putting up arms

There are several expressions in the English language that involve “arms”.

“Taking up arms” means starting a fight, and, well, the only sort of fight the professionals at Classic Cleaners are interested in taking up is the fight against stains!

“Putting your arms up” signifies surrendering. Over the twenty-five years of Classic Cleaners’ existence, millions of garments and household items have been “surrendered” to our dry cleaning and laundry professionals – and we always “surrender” them back better than we found them!

Today, though, let’s talk about underarms, and those embarassing yellow “sweat stains” that can appear on the underarms of garments. While most customers are under the impression underarm stains are caused by perspiration, that’s actually only half the truth.  It’s really the combined effect of sweat and deodorants that changes the color of clothing dyes.

There are several preventative steps you can take to help avoid underarm yellowing on your prized garments:

1.       If you use spray deodorant, spray your body, not your clothes. Allow the spray to dry before putting on your shirt, blouse, or dress.  The same advice holds true for cologne and hairspray, by the way.  The alcohol in toiletries can leave deposits that won’t be visible until after the garment has been dry cleaned.

2.     Be aware that natural pH deodorants (without aluminum chloride or acids) are kinder on your clothing.

3.     Use shields inside silk garments or other delicate articles of clothing.

4.     Don’t try to bleach out underarm stains.  When you “surrender” the garment to the professionals at Classic Cleaners, point out the discoloration.

No need to “throw up your arms” (in despair).  Let Classic Cleaners “take up arms” on your behalf!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Have you every wondered what exactly happens to your clothes between the time you drop them off to be dry cleaned and when you pick them up again? After being carefully checked for special label instructions, loose buttons and fasteners, and foreign objects (things such as plastic pens that might dissolve in the solvent and cause problems) by our Classic Cleaners professionals, your clothes will actually be spending some time in a drum!

Dry cleaning machines look something like a combination of everyday washing machines and
dryers. Inside the machine, the clothes are held in a “drum” or inside container within an outer shell. The dry cleaning solvent is in that outer shell, and the liquid feeds into the drum while the clothes are being gently agitated inside. The dry cleaning solvent separates the soil and stains from the garment. Afterwards, the solvent is removed and distilled so that soil particles cannot be absorbed back into the clothes. During the drying cycle, your garments are tumbled in warm air that circulates throughout the drum. Finally, a deodorizing aeration cycle cools your clothes and removes the last traces of solvent. 

High tech machines can do a lot these days, but we also use professional hand tools such as steam guns and specialized brushes, and choose carefully from among tens of  different stain-fighting solutions.  It takes that Classic Cleaners combination of high-tech and high-touch to ensure your clothes are returned to you looking their absolute best so that you can look your best!

Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

When you arrive at Classic Cleaners, you know you’ve come to the right place to find premium dry cleaning and laundry services.  But, if you’ve got a little time to listen, you’ll find that, along with their specialized expertise in taking care of your clothes and household items, many of our employees have some very unusual life stories to share.

Plant manager Rosa Benevidez

Production Manager Rosa Benavidez is a perfect example. A proud member of the Classic Cleaners family for going on sixteen years, Rosa has managed the Bash Road plant for the past twelve of those years.

As children, Rosa and her eleven siblings became migrant workers, following the tomato crops along with their parents.  With her entire academic history consisting of two weeks in the third grade, Rosa “learned from life”.  “We were proud people”, she explains.  “Nobody owed us anything – we had to survive and make our own way.”

After years of working as a presser in various dry cleaning establishments in Virginia, Rosa and her husband, a former commercial fisherman, moved to Indiana sixteen years ago. Hired as a shirt presser at Classic Cleaners, Rosa had found a “home”, working her way up to her present managerial position.

“My five bosses”, she says, “they give good opportunities, treat you fairly, and make us feel special. I’ve been working all of my life, and this is the best place I’ve ever been.”

Benavidez shared her ideas on good business management: “Morale must be high.  You can be a manager, but if you don’t have happy workers, you’re nobody,” adding that “We’re all in this together, and at Classic Cleaners, we’re all about keeping our customers satisfied.” 
  

At Classic Cleaners, we’re used to restoring heirloom garments- in fact, that’s one of our specialties. From wedding gowns to vintage clothing that’s been in the family for generations, we take special pride in bringing special garments and prized linens and quilts back to their former glory.

Just last month, though, we were able to work on one of the most unusual garments ever to come into a Classic Cleaners store.  Have you ever wondered what would happen if clothes could talk?  Well this skirt had lots to say…
 
This May, alumni of the old Fishers High School will hold their 50th high school reunion. (The 1960 graduating class numbered only twenty students!)  In preparation for the reunion, one of those former students asked us to help restore her fifty year-old senior skirt! The skirt was badly stained and the dye had “bled”. 

That’s where the professional expertise of our own Leon Neal came to the rescue! By knowing exactly the right kind of cleaning solvents to use on each part of the garment, and by using specially designed tools for meticulous hand cleaning, Leon was able to restore the precious senior skirt to new life, well in time to play what is sure to be a starring role at the Fishers High fiftieth. 

Is there some special garment that has precious memories for you?  Perhaps there’s an embroidered pillow cover, a tablecloth, a quilt, or maybe a certain shawl or kilt that holds a story? Let Classic Cleaners professionals bring those memories back to life! 

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team