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