With Classic Cleaners so involved in the care and preservation of bridal attire, it’s natural for us to hear all about different weddings – and about different wedding legends and superstitions!

Just the other day we were discussing with one of our recently married Eagle Creek dry cleaning clients one of the oldest superstitions surrounding weddings:

                    It’s considered bad luck for the bride to try on the entire wedding outfit – meaning the dress, shoes, veil, train, gloves, etc. – before the wedding itself.

How did the topic of wedding superstitions and folklore come up in that conversation? Well, with so many lakes and the reservoir, rainbows may often be seen in the Eagle Creek area. In fact, a very beautiful rainbow had appeared on the very day of this Classic Cleaners’ client’s wedding.  We discussed the fact that, in folklore, if a bride sees a frog, a dove, or a rainbow on her way to the ceremony, good luck will follow.

One tradition it seems everyone knows about is the “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”., with the “old” and “new” representing the bride’s life pre-wedding and post-wedding, and the blue standing for the traditional color of wedding dresses before Queen Victoria changed the fashion to white.

From Eagle Creek to Noblesville, our customers seem to honor old traditions while creating some new ones of their own.  We so enjoy being part of marriage-in-the-making!  Before the big day, Classic Cleaners professionals perform alterations and prepare dresses for travel to destination wedding sites. Afterwards, our expert stain removal process and archival box storage come into play!

Whether or not we’ve seen that rainbow or dove, At Classic Cleaners we feel lucky to play a part in the wedding tradition!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

With the month of February all but over, Classic Cleaners dry cleaning specialists are seeing the usual chocolate-y aftermath of Valentine’s Day.

“Chocolate has been around almost as long as man,” says one Facebook commentator, adding that, ever since Mayan times, the cocoa bean was considered to be an aphrodisiac, and that “It should be no surprise that chocolate has become – or rather remained – an edible symbol of love.”

And that’s not just in the U.S., our Classic Cleaners bloggers learned. In Japan, where Valentine’s Day was first introduced in 1936, Japanese chocolate companies make half their annual sales around the February holiday!

Not everyone views chocolate company Valentine’s Day profits in a positive light.  “They’ve got us exactly where they want us”, complains blogger Corine G. of helium.com.  “Vitamin D deficient, high on expectation but low on cash…already too fat to care yet early enough in the season to know we can start dieting later. All the chocolate industry has to do is package the cocktail of mood enhancers that is called chocolate …in a heart-shaped box.”

Whatever your particular take on the Valentine’s Day/chocolate connection, at Classic Cleaners we know it translates into chocolate stains on clothing and table linens. Howtogetridofstuff offers an important piece of advice:

“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?”

At Classic Cleaners, we agree. Our stain removal technicians are trained to analyze fabrics and fabric stains and select the most appropriate treatment. Meanwhile, remember never to rub a stain.  Instead, lay the stained area down on several layers of paper towels and blot the backside of the fabric with a heavy-duty liquid detergent.

Next, bring the garment to Classic Cleaners’ store – there’s one near you!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

The slang expression “Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back” refers to people who praise themselves too highly. Yet, according to many psychologists, it’s OK to pat yourself on the back when you’ve accomplished something special, pointing out that self-congratulation can be a healthy exercise in raising self esteem. 
 
With their new and improved website finally up and running, the professionals at Classic Cleaners have time to reflect on the results of the customer survey results from last fall, and on the wonderful boost to self- esteem that customer feedback provided.

(Dr. Michael R. Edelstein suggests self-esteem can be harmful when it causes people to have difficulty admitting their behavior is unhealthy or unwise.  Edelstein suggests that it would be healthier for us to evaluate our actions without drawing either positive or negative conclusions about ourselves.)

In the case of the Classic Cleaners survey, it was not intended for “arm-breaking” at all, but to accomplish three things:

1. Help Classic Cleaners owners know more about the demographics of its customer
   base – where they are located, what age groups they fall into, and how long they have      
   been customers.
2. Remind customers of the “Classic Rewards” program.
3. Find out what concerns customers might have with the appearance and cleanliness of the stores, the friendlessness and patience of the front desk representatives, and with the timeliness and quality of order completion.Three very important aspects of the Classic Cleaners business earned almost across-the-board rave reviews:

   1.  convenience

   2.  friendliness

   3.  quality

No surprise to Classic Cleaners – customers are looking for good value at the lowest possible cost.  In fact, price was the only “negative” recorded by any of the survey respondents! Classic Cleaners’ response: That’s exactly the reason we offer the Classic Rewards program and all the limited time offers – to help you save money while taking advantage of the extra quality Classic Cleaners provides.

At Classic Cleaners, WE”RE looking for value as well.  And what we value is – our customers!

 by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Providing the highest-quality, VIP-level dry cleaning, laundry, and restoration services has been top priority at Classic Cleaners for twenty five years. We know the top three things customers want:

• My clothes back
• On time
• Ready to wear

That’s why, as your full-service cleaner, we’re dedicated to turning out beautiful results every time.

In today’s busy world, we know that, more than ever before, in addition to these three basic expectations, customers value speed and convenience.

Actually, this is hardly new. In fact, American history is filled with examples of the trend towards speed and convenience, going all the way back to the Pony Express in 1860, the “fast” mail service that carried messages by horseback across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the Western United States. Then, in 1930, Americans pioneered the drive-through concept that caught on throughout the developed countries of the world..  (Maid-Rite in Springfield, Illinois, is one company claiming to have had the first drive-through window.)

But speed by itself isn’t always satisfying and productive, and many companies learned the hard way the truth in the old saying “Haste makes waste”. “From the transcontinental railroads to the creation of the Web, companies have always had to balance ‘good enough now’ with ‘perfect too late’”, remarks Bob Lewis of Advice Line.

In keeping with our motto “the modern craft of clean”, Classic Cleaners constantly works to combine the latest in technology with decades of specialized professional experience to achieve both quality AND convenience. Classic Cleaners Express Service includes:

• Express Bag with ID tags holds drop off cleaning
• Heat seals ensure tracking and speed check-in and order assembly
• 24-hour drop off boxes in selected locations
• Lockers for secure 24-hour pickup
• e-mail notification when order is ready
• Drive-through service
• Secured credit card auto-pay

No need to balance “good enough now” and “perfect too late”. With Classic Cleaners Express Service, you can have perfect AND on time!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team