With this month’s limited time offer, you have the opportunity to support a wonderful, local nonprofit and make a difference in a woman’s life.

For over 10 years Classic Cleaners has supported Dress for Success Indianapolis both financially and by facilitating public donations of suits and blouses. During this month’s limited time offer we’re asking for your help.  The more you dry clean with us, the more money we can donate.

Dress for Success Indianapolis provides professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and life.  Job-ready women come to Dress for Success Indianapolis by referral only from a range of community organizations.  Thanks to community donations, women are fully outfitted with an interview suit ensemble once a job interview is secured.

Interviewing for a position can be stressful even without worrying about what to wear.  Dress for Success Indianapolis’ suiting program, together with Classic Cleaners, solves the catch-22 that confronts disadvantaged women trying to enter the workforce: without a job, how can you afford a suit? But without a suit, how can you get a job?

Dress for Success Indianapolis has helped over 8,500 women get the professional look and self-esteem they need to start fresh and improve their lives.

Every August we’re able to give thousands of dollars to Dress for Success Indianapolis and we couldn’t do it without your loyal patronage!  Thanks to you, we were able to donate over $12,000 to Dress for Success Indianapolis last year alone!

From now until August 27, 2012 we will donate $2.00 for every one-time dry cleaning order of $20 or more.

If you’d like to donate clothing, Classic Cleaners accepts women’s suits and blouses only year round at any of our 17 Classic Cleaners locations. Or, you may donate via your route driver if you are part Classic Cleaner’s free home & business pick up and delivery service.

A check will be presented by Classic Cleaners at DFS Indianapolis’ annual September fundraiser event, “Stepping Out in Style”.  Our goal is to surpass last year’s donations and we need your help.

- S.O.

1. Wash whites separately.  No matter what, this is the number one rule.  Dyes from darker clothing can easily rub off on your whites.  Wash in the hottest water the fabric will tolerate.
2. Pretreat stains.  Gently rub the pretreating agent into the fabric with a clean, soft toothbrush.  The small bristles create enough friction to remove dirt without damaging the fabric.
3. Use the recommended detergent amount on your detergent’s label.  Detergents help lift soils and stains and not using enough (or using too much) can sabotage your efforts to keep your whites bright.
4. Do not use chlorine bleach.  Chlorine bleach can yellow clothing and weaken the fabric.  Use an alternative such as oxygen bleach or baking soda instead.  Items with stains or items heavily soiled can be soaked in cold water with oxygen bleach or baking soda prior to laundering.  You can also add half a cup of baking soda to the pre-wash section of your detergent compartment.  These products are a greener, more environmentally friendly alternative!  You can also find more home remedies for whitening whites and treating stains on our Pinterest page.
5. Use a color remover.  When your whites become dull, you can also wash them with a color remover to remove migrant dyes.
6. Inspect garments before drying.  Check your items for stains before you put them in the dryer.  The drying process could set the stain into the fabric and make removal impossible.

Classic Cleaner’s Dry Cleaning Tip:

If  you are dry cleaning your whites and they are returned to you looking more grey than bright white, these two scenarios may be the reason:

1. The dry cleaner is not using clean, distilled fluid with EVERY load of whites or lighter clothing.  Some dry cleaners who offer low, low prices may be able to do so because they are cutting corners on operating costs by not cleaning your whites (or other colors) in clean fluid.  They may re-use the fluid from wash to wash rather than take the time and resources to start fresh.  You may be paying less per item on the front end but you will certainly “pay for it” in the long run when you have to replace your dingy white clothing.
2. The dry cleaner is not using enough detergent.  As mentioned in our tips for home washing, using the correct amount of detergent is crucial to keeping your whites bright during the dry cleaning process.  The detergent lifts the soil and stain from the garment, suspending them in the water and washing them away.  Some cleaners may cut back end expenses by lowering the amount of detergent used in their cleaning process, thus not cleaning your clothes well..

At Classic Cleaners, we begin every white load of clothing in fresh, clean, distilled fluid.  Not only that, Classic Cleaners has always used the most environmentally safe products on the market.  Very soon, we will be integrating even better technologically advanced & environmentally friendly dry cleaning methods that ensure your whites & brights stay bright.

Stay tuned to learn more about our Whiter, Brighter, Greener advancement this summer!

- S.O.

Summer is a season packed full of weddings, parties, company banquets/trips and other special events.  Most likely if a function such as this is on your calendar, you’ve thought about buying something special for the occasion.  Before you purchase that unique and special item, consult our Q&A below to understand what it means if the label says “spot clean only”.

