TIPS ON STAINS

Everyone at some moment in time has had a stain on his or her clothes. In most cases, your professional dry cleaner can easily remove these stains if you point them out.

You can help your cleaner keep your clothes in top condition by identifying the location and nature of stains when you drop off your garments.

Some stains are very small or even invisible (like white wine or fruit juices) and can be easily overlooked. Some invisible stains may become very visible later in the dry cleaning process and sometimes set after cleaning. In these situations, your cleaner may need to repeat the dry cleaning process.

Time is the biggest enemy to successful stain removal! Stain removal is best accomplished when the stain is still fresh. Do not put anything away when it is stained or soiled.

Beware of bringing worn garments to your cleaner and asking they only press them. Pressing (finishing) worn is not only unhygenic but the heat and pressure of the steam used will sometimes set a stain.

Beware of using home remedies (i.e. hairspray, club soda, slat, vinegar, etc.) to remove stains. Most times, trying to remove the stain yourself could set the stain and prevent your dry cleaner from ever being able to remove it.

Beware of Dryel and other "do-it-yourself" home dry cleaning kits. At most, these kits simply add a masking "perfume" smell to your clothes. At worst, many consumers have used these kits with poor results ranging from permanently setting stains to ruining their garment. It is generally better to let your dry cleaner do the work when:

- There are many stains or the stain covers a large area
- They require dry cleaning chemicals not available to the consumer
- The fabric is fragile
- You are not sure what caused the stain
- You are unsure whether the garment is colorfast

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