“How do I do all that I do?” asks Clean House’s Nieci Nash?  “You know it’s not by myself.”  Classic Cleaners professionals can’t do their great job without help, either, and some of that help needs to come from you, our customer and garment owner.

Classic Cleaners’ 24-hour drop-off is convenient, no doubt.  So is our home pickup and delivery service. Our technicians stand ready to serve, only….you’ve got to leave us “love letters in the bag”!  While we love to watch forensic scientists solve mystery crime, our main goal in clothing care is the same as yours – get rid of stains, loose threads, broken buttons – anything that would keep you from looking your absolute best!

The key to helping us do all we can do – the all-important to-do list you leave in your Classic Cleaners bag. For each garment, we would like to know…

• Where is the spot (left jacket lapel, near the right front skirt hem…)
• What do you remember about how that spot came to be?  When?
• Did you try to get the stain off yourself? How?
• Are there loose threads or buttons you want fixed?  Where?
• Is there a lining that pulls and seems out of shape?
• How much starch would you like in your shirts?
• Would you like only the collar and cuffs starched or the entire blouse or shirt?

Remember, the more we know, the sooner we can bring the “culprits” to justice and return your garments beautifully finished and ready to wear!  So, please, we love getting “love letters in the bag”!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

“Sweater pills, or the fuzzy balls and little fluffs that pop out on the surface of your sweater, are signs of active use.  This problem appears when you don’t store and take care of your sweater properly,” explains howtogetridofstuff.com.

“Pills happen because of abrasion to the fabric surface.  The less abrasion you give the fabric, the better it will look,” adds vintagevixen.com.

At Classic Cleaners, removing pills from sweaters and other materials is routine.  Using specialized hand tools, some pilling can be handled when clothes are checked in at the counter. Then, if pilling should occur during the dry cleaning process, Classic Cleaners inspectors will depill garments before they are made ready for delivery to their owners.

Some Classic Cleaners tips:

• Make sure that, while hanging in the closet, wool and knit garments are not crowded or rubbing against other clothes.
• Remove dry cleaned clothes from their plastic bags.
• Take special care to protect the fabric against abrasion by rough coat fabrics, brooches, necklaces, and zippers.

Materials matter, as howtogetridofstuff.com points out. Acrylic, for example, pills easily, whereas angora and cashmere present much less of a problem. Depending upon the weave, wool sweaters can last years without pilling.

The dry cleaning professionals at Classic Cleaners have expertise in the care of all the most popular fabrics.  So, if your favorite knit develops a problem, take that “pill” and call Classic Cleaners in the morning!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

The debate rages on.

Lockers - Classic Cleaners', not Davey Jones'!

Linguists and historians can’t seem to agree on the origins of the expression “Davey Jones’ Locker”

(referring to the bottom of the sea where drowned sailors go).

Meanwhile, there’s no debating the fact that Indy’s best dry cleaners has installed drop-off   (These lockers are very dry and definitely above ground!)

lockers in a dozen of its retail locations.

The first mention of Davey Jones was in a book, published in 1751, called The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle. “This same Davy Jones, according to sailors, is the fiend that presides over all the evil spirits of the deep,” wrote author Tobias Smollett.

A second theory is that “Davey” equals “Duffy”, the West Indiana term for ghost, and that “Jones” stands for “Jonah”, whom God punished by causing him to be swallowed by a whale.

There’s more.  A 1594 song called “Jones’ Ale is Newe” told of a pub owner who threw drunken sailors into his ale locker and then dumped the lockers onto passing ships.

I can assure you – at Classic Cleaners, lockers are used for convenience, not punishment.  Our lockers are for holding clothes, not ale or sailors!)

Working late? Just returned from vacation? It’s so convenient to drop off your personalized express dry cleaning bag in the secure chute.  We do the rest.  Then, once your clothes are ready for pickup, we store them in a locker accessible by your personalized PIN.

Next time you visit us at Classic Cleaners, tell the manager you’re ready to sign up for your very own locker services.

You can hear the Davey Jones name right in the U.S. Navy song, Anchors Aweigh. “Sail on to victory, and sink their bones to Davey Jones, hooray!”, the words go.

At Classic Cleaners, we won’t be sinking anybody’s bones. Every so often, though, after seeing how beautifully a problem garment turned out under Classic Cleaners specialists’ expert care, customers do let out a “Hooray” or two!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Ever have some dry cleaning to do but don’t feel like getting out of the car? We understand! Classic Cleaners has three convenient locations with drive-thru service for your convenience. This service is available during regular store hours.

So, you can drive up to Classic Cleaners, but Classic Cleaners will also drive up to you! Classic Cleaners’ ultra-convenient home delivery area covers the Northside of Indianapolis, Zionsville, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, McCordsville, and other cities. Click here for details!

Store hours for the three locations below are…

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

Indianapolis (2 locations)

9564 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46250
317-849-8244
•Wednesday special
•Drive-thru service
•24-hour drop-off and pick-up service

8150 Oaklandon Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46236
317-823-9328
•Wednesday special
•Drive-thru service
•24-hour drop-off service

9538 E. 126th St., Fishers, IN 46038
317-845-1244
•Wednesday special
•Drive-thru service