Replacement of a damaged button or a mising buton should be automatic. For answer to more frequently asked dry cleaning question, log onto : www.olddominioncleaners.com

Is my dry cleaner really a green cleaner?

Since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides no standard definition of an environmentally friendly cleaner, and has no approved cleaning solvent or process, professional cleaners can call themselves “green” regardless of their practices and policies. Some cleaners erroneously claim to be green simply because they use one type of solvent over another. This practice of “green washing” their business is simply a sales gimmick. Being “truly” green actually has very little to do with which solvent they use. Being truly green is a multi-faceted combination of environmentally responsible policies, programs and practices. So how can you tell if your dry cleaner is green? There are several main factors to consider and to ask your cleaner about. Responsible Waste Disposal - Regardless of the cleaning process they use, when cleaners remove the dirt and grime from dirty clothes, they create environmentally hazardous waste. A green cleaner will dispose of their waste in an environmentally responsible way. They will hire a waste management company, like Safey-Kleen, to remove and dispose of the waste using a “closed loop” model. Recycling - Many cleaners will accept the return of your used wire hangers and plastic packaging. But what do they do with them? They should reuse any hangers that are still in good condition and send the rest to your city’s recycling program, along with all the other recyclable waste generated by their operation. Proper Machine Operation - If properly operated and maintained, the new 4th and 5th generation dry cleaning machines recycle over 96% of the solvent they use. They are designed to keep the solvent inside the machine and out of the air and ground water. However, machines that are not maintained properly will not operate as efficiently. Leaky or broken component parts should be repaired or replaced immediately. Carbon Footprint Reduction - There are many things a cleaner can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Switching to flourescent bulbs, insulating pipes, and replacing antiquated machinery with new more energy efficient models will reduce their energy bill and reduce CO2 emissions. However, by far the biggest way to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is to provide pick-up and delivery service. Every order of clothes that the cleaner delivers is one less round trip to their store for their customers. The typical van can service over 300 homes a day, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year, eliminating thousands of time & energy consuming trips. I use the olddominioncleaners.com home delivery service myself. Its like carpooling my clothes! olddominioncleaners.com

Are dry cleaning delivery services safe to use?

Yes, they are quite safe! The good people at Old Dominion Cleaners services plenty of busy people, just like you, every day. We have been providing safe & reliable dry cleaning delivery service for years. Hmmm… 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 UPS 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. 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! For answers to more frequently asked questions, visit us at: www.olddominioncleaners.com OldDominion Cleaners is premier dry cleaner in Richmond,Virginia. We also offer free pick up and delivery to make your experience ultra convenient. www.olddominioncleaners.com

Can dry cleaning shrink my clothes?

Under normal conditions, the process of dry cleaning should not shrink your clothes. The process is called ”dry” cleaning, because rather than use water to wash your clothes with, dry cleaners use a chemical solvent in a machine that both washes and dries your clothes. Among other things, these machines are specifically designed to avoid causing fabric shrinkage. In fact, your clothes are much more likely to shrink if they are washed in water. However, if the dry cleaning machines are not maintained properly or if they malfunction during the cleaning process, shrinkage can occur. Fabric shrinkage during dry cleaning is usually caused by excessive heat or moisture in the solvent. One component of the dry cleaning machine, called the “chiller”, prevents the dry cleaning solvent from getting too hot. A broken or malfunctioning chiller can cause the solvent to overheat, which may result in fabric shrinkage. During routine operation, moisture builds up slowly in the dry cleaning solvent. A small amount of moisture in the dry cleaning solvent is actually necessary for the detergent to work effectively. However, too much moisture can cause fabric shrinkage. One component of the dry cleaning machine, called the “water separator”, prevents the moisture content of the solvent from exceeding safe limits. A broken or malfunctioning water separator will allow too much water to build up in the solvent. Shrinkage can also be caused by garment manufacturing defects. Defective garments will often shrink the first time they are dry cleaned. For answers to more frquently asked dry cleaning question visit:www.olddominioncleaners.com

Why are women's blouses more expensive to clean than men's shirts?

The reason cleaners charge more for women’s blouses than men’s business shirts is because they are passing along their increased cost of production to their customers. Depending on the cleaner’s equipment, it costs them between three and four times the labor expense to properly “finish” a women’s blouse compared to a men’s shirt. Here’s why… The biggest production cost for a cleaner is their labor expense, the money they pay their employees. Most of their labor goes into the “finishing” of a garment. Finishing is a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing. Most garments require a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing to achieve the desired finish. Many cleaners have special “assembly line style” machines that can finish the typical men’s business shirts without any hand ironing. These machines greatly reduce the time and labor needed to finish a shirt compared to a women’s blouse which sometimes requires as much as 100% hand ironing to achieve the proper finish. Depending on their equipment and the skill of the presser, most cleaners can finish three to four men’s business shirts in the same time it takes to finish one women’s blouse. You may be thinking, why not make similar machines for finishing women’s blouses? Well, I’m sure they would if they could. The problem is that women’s blouses come in an extremely wide variety and combination of different patterns, fabric types, trims and ornamentation. Plus, these variations can change dramatically from season to season with the latest changes in fashion. This prevents the machine manufacturers from developing presses that will fit the majority of women’s blouses. Where as men’s shirts have basically looked exactly the same for more than 100 years and they’re almost always made of 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend. This stability in style has enabled the machine manufacturers to develop shirt presses that will fit the majority of men’s business shirts. Manufacturers have yet to develop a finishing machine that can finish blouses as quickly as men's shirts. For answers to more requently asked dry cleaning questions,visit us at:.www.olddominioncleaners.com Old Dominion Cleaners is a premier dry cleaner and launderer in Richmond, Virginia. Old Dominion Cleaners also offers free home pick up and delivery to better suit customers' schedules.www.olddominioncleaners.com

The benefits of dry cleaning.

