Dress For Success Indianapolis boutique at 820 North Meridian Street

The annual Send One Suit Week 2012 drive has begun!  Classic Cleaners is going on it’s 10th year partnering with Dress for Success Indianapolis as a year round drop off location and this week we are asking for suit donations from our valued customers. 

During the week of April 16 through April 20, 2012, Classic Cleaners is a donation site for the drive and we are asking our customers to donate suits to benefit Dress for Success Indianapolis.  In return, they will receive a coupon via email for $10 off a $20 or more order of dry cleaning.

The donation should be an interview appropriate full suit which includes pants/skirt and a jacket.  If you choose, you may also include a blouse/shirt to complete the ensemble.  Classic Cleaners will professionally dry clean the suits and donate them to Dress for Success Indianapolis on our customer’s behalf.

Dress for Success’s mission is “To promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life”.  

Interviewing for a position can be stressful even without worrying about what to wear.  Dress for Success 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?

Job-ready women come to Dress for Success by referral only from a range of non-profit organizations. Each client works one-on-one with a highly-trained volunteer Personal Shopper, who helps her select professional attire and also provides support and encouragement as she prepares for her upcoming interviews.

Dress for Success has helped thousands of women get the professional look and self-esteem they need to start fresh and improve their lives. If you have contributed to Dress for Success, we offer our sincere thanks. If you have not yet, please consider donating during this drive. “On average, about 40% of Dress for Success Indianapolis’ annual suit needs are met through S.O.S. – Week donations”.

Year round, Classic Cleaners accepts suits and blouses at any of our 17 Classic Cleaners locations.  Or, you may donate via your route driver if you are part Classic Cleaner’s free pick up and delivery service. 

Please visit the Dress for Success Indianapolis website for more information and to learn about individual and company volunteer opportunities.

Unless doing laundry is your favorite hobby, we thought sharing tips on how to lighten your laundry load while conserving water and energy would be helpful this week.

Although we wouldn’t have a viable business if not for the thousands of items you allow us to clean each day, we want to help you maintain the quality and integrity of your clothing.  We also want to encourage you to help our environment by reducing your water and energy consumption. 

A good rule of thumb when determining how ”dirty” the clothing is after wearing is divide clothes into two categories:   Items that have direct contact with skin and items that don’t.

The first category, items close to the body (such as underwear, hosiery, work out clothes, swimwear, T-Shirts, tanks, camisoles, and some tops and dresses that are in close contact with the underarm area), should be washed after every wear.  Bras don’t come into direct contact with the underarms so they can last 3 to 4 wears if you rotate them so they have a 24 hour break between wearings. 

The second category could have some variables such as dirt or staining incurred from wearing, in which case you would wash after that wearing.  But, to keep it simple, here’s a rough guideline on how often you should wash particular clothing items, assuming no visible stains or soiling.

JEANS:  Denim is one of the most durable materials and gets better with wear.  Washing too often (heat, water, detergents) can make your new jeans look old quickly.  Jeans can be worn 4 to 5 times before they need a wash. 

DRESS PANTS/SLACKS/ SKIRTS:  If you work indoors in a clean, air conditioned environment, you can get away with wearing them 2 to 3 times, bearing you haven’t spilled anything on them.  To help them last longer, change out of them as soon as possible when you get home and hang them up immediately to allow the wrinkles to fall. 

SUITS, JACKETS & BLAZERS:  These items don’t require much upkeep since typically you wear a dress shirt, blouse or T shirt under them.  Check the areas that contact the skin such as collars, sleeves and elbows and spot clean them if necessary.  Unless there is a visible stain, Jackets can usually be worn 4 to 5 times.  Always dry clean your suit jacket and slacks together each time to prevent uneven fading. 

SWEATERS:  If you wear another garment under the sweater, you can usually wear it a few times before it needs washing.  If you wear it close to your body, you should expect to clean it after one to two wearings.

SLEEPWEAR:  Even if you shower before bed, we all sweat at night.  We also shed skin cells so we recommend washing your PJs after 2 to 3 wearings.

Being in the cleaning business, we love fresh, clean, crisp clothes and we love helping you look your best in them.  But, over washing your clothing wastes water, energy and money while shortening the life of your clothes.