What items are “spot clean only”?

A “Spot clean only” care label is typically found on higher end designer items that could be hand-made, fragile, and/or contain elaborate details such as lace, beading, or a blend of fine fabrics and dyes.

What does “spot clean only” mean?

A “Spot clean only” label means that you can only clean the visible spot or stain by hand without subjecting the garment to any dry cleaning, wet cleaning, hand-washing and/or restoration process.

Can you “carefully” dry clean or launder a “spot clean only” item?

There is no safe way of cleaning the entire garment in a commercial cleaning machine.  Damage to the garment may result if put through the professional dry cleaning process. Therefore, it must be treated by hand using a local spotting agent in the area of the spot or stain.

How can you care for a “spot clean only” item?

It is important when wearing a “spot clean only” item that you are particularly careful not to get the item heavily soiled or spotted since it cannot be dry cleaned or laundered.

Are there any risks to spot cleaning a “spot clean only” item?

Because spot cleaning usually requires either wet cleaning (water-based cleaning technique) or dry cleaning (solvent-based cleaning technique) to remove the spotting agent, it might be possible to remove the spot but leave a visible and undesired “ring” of spotting agent on the garment.  There may be residual watermarks from the cleaning solvents, or the area that was cleaned will still stand out because it is in fact cleaner than the rest of the garment.  Many dry-cleaners will not “spot clean” an item that says “spot clean only” for fear of causing more damage to the item.

What do you do if you get a spot or stain on your “spot clean only” garment?

Prior to having your “Spot clean only” garment cleaned by your dry cleaner, discuss the garment with them.  They can advise you as to any risks associated and detail the results you can or cannot expect from the spot cleaning.  A dry cleaner that regularly handles high end garments should not have a problem servicing this garment for you.

Can Classic Cleaners clean my “spot clean only” garment?

Although many dry cleaners do not clean “spot clean only” garments, Classic Cleaners is happy to tackle your finer wear.  Our talented spotters have the experience needed to handle such challenges.  We’ll be sure to discuss the expectation with you prior to cleaning the item so that you are aware of the risks and results expected with spot cleaning.

- S.O.

Ever heard the old adage “dress for success” or “you are what you wear”?  For women, it’s especially true when donning a dress at the office.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS:

Jennifer Baumgartner is a psychologist who has her own blog “The Psychology of Dress,” on Psychologytoday.com.  She says, “You must consider the impact your clothes have on your success. If you want to  be recognized for your accomplishments, is your outfit a distractor? If you want  to receive a promotion, are you dressing like the boss? Your wardrobe is one  more tool you can use to launch your career, so use it wisely”.  Even if your position doesn’t require you to see outside clients, you are still “making an impression on your boss and your potential future boss

YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR

Northwestern’s research introduced the term “enclothed cognition” to describe the connection between clothing and psychology.  “Clothes cognition is really about becoming the clothes themselves and having them direct who you are and how you act in the world,” Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Professor, Adam Galinsky said.  ”When we are putting on [an item], we are not only giving impressions to other people, but we are also giving an impression to ourselves”.

With the above in mind, here are some tips on how to wear a dress to the office:

• Look for a dress that is just above the knee, knee-length or slightly below the knee. A shorter dress will look provocative and inappropriate for work, while a longer one will likely appear matronly and unprofessional.
• If the top half of the dress is sleeveless, halter style or exposes too much of the chest area, add a cardigan, blazer or wrap.  This dress may be great for a summer party but at the office, it’s best to avoid revealing too much.
• Keep your jewelry simple, small, and minimal. Too much jewelry worn with a dress will make you look like you’re dressed up for a wedding reception, rather than work. It may also be distracting, especially if your work involves contact with clients. For example, don’t wear chandelier earrings or a large set of bangles.
• Keep your shoes simple and professional looking, not flashy. You can certainly take advantage of the season’s trendy styles but dial them down a notch and stick to classic mary-janes, flats, peep-toes, pointy-toes, and closed-toes, avoiding platforms and sandals.
• When in doubt, look around the office and note what the female managers and VPs are wearing and use that as your guide.  The fashion and social service industries, for instance, ordinarily have much more relaxed dress codes than, say, law firms.

Pay attention to the care label on your dress and if it says dry clean only, be sure to take it to a professional.  Classic Cleaners has free pick up and delivery and we’ll come to your home or office!

- S.O.