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What Items should I not wash at home?

We can practically hear men and women across Richmond, Va. asking themselves this very question on a daily basis. Truth is, good dry cleaning doesn’t have to cost much, in terms of time or money—at least not if you use Old Dominion Cleaners—and it can save some precious items.

So, does the type of clothing you’re looking at actually require a trip to your favorite dry cleaner, or can you wash it at home? That’s best answered on a case-by-case basis, but here are a few things you should always bring to us for professional cleaning…

Anything Needing A Crisp Pressing

If you wear dress shirts or polos or cotton pants to work and you want to look professional, these items always look better after they’ve been cleaned and pressed professionally. We have the right equipment and powerful boilers to make sure your garments are pressed without a wrinkle to help you look your best.

Suits

Suits have the double distinction of being expensive and being made from delicate fabrics. You certainly wouldn’t want to run them through a home washing machine or expose them to water. So, in order to keep them looking great, fitting right, and feeling perfect, you should definitely have yours dry cleaned regularly.

Clothes Marked “Dry Clean Only”

This one might seem obvious, but we do see a lot of clothing items with these labels that have been damaged by washing machines and laundry detergents. If a manufacturer has specified a piece of clothing for dry cleaning, it’s usually because the fabric, dye, or accessories (like buttons and sequins) are particularly delicate.

Some Leather and Suede Items

Certain types of softer leather and suede can be easily damaged or scratched, making them good candidates for dry cleaning. And even finished leathers don’t always stand up well to water and harsh soaps, which can remove their protective coatings and cause them to deteriorate quickly. As a rule of thumb, if you aren’t sure how to clean something that’s made of leather or suede, or don’t have the right materials for the job, it’s better to bring it to us.

Heavily Stained Items

If you have a piece of clothing that you love, but that has been heavily stained with grease or something else that’s difficult to get out of the fabric, we might be able to help. Even if it is an item that isn’t normally brought into a dry cleaner, it might be worth having our specialists take a look to see what we can do. Often, we are able to restore treasured pieces of clothing to like-new condition because we have access to equipment and cleaning solutions most people don’t.

Clothing That’s Going to Be Stored

Wedding dresses, quilts, favorite Christmas sweaters, and other miscellaneous pieces can all be dry cleaned before storage. That will stop stains and dirt from setting in, and ensure that your item will be fresh and ready the next time you go looking for it.

If you’re ever unsure of whether or not to wash a delicate or special item at home, don’t take a chance. Give it to Old Dominion Cleaners, where we will make it look better and last longer. We’re happy to let you know how we can help!

5 tips for easy stain cleanup.

The dry cleaning experts at olddominioncleaners offer up some "first aid" tips to help you with those annoying stains that seem to pop up at the least convenient times and in the least convenient places. Ideally, if there is such a thing, your fabrics would become stained at home where you have easy access to the washing machine and your arsenal of cleaners and favorite home remedies but that's not the way it always happens.

Stains arrive when you are at a fine restaurant, a fast food joint with the kids, at a friend's house party, playing with the kids in a park, or any place where you have the potential to get scrapped or cut. At home or way there are easy tips to get rid of the most common stains.

5 Tips for Easy Stain Cleanup

Let's talk about those common stains that visit the Greater Richmond Area families.

1.      Tomato based stains. Who hasn't splashed a pasta sauce or dribbled ketchup from a burger? Depending on the consistency, blot or scape the sauce and then apply soda water using a damp cloth. If you are in dining establishment they will almost always have soda water. When you get home mix up lemon juice and cream of tartar, apply it to the stain and then wash.

2.      Blood stains. There are tons of home remedies for cleaning up blood but here's a favorite of ours. Use an ice cube. Put a cloth under the stained area to soak up melted water and then place an ice cube directly on top of the blood. Let it sit for a minute o two then remove the cube. If there is a reddish tint left, rub it with the edge of the cube and it will go away.

3.      Food grease. Is fried chicken a favorite around your house? Do the kids tend to use their clothes rather than napkins to wipe their hands? Those grease stains don't have to be a chore. Sprinkle cornstarch on them and let the powder soak up the grease. Brush the powder off then wash as normal.

4.      Ink stains. This is tough. Ink is a difficult stain to remove particularly with some common fabrics. Short of calling us and having the stain professionally treated, you can try soaking the area in rubbing alcohol and then blotting the stain with a clean cloth.

5.      Grass stains. Go outside but don't get dirty…not going to happen. Grass stains show up on brand new shorts, jeans, uniforms and other rough and tumble apparel. The easy fix, toothpaste. Put a small amount of tooth paste (not gel) on the stain and then work it with an old tooth brush. Toothpaste is an abrasive. It's kind of like mild sandpaper. The stain will mostly disappear and then wash as normal.

There are more tips of course but we hope these will help you with the most common. If you have a really stubborn stain or a stain on fine fabrics like silk or leather, call us today and we'll pick up your order and sic our stain experts on the offending parts. Visit us at olddominioncleaners.com for more answers to freaquently asked dry cleaning questions.

Scrubbing cuffs and collars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jY5ZapwY6U

Use Old Dominion Cleaners and get your cuffs and collars done right everytime. Visit us at olddominioncleaners.com to sign up for our convenient service.

Benefits of using a professional dry cleaner.

Most of the time when your clothes are dirty, you just throw them in the washer and toss it in the dryer right after. However, in some circumstances the washer and dryer can do your clothes more harm than good – that is why we suggest dry cleaning your clothing items.

Twice a week we will pick up your clothes and bring them to our cleaners for you. But, do you truly know the benefits of professional dry cleaning?

1. If you use a professional dry cleaning service, you will not have to worry about your clothes shrinking or running colors because no water is used.
2. No need to worry about loose buttons, at the dry cleaners they will repair buttons, if needed.
3. Dry cleaners can remove stains from your favorite items, allowing you to extend the wear of your clothing.
4. Saves you time. By dry cleaning your clothes you are able to not worry about folding nor ironing – dry cleaning allows you tackle other items on your to do list.
5. Need something altered? Dry cleaning has you covered. Have you loved a piece of clothing so much but it got too small or too big? At the dry cleaners, we can alter clothing items for you.

Feeling inspired to get your clothes dry cleaned? Let Old Dominion Cleaners service you with free pick up and delivery at your home or office.  Visit us at   olddominioncleaners.com