Taking care of your flag

There’s nothing we like better at Classic Cleaners than a clean, bright, red-white-and-blue American flag flying proudly in the wind.

 In fact, one of the special things we do to earn our “Best Dry Cleaners in Indy” rating is to clean any American or state flag (3’x5’ or smaller) free of charge.  (That’s not one of the famous Classic Cleaners monthly specials – we do flag-cleaning all year ‘round!)

 This month is the perfect time to have your flags cleaned, though. After all, we’re smack dab in the middle of flag season, what with Memorial Day a couple of weeks ago, then Flag Day this week, and Fourth of July coming up. Sure enough, at Classic Cleaners we see a lot of flags being turned in every June.

 There are actually dozens of “flag days”, including:

•  Inauguration Day (January 20)
• Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12)
• Army Day (April 6)
• Labor Day (first Monday in September)
• Constitution Day (September 17)
• Navy Day (October 27)
• Veterans Day (November 11)

 But, as capital flags.com reminds us, as a U.S. citizen, you may display your flag any day you like!

 Our Classic Cleaners’ professionals can help guard the colors of your flag and remove dirt and stains, but guarding against tears is often something the owner needs to do. It’s important not to fly your flag where it will come in contact with tree branches, wire cables, or even nails and hooks protruding from a building’s walls.

 Capitalflags.com advises protecting your flag from exposure to storms and abnormally high winds, because any of these things can shorten a flag’s life.  While many flags today are made of weather-proof material, high winds can tatter any flag.  At Classic Cleaners we want to add that, if your flag gets wet, spread it out to dry before bringing it to be professionally cleaned.  Putting the flag into a bag while wet can cause some of the colors to “bleed”.

 At Classic Cleaners, we want to help you keep those American – and those Indiana State – flags flying high and proud!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Heirloom toy dinosaur

Dinosaurs haven’t roamed the earth for 65 million years – except for one very special one, that is, who showed up at Classic Cleaners last month. According to the Guardian, most dinosaurs did well to survive thirty years; our Classic Cleaners’ find was fifty years old!

So what’s the story? The dinosaur is a stuffed animal given to our customer fifty years ago as a birthday present from her brother.  Now, she would like to give it to her grandson, so she asked the professionals at Classic Cleaners for help cleaning and repairing the creature. As you can see, our dino friend survived handsomely!

To preserve treasured heirlooms of any kind and of any age, we use the same advanced technology and techniques we employ for wedding gown restoration, carefully cleaning, treating, and repairing each item to bring it back to life. Dino is not only prepared for immediate enjoyment by our client’s grandson, who knows? He may bring joy for generations to come!

In a different restoration assignment, a Classic Cleaners’ customer brought in a once-beautiful pair of cloth-trimmed shoes.  Because the shoes had been stored for fifteen years in plastic, the leather on the shoes had turned the lace overlay yellow.  While we normally don’t recommend preservation for shoes, this pair, we were informed, held great sentimental value. With expert and painstaking hand treatment, our Classic Cleaners technicians were able to bring the shoes back to their former beauty.

Before

Shoes after restoration

At Classic Cleaners, we try to bring beauty back to the eye of every beholder!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Color guards are the folks who raise, lower, and safeguard the American flag in flag-raising ceremonies, but Classic Cleaners can help guard the colors of your flag!

In fact, at Classic Cleaners, the cleaning of any flag 3’X5’ or smaller is done free of charge.  With Memorial Day approaching, now’s the perfect time to freshen up that old Red, White, and Blue.

Did you know…The red of the stripes signifies valor. The white signifies purity and innocence. The blue field behind the stars stands for justice. (Red, of course, is one of the more difficult fabric colors to maintain, making it all the more challenging to keep a U.S. flag in good condition.)

The first official U.S. flag was established June 14, 1777, with thirteen stars for the original 13 colonies.  Today’s flag consists of 50 stars representing the 50 states which comprise the United States.

According to Last Frontier Boy Scout Council, “A worn or faded flag should be retired with respect.  Fold the flag and place it on a fire.  The ashes should then be buried.”

On Memorial Day, the proper way to display the flag is to fly it at half mast in the morning. Then, then, at noon, the flag should be raised to full staff position.  At sunset, the flag should be stored for the night.

This May, let the professionals at Classic Cleaners be your “Color Guards”!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

I live near Broad Ripple, and it’s one of my favorite places to go walking in the city–either on the Monon Trail or just around the village. This is what Wikipedia has to say about this great Indy location:

Broad Ripple Village is one of six areas designated as cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Located about six miles north of Downtown Indianapolis, Broad Ripple contains many of Indianapolis’ premier upscale restaurants, art galleries, and the popular Monon Trail. It also has a reputation for being socially, economically and ethnically diverse, and is generally associated with progressive political attitudes. Established in 1837, Broad Ripple was originally an independent municipality. It was annexed to the City of Indianapolis in 1922.

Classic Cleaners loves Broad Ripple too! In fact, we have three locations in or near Broad Ripple Village, which are listed below.

Also, don’t forget  that Classic Cleaners’ home delivery area covers the entire Broad Ripple Village area. Check out our map for details! It’s the ultimate in dry cleaning service and convenience!

Store hours are…

• Monday-Friday: 7:00 am-7:00 pm
• Saturday: 8:30 am-4:30 pm

The exception is the 1037 Broad Ripple Ave. store, whose hours are…

• Monday-Friday: 7:00 am-10:00 pm
• Saturday-Sunday: 8:00 am-10:00 pm

The day of the Weekly Special for each store is listed after the phone number. Currently we offer the following special at each store:

• Plain slacks and skirts $5.99
• Plain business shirts (on hangers) $2.20

Broad Ripple (3 locations)

4211 E. 62nd St., Indianapolis, IN 46220
317-253-6544
•Wednesday special