Our Limited Time Offers can help you clean particular items regularly.  Start off with clean sweaters by taking advantage of our current promotion..  From now until March 3, 2012 receive $3.00 off each sweater cleaned.  Check our Promotions page regularly to take advantage of future Limited Time Offers on shirts, blouses, knits, pants, shorts, etc.

If your items go straight into the laundry basket after every wash, we can still lighten your load with our Family Wash Service.  We’ll pick up your items, wash, fold & return them in a reusable box.  Each box you return to us, we’ll take a $1.00 your next Fluff & Fold.

Not many are built to perfectly fit the mass produced straight off-the-rack sizing found in most clothing stores but well fitting clothing make a world of difference in one’s appearance, comfort and confidence. 

Fortunately, with a little tailoring, you do not have to try to fit the clothing.  The clothing can be modified to fit you.  

Do you have an item hanging in the closet right now that you’d wear more if it fit better?  A tailor can alter the item to improve the fit as well as salvage any “older” items hanging in your closet.

The cost of tailoring an item will vary depending on the item, it’s fabric and the intricacy of the alteration.  But, for something simple like taking up the hemline or taking in the waist it could cost just a few dollars.  A tiny nip and tuck could completely transform the fit of the item so don’t be fearful to get an estimate. 

Once receiving an estimate, use this easy formula to help you decide if you should invest in alterations:  Add the cost of the item to the cost of the alteration and divide it by the number of times you’ll wear the item.  You’re goal is to get to a 1:1 ratio or below.  This ratio number of one or below means you will invest in the garment no more than what you’re going to get out of it. 

For example, if you find a great pair of well made black pants you can wear year round for $20 and it costs $20 to hem and tighten the waist, your investment is $40.  Wear that pair of pants once a week and your tailor ratio is .76.

Classic Cleaners’ alterations services are not limited to repairing tears, hems, and replacing buttons. Our team has experience with more complex alterations to custom fit your wardrobe from neckline and shoulder resizing to modifying the fit and lenth of a skirt or formal dress.

Our Bash Street location allows you to come in for fittings.  Stop in and consult with our tailor, Ohi Suhre, who has 20 years experience as our on-site Manager of Alterations.  Visit any of our 17 locations and one of our Associates will be happy to take your alterations order.

Come see us now until February 11th, 2012 and take advantage of our Limited Time Offer of 20% off Alterations!

The holiday season is creeping up on us and that often means fluffing pillows and straightening curtains for guests. If you’ve started the fluffing and the straightening, you might have noticed that your home could use a little extra polish. In light of Classic Cleaners’ limited time offer on household cleaning (take 20% off all of your household cleaning needs Sept. 25-Oct. 15), here are some tips for prepping your home for holiday guests.

CLEAR VIEWS

A thorough window washing — inside and out — can make a huge difference in how the inside and outside of your home looks. A cloudy window can make even the cleanest things in your home look a little dingy. Your draperies can also improve the view. To remove signs of dust, stains and pressing, bring your linens to Classic Cleaners. From lined to swag, casual to formal, Classic Cleaners makes your drapes look as good as your wardrobe.

HANDSOME TABLES

If you are hosting guests, chances are you are cooking. Be sure the table on which you are serving is as pleasing to the eye as your food is. If your table is treated with a polyurethane finish, consider sanding down worn areas and giving it a fresh coat of poly. It will help repel stains and give it a great shine. Treat your table linens to the spa treatment with a visit to Classic Cleaners. Crisply pressed tablecloths and spotless napkins can go a long way in setting the holiday table.

SUMPTUOUS BEDS

One key to making up a welcoming bed is regular cleaning. Before tossing anything into your washer or dryer, check the label. This is not an area in which you want to be a rule breaker. Be sure you aren’t crowding your washable bed linens in the washer. You want them to have plenty of room to move around when they’re being agitated. After washing, it’s best to lay out blankets and comforters flat in a dry place or line dry them. If you don’t have a large washer and place to dry your linens effectively, drop all of your bed linens by Classic Cleaners. We can handle it.

SPA-WORTHY PILLOWS

When your guest’s head hits the pillow, be sure it’s a fluffy one. To add a little life back to your pillows, give them to the “pillow-rejuvenation spa” treatment at Classic Cleaners. Once the down and feather filling has been thoroughly cleaned, we add new filling to return the pillow to its original volume. The filling is then placed in brand new, dust-free ticking.