While the Classic Cleaners’ motto is “the modern craft of clean”, actually “cleanliness” itself in the sense we now use the term is itself pretty modern.

It’s not that people in ancient times weren’t concerned with cleanliness.  They were.  The Bible tells of women going down to the river to wash their clothes, and dry cleaning actually dates back to ancient times.  In fact, in the ruins of Pompeii were found records of “fullers” who were the professional clothes cleaners of that time.

The first washing machine was invented by Sir John Hoskins in 1677, and, in 1848, the closest thing to dry cleaning as we know it was discovered by an owner of a textile dyeing factory when he found that the liquid from an oil lamp dissolved fat.

It’s just that hygiene in general, up until modern times, was viewed in extremely basic terms.  People generally washed their clothes – and themselves – in cold water unless they were wealthy. The great scholar Erasmus wrote about the bottom layer of medieval flooring being covered with rushes and left undisturbed, sometimes for twenty years, harboring spit, vomit, leakage of urine from animals and humans, and scraps.

In fact, since Classic Cleaners are wedding gown specialists, we know that one reason June became such a popular month for weddings is that, in medieval times, baths were annual, usually in may, so that June brides still smelled relatively fresh. (If not, the bridal bouquet was designed to divert attention from the odor!)

It’s obvious that our standards for both personal hygiene and the cleaning of clothes have been much refined.  Classic Cleaners is at the forefront of that trend towards spotless and sweet smelling, using the modern craft of clean!

By Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Once your stained garment has actually arrived at Classic Cleaners, you know it will receive the most expert of care. That’s because Classic Cleaners’ specialists are among the best in the country at identifying and scientifically removing stains.

After determining whether the stain came from oil and grease, dirt and grass, blood, ink, paint, cosmetics, or food, our technicians use a wide range of tools – steam guns, compressed air, specialized brushes, and tens of different stain-fighting solutions to carefully and skillfully remove the stain and restore the fabric.  And that advanced stain removal process holds true for bedding, window treatments, and table linens as well as clothes.

But, what about that crucial in-between time, when a spill has occurred and you don’t want the damage to “sink in” before you have a chance to get the item to your Classic Cleaners’ store or driver? Are there things you can do that will help and not hurt?

Thankfully, there are.

DO: Scoop and scrape
When ice cream, shoe polish, cosmetics, vomit, or any other “guck” gets on fabric, use a blunt instrument such as a butter knife or spatula to get rid of the excess. “Make sure the process is carried out in a well-ventilated area,” advises cleaningtips.net.
DO: Blot
Lay the stained area down on a couple of layers of paper towels to blot the backside of the stain and help the offending substance leech onto the towels. Blotting can be used with liquid stains – coffee, tea, urine, wine.
DO: Chill
When chewing gum is stuck to a garment, you can place the garment in a plastic bag and put the bag in the freezer.  The gum may then harden and separate from the fabric.

DON’T: Wait too long to get to Classic Cleaners.
As howtogetridofstuff advises, “The first thing you should always do before trying to remove stains from an article of clothing is to…make sure you’re not going to destroy it during your efforts.  If it’s dry clean only or you’re not sure, you’re better off taking it to the dry cleaners – why take the risk?”

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

“Ink is such a tiny word, three letters, but it has played such a huge part on the stage of world history,” muses fellow blogger John Sollars of stinkyink.com. Since the original use of plant substances to draw on cave walls, inks have been refined and developed over the generations, all in an effort to make them more enduring.

Unfortunately, “enduring” is hardly a quality our Classic Cleaners customers wish to see when it comes to ink stains on clothes!  In fact, as Lovetoknowcleaning remarks wryly, “Ink stains are quite common, but that doesn’t make them a cinch to remove,” adding that “there is a variety of inks on the market and each poses a different challenge to remove.”

At Classic Cleaners, we know.  It seems our stain removal experts face new and different ink-related challenges every working day, with today’s culprits as likely to be printer ink and permanent marker as from fountain, gel, or ball point pens left in pockets.

With more than twenty-five years under our belts offering dry cleaning in Indianapolis, we think the Oregon Dry Cleaners Association hits the mark with its list of four DON’Ts
when it comes to ink stains on clothes:

Don’t store.  Never put away a garment with an ink stain on it.  The warmth of the closet can further set the stain into the fabric.

Don’t iron.  Ironing clothes drives stains deeper.

Don’t rub.  Blot rather than rub.  Rubbing spreads the stain and damages the fabric.

Don’t try.  Don’t attempt home spot removal with water, hairspray, club soda, or cleaning fluid.  You run the risk of damaging or discoloring the fabric.

Ink’s greatest impact has been to spread knowledge in the form of the printed word.  It’s ironic that removing ink is one of the main reasons people seek the help of dry cleaners!

With Classic Cleaners’  help, ink can continue to impact your missives and your memoirs, but never your clothes and household items!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

               Limited Time Offer   March 27 – April 16               
               
               $3 off all outerwear!
              
Out-er-wear: n. Garments, as raincoats or overcoats, worn over other clothing for warmth or protection outdoors.

At Classic  Cleaners, ’tis the season.  As temperatures gradually rise and days grow longer, it’s time for cleaning and packing away winter clothes.  And, as Sara Aguirre of About.com warns, “…if we don’t want any nasty surprises next winter, we take the time to clean and store our clothing properly.”That’s precisely the reason Classic Cleaners is making its special limited time offer on outerwear right now, in the time between winter and spring.  Think of all the coats, jackets, down-filled vests, pea coats, and parkas that need to be finding their way to our seventeen locations for their summer hibernation “prep”.

What “nasty surprises” is Aguirre hinting at when she urges readers to take time for cleaning and storing of winter clothes? Stains containing sugars and salts, particles of food embedded in fiber, and insect eggs ready to hatch inside wool garments – all these are enemies, waiting to attack your favorite outerwear clothing.

Remember four words about winter clothing in summer time, says About.com.

CLEAN (All winter clothing should be cleaned before storing away for summer.)

COOL  (Avoid storing clothing near heat sources such as furnaces and  fireplaces.)

DARK  (Avoid storing clothing where sunlight can fade the fabric.)

DRY (Wetness can cause mildew and nurture insects.)

For a happy beginning next fall, let Classic Cleaners professionals prepare your
outerwear for a long, clean, cool, dark, dry, and lazy summer…

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team