How dry cleaning keeps clothes from shrinking.

There’s nothing like pulling your favorite shirt from the dryer only to discover that it’s a few sizes smaller than when it went in. Not only is this frustrating, but it can end up costing you money because it won’t be long before you replace all of these shrunken pieces of clothes. Whether your spouse is notorious for shrinking garments, or you try to prevent this common laundry faux pas from happening with no luck, there is an easier solution. Here we explore a few ways that dry cleaning can prevent your clothes from shrinking (once and for all!).

Dry cleaners are skilled at cleaning a variety of fabrics

While there are a few different factors that can result in clothing to shrink after the cleaning process, one essential aspect is how you handle the different fabrics. Even when you’re diligent about reading labels and following the directions to the letter, when the fabric is mishandled, it can lead to shrinkage. A dry cleaner is skilled at treating the many unique fibers and weaves of clothing material with care to ensure the integrity stays intact throughout the washing and drying process.

Your clothes are handled with the utmost care

There’s a good chance your favorite clothes react to the at-home temperatures they’re cleaned at. One misstep or wrong cycle setting can cause the fabric to shrink. Dry cleaners use the latest techniques to ensure that each piece of your laundry is washed with attention to detail.

Specific items need to avoid going into machines altogether because water is a primary culprit in causing fabrics to shrink. Rather than water, dry cleaners use particular solvents to clean and remove stains from the garment. The experts are diligent at separating clothing by material and colors to ensure each piece gets the attention it deserves.

Don’t take any more chances!

If you want to prevent your favorite wardrobe pieces from shrinking (and to extend their life), enlist a reputable dry cleaning service. At Old Dominion Cleaners, our specialists use eco-friendly cleaning solutions that keep clothes from shrinking and leaves the colors vibrant.

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!

8 Reasons to use Old Dominion Cleaners

The benefits of dry cleaning are myriad and encompass many aspects of clothing care. Here are just a few!

Professional Alterations

Old Dominion Cleaners offers the convenience of quick alterations. This service makes all your daily chores easier. Don’t sweat it; just have Old Dominion Cleaners sew it!

Simple Repair

Speaking of simple repair, Old Dominion Cleaners can re-attach a button as quickly as one-two-three. Don’t waste time and risk a possible needle poke trying to do it yourself. This service is free from us to you 90% of the time.

Convenience

Old Dominion Cleaners is especially proud of the convenience of our service. We simply come to your home our office to pick up garments that need attention. This might be the number one reason to take advantage of our services.

Dry Cleaning
Prevent shrinkage and damage to your clothing. Dry cleaning itself is a process that breaks down soil and removes grease. This process keeps your favorite garments looking great and living longer.

Specialists
When you leave your garments with us you can rest easy knowing that our specialists will take great care of your clothing..

As You Like
We perform our cleaning services to your exact specifications. That’s our full service product – preparing your dry cleaned garments exactly to your specifications. Light starch? No starch? Just let us know.

Fabric Expertise

If you’re reading this blog, you no doubt know that there are gaggles of fabrics – from silk to angora, polyester, synthetic blends, it can be a little overwhelming. Our specialists are experts and know ahead of time if a fabric can be negatively affected by a treatment. This will save you time, money and headache.

Neckties
Ties and other accouterments are often made of delicate materials and require special handling. We know and are ready!

This is just a short list of the benefits of our services. 

Visit us today at https://olddominioncleaners.com today to see what we can do for you. 

(c) Can Stock Photo

Cleaning resolutions for 2016.

The New Year is upon us again and people are making resolutions—at Old Dominion Cleaners, we’re resolving to keep things neat and organized. Here are a few of our favorite tips to help keep things going smoothly. 

Rotate Your Seasonal Wardrobe

We’ve talked about this before, but it’s important for organization and long term care of your clothing. By properly storing your summer or winter wardrobe, those clothes will be protected in the off-season and ready to go when you need them. 

Storage

Proper storage is important. Making sure you have your winter clothing stored in a clean, dry location is key. Sending your coats, sweaters, etc., to the cleaners before putting them in storage is a great idea. That way you’ll be all set when you need them. 

Space

The simple fact is few of us have the storage space for all of our seasonal wardrobe items. Winter gear—hats, scarves, mittens—often end up in coat pockets or in a basket by the door. Swapping out your spring coats and putting them in storage for the winter, or winter coats for the spring and summer, will free up vast amounts of space. This will make it easier to de-clutter your home. This is an important step in the Keep It Clean in 2016 resolution. 