We now live in a very busy world. We don't have time anymore to perform some of the necessary chores for living. This is the reason why services such as dry cleaning have emerged. These services are here to help us manage our lives better. They exist to solve a problem brought about by modern existence. These services come in different varieties. And different companies have different offerings. They provide convenience and comfort that are much-needed in this day and age. If you are not still convinced that these services are a boon to humanity, here are some of the benefits. For special clothes: So you want to just clean your clothes. But there are fabrics that you simply cannot wash using conventional means. Some fabrics are so special that it cannot be washed with ordinary water and detergent. This is where dry cleaning comes in. Professional services are also for clothes that are very dirty. The term is not completely accurate. Liquid is still used in the cleaning process but the there is no water involved, hence the word dry in the term. One may argue that dry cleaning agents can be bought in stores and you can actually do the process at home. But again, who has time to do cleaning themselves? Saves you time: One of the biggest benefits of using professional services is that they save you time. And the time that you save from availing of these services is time that you can use for other more important things. Such as spending time with your family or working with a personal project. Time is a most valuable resource nowadays. Some people say that it is actually more valuable than money. This is the reason you should everything you can to save time. If it means spending a little more money on services, then go ahead. Provides convenience: Professional services also provider convenience. That is, they make life easier for you. You already work hard 5 to 6 days a week. You shouldn't have to work hard anymore on cleaning your clothes during the weekends. Some of these services you can avail anytime of the day. So anytime you need professional dry cleaning, there is sure to be one who is ready to come to your help. Now that you know the benefits that professional dry cleaning services provide, you will have a better appreciation of them. Searching for Dry Cleaning Edina MN?, then we are the company you are looking for. We offer prompt and efficient service that is unsurpassed by any other company. If you want to know more about the benefits of dry cleaning services, click here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_M._Casas Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7310847 For answers to more dry cleaning frequently asked question:www.olddominioncleaners.com

What is dry cleaning?

The dry cleaning process uses solvents to clean clothes and fabrics without any water. The most commonly used solvent is tetracholoroethylene. Dry cleaning is a service provided by a company with the special equipment required to dry clean materials and safely dispose of the waste product. This is a fee for use service, with a flat rate for different fabric types and additional charges for stain removal.
There are four stages to the dry cleaning process: accepting the clothing, inspection, washing, and drying. All four stages are required for every item that is dry cleaned. The dry cleaning process involves harsh chemicals and there have been changes to the process as part of a strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the waste product. However, you can check with your dry cleaner to determine if they are using environmentally friendly processes.
Check the care label in your garments to ensure that they can be dry cleaned. If you have any doubt, check with the dry cleaner. He or she will inspect the material and will be able to advise you on the best cleaning method. Some materials, such as cotton shirts, do not require dry cleaning. However, many people take these shirts to the dry cleaner to be steamed and pressed.

Inspect the clothing for any stains, tears, loose buttons or threads. It is important to advise the dry cleaner of these items before he or she accepts the garments. In the dry cleaning processes, loose threads can unravel the clothes and buttons can be lost. Stains can be pretreated and removed, but only before the process begins.
In the washing stage of the dry cleaning process, the clothes are placed inside a chamber that rotates within a larger cylinder that holds the solvent. Solvent is added to the inner chamber until it is one-third full and the clothing is agitated. This lasts for approximately 15 minutes, using the standard chemicals. If hydrocarbon solvents or environmentally friendly chemicals are used, the process takes at least 25 minutes.
After the wash cycle, there is a rise cycle, where fresh solvent is loaded into the machine. This is done to prevent the dirt from being reabsorbed by the garments. At the end of this cycle the extraction process begins, which removes almost all of the solvent used. In the drying cycle, the clothes are placed into a stream of air heated to 145°F (63°C). The air evaporates any traces of the solvent from the garments and a light scent is added to mask the chemical smell. For answer to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit www.olddominioncleaners.com.

Can dry cleaning really shrink my clothes?

Under normal conditions, dry cleaning should not shrink your clothes. In fact, your clothes are
much more likely to shrink if they are washed in water. The process is called ”dry” cleaning
because dry cleaners use a chemical solvent, rather than water, to clean fabric. The
cleansing process takes place in a machine that both washes and dries your clothes. These
machines are specifically designed to prevent fabric shrinkage. For answer to more dry cleaning FAQ's.
visit olddominioncleaners.com