Spring Cleaning: Drapery Cleaning A Few Tips for You
According to the Better Business Bureau, you should think about professionally cleaning your draperies every three years or so, and sheer curtains on an annual basis. As a professional cleaner, I'll also advise you to clean all your matching pieces together! In other words, if your draperies 'match' your slipcovers or upholstery, it's in your own best interest to clean them all at the same time; this will keep them looking uniform. Also, if your draperies have been exposed to direct sunlight,
Candle Wax
Candle Wax: the Bane of Fine Table Linens So you are planning a nice romantic dinner for Valentine’s Day, complete with soft lighting from burning candles. Be sure you protect your table linens from the overly zealous marketing claims made by ‘dripless’ candle makers by using candle drip protectors (you can even get them on line.) If however, you forget and your lovely tablecloth bears witness to your oversight, your best bet in saving the table linen for future dinners is to bring it
All Hangers Are Not Created Equal
Would you use a flathead screwdriver to undo a Phillips-head screw? Or a sauce pan to fry eggs? OK, even though both these scenarios probably have been attempted by someone before, we’re pretty sure the results weren’t good. Selecting the right hanger for your clothes is important. When you receive your garments back from Shaffer Dry Cleaning & Laundry, they are carefully placed on the appropriate wire hanger style for transport back to your home. Once in your closet, storing
The Truth Behind Fuzz Balls aka Pills
After you have worn a knit garment a few times, you may find small balls of fiber forming on the surface. These fuzz balls are known in the dry cleaning trade as pills. They are formed by the loose fibers tangling together in places where your garment is subjected to friction during wear. The more often you wear a knit garment in between cleanings, the more pills you'll encounter as the pills themselves exacerbate the surface areas from friction. Though you might be tempted to take a scissor or
Tips and Caveats about Steaming Your Clothes in the Bathroom
When packing for travel, the best way to minimize wrinkles is to leave your clothes in the plastic bags we use to protect them. Our plastic covers provide an air cushion that helps prevent unwanted creases. But, if you still find a few unsightly wrinkles when you get where you are going, the good news is that steam (ex. from a shower) will relax the fibers and therefore remove some wrinkles. The bad news is you must be very careful to walk the fine line between enough 'good' steam and too much
Keep Your Whites White
The whiteness you enjoy on your clothing is not a color. It is a skillful result of the use of optical brighteners. If you disturb or remove the optical brighteners you affect the light reflectance and the whiteness. Yellow underarm stains are the result of the salt in your perspiration and/or the aluminum in your anti-perspirant and their effect on the optical brighteners. Follow these tips for to keep your whites white. 1. Chlorine bleach should never be poured directly onto a
Go Green!
Choose a ‘Perc’ free cleaner. Perc, the most commonly used dry cleaning solvent, is a toxic pollutant and suspected carcinogen affecting the environment around us. Shaffer Dry Cleaning & Laundry has used an alternative hydrocarbon solvent since 1988 which does not have the environmental or health concerns that are found with perc.
Deal with stains ASAP
There is not one single product or method that can remove every stain. And unfortunately, we have seen many garments permanently stained by use of an improper home remedy. Even water can cause stains on some fabrics. Keep in mind that the older the stain, the more difficult to remove, so bring the garment in ASAP and tell your Customer Service Representative what substance caused the stain. We will do all we can to restore your garment back to the original condition.
Pay attention to buttons
We take the utmost care in protecting buttons in the laundering process. Press pads are kept in a new condition at all times. However, shirt buttons are of a varying quality and are subjected to high heat. Some will break. If we find a cracked or missing button, we closely match it and replace it for you. We will also give to you free of charge ‘panic buttons”” to replace any buttons that might be missing on your shirt at home. The next time the shirt comes to us, your shirt button will be
Clean garments prior to storage
Dark, Dry, Cool and Clean are the four words to remember for clothing storage. Store in a dark place to prevent fading and make sure the storage area is dry to prevent mold, mildew and insects. Protect garments from heat, which can break down some fibers and make sure all articles are clean. Even if there is no visible soiling or an item was lightly worn, storing clothes that haven't been cleaned can cause stains or damage: Invisible or small stains you can't see become visible over time. Any
Prevent moth holes
Moths are attracted to protein fibers found in natural fabrics like wool, silk and cotton – and they do the greatest damage to garments made of these fibers that are left undisturbed for long periods of time; especially if they have not been cleaned prior to storage. Moths feed not only on natural fibers, but on particles and invisible stains left by food, beverages, perfumes, perspiration and body oils. How to keep moths away: Use cedar in storage area. It's nontoxic and the cedar oil vapor
Protect drapes under the Tucson sun
The Arizona sun is as harmful to your drapes as it is to your skin! The intense heat of the sun will weaken fibers, which can cause them to quickly disintegrate during the cleaning process and also cause brown spots to appear before or after cleaning. Protect your drapes: Only install drapes with full lining and even interlining if made of silk or other delicate fabrics. Drapery manufactures allow for a 2”- 4” shrinkage; if you are having custom drapes made, make sure the fabric is
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