Mudroom or Foyer?

It doesn't matter what you call it—as long as you use it! The mudroom isn’t for boxes storing lawn chairs—it’s for keeping all those excess coats, jackets, mittens, boots and all the rest from cluttering up your inside closets. So use it! 

Dry Cleaning

No matter how fastidious you are, winter is messy. Mud, slush and salt can take a toll on your winter wardrobe. Be sure to send your coats in to be dry-cleaned at least once a season. Removing excess salt from garments can prolong their lifespan and keep that salt from mixing in with your other laundry items.

You’ll find that you have many tools at your disposal to help you stay focused on your resolution to Keep It Clean in 2016! 

For answers to more questions about our services, visit us at olddominioncleaners.com

Don't sweat the sweaters.

Despite the warm November we've had, it is still advised to go through your winter clothing and preparing for the colder weather and snow. Unpacking the winter clothing can be fun – sometimes you forget about all the great outfits and fall clothing you have. Here’s a quick guide to getting your winter wear back into rotation and ready to go!

Freshen up!

If you didn’t store you clothing with cedar chips (smells great!) or mothballs (sometimes not so great!) your clothing might have a scent you need to get rid of before use. The best way to get rid of the stale, musty smell is to prevent it. But if it happens, then there are a few things you can do.

Natural Remedies

Storing your clothing with cedar chips is the best way to prevent the mustiness from accumulating. But you can’t always prevent mustiness. Rather than use chemicals, which might be harsh on the skin or cause an allergic reaction, some people like to use all-natural remedies. In this case, the best remedy for mustiness would be steam followed by fresh air.

Brushing

Yes, brushing. Brushing can remove hair, lint, dirt, oils, pet dander, pollen and other particles. While the clothes did go into storage clean, a quick once over with a brush never hurts. 

Fresh Air

Hanging your stored clothing in a fall breeze is a safe, chemical-free way to literally, air them out. No need to make it complicated! 

Professional Care Recommended

Although there are other no-cost options such as those recommended above, your best bet for garment care is to take your sweaters to a trusted, professional dry cleaner. They have the equipment, cleaning agents and knowledge to help preserve your sweaters for a longer life and can revive them so you are ready for cold weather whenever it decides to show up. 

For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit us at olddominioncleaners.com

How to care for velvet clothing.

Velvet is one of winter’s fashion favorites, especially crushed velvets and velvet garments with decorative trim. Many types of apparel are made of velvet, including pants, dresses, gowns, coats, capes, and jackets. Velvet is also popular for household items, such as furniture covers and drapes.

What is velvet?

Velvet has long been known as the fabric of royalty. At one time, blue velvet was reserved solely for use by the French king, his family, and favored subjects.

Velvets are made on a double action loom. Two layers of fabric are woven at the same time, and the space between them is interlaced with connecting yarns.

The two layers are then cut apart as they come off the loom, producing two pieces of fabric with an upright pile surface.

True velvet is usually made of rayon, acetate, silk, or a blend of these fibers and has a short, closely-woven pile. Velveteen is similar to velvet, but it is usually made of cotton or cotton/polyester blend and has a shorter pile. Finishes are often applied to velvets to keep the pile erect and resilient, to secure the pile, or to give the fabric body.

What types of problems can velvets experience?

Velvet can experience a variety of problems, including a loss of pile, flattening and matting, pilling and tufting, and shrinkage. Crushed velvets have a tendency to experience a loss of design and distortion from wear alone. Velvets made of acetate pose special problems: the pile can become permanently flattened with moisture, heat, or pressure. As a result, the pile on an acetate velvet dress is more likely to show the effects of wear. Even greater flattening develops if the velvet is brushed or if any pressure is put on it while wet.

How can you keep your velvets fit for royalty?

• Hang velvet garments in a well-ventilated closet after wearing.

• If a velvet garment gets wet, do not apply pressure, as this can flatten the pile.

• Do not iron velvets. Hang in the bathroom and steam the garment to remove any wrinkles.

• Clean velvet garments immediately after use.

• Shake excess spills from the fabric and allow to dry. Do not blot or apply any pressure in damp areas.

If you do get a stain on a velvet garment, our stain removal experts can help. 

 For answers to more frequently asked dry cleaning questions, visit us at:

https://www.olddominioncleaners.com