The clue's in the care label of these designer jeans!

“Counterfeit designer goods are readily available these days,”

says Ebay.co.uk. Actually, the article goes on to say, 80% of all goods sold on Ebay are counterfeit!

Inspect the sewn-in labels, is Ebay.co.uk ‘s advice to consumers.  All designer labels sold in the UK and the USA have a certain range of RN numbers (Registered Identification Number Database) that can be traced back to the manufacturer. eHow.com advises buyers of Prada clothing to look for a red strip on the side seam of a shirt with the Prada name stamped into it.  “Prada” will start with the “P” at the bottom of the stripe, and the writing itself will be in red.

Examining care labels is one of the first steps Classic Cleaners professionals take in determining the best method for handling each garment.  The Federal Trade Commission says care labels must explain one safe cleaning method for that garment, plus list any warnings about whether any step of the dry cleaning process might harm any part of the garment.

Unfortunately, we’ve found, foreign manufacturers (and this is especially true of designer knockoffs) do not always follow care labeling rules. If there is any doubt about a garment’s being able to weather the regular dry cleaning process, Classic Cleaners will go so far as to hand clean that garment.

In buying clothing, “be familiar with where the apparel is made,” advises articlealley.com. “Forged articles are generally made in China, Indiana, Thailand, and other Asian countries.”

If you feel you’ve been misled, reviews.ebay.co.uk offers the USA contact line 1 800 report-a-fake.

Whether your garment is a true designer creation or an excellent fake, you can rely on the very real fact that the Classic Cleaners modern craft of clean will give all your clothes designer-level care!
by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

“When leather is just too expensive or impractical, vinyl offers a more affordable and practical option,” says WiseGeek.com. Affordable? Yes.  Practical? Not always when it comes to dry cleaning care.  In fact, vinyl trim is included in our category of “toughie” challenges.  While Classic Cleaners professionals have honed tools and techniques for dealing with special problems, customers need to know that vinyl can crack after repeated cleaning.

Vinyl is a plastic material.  The base ingredient is brine, a solution of salt and water.  Highly versatile, vinyl is the only plastic that can be made thin and flexible enough to be used for everything from wall coverings to house siding, from auto trim to digital albums, and – for clothing!

So, is there a problem here?  Well…maybe.  Classic Cleaners follows the instructions on the care label of each garment, which by law must recommend one cleaning method safe for all parts of each garment, including the trim. In reality, however, there is always the possibility that vinyl on garments will:

• harden
• crack
• peel

For that reason, customers bringing in vinyl-trimmed garments are asked to sign a waiver acknowledging the risk of damage to the trim during cleaning.  Most of the time, garments come through dry cleaning in fine shape, trim and all.

It’s good to be in the know, though – vinyl isn’t always viable!

by Reb of the Classic Cleaners Blog Team

With snow on the ground and cold winds blowing outside, there’s nothing more comforting than, well, a comforter, especially if it’s a bed comforter made of down, right? “Of course right!”, as Yenta the Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof might say. Ah, but, down feathers in a comforter can bring comfort only if those feathers stay where they belong!

“Down is the soft inner plumage of waterfowl such as ducks and geese,” explains Supercomfort.com, adding that” down has numerous light, fluffy filaments extending in all directions, without a feather’s quill shaft.  Down keeps birds cooler in summer yet warmer in winter, and provides breathable comfort.”

Classic Cleaners’ expertise in bedding cleaning extends to quilts, bedspreads, and down pillow rejuvenation, along with cleaning of down comforters.  Our technicians always follow the instructions given on the manufacturer’s care label of each item. In the rare instances where problems arise, those problems are due to poor construction of the comforter. The typical comforter is made from cotton fabric stuffed with goose down.  Intersecting stitching lines keep the down properly distributed throughout the entire area of the comforter.  However, if there is an inadequate amount of stitching, the tumbling action during the dry cleaning process can stress the fabric, so that the feathers pop out or become bunched in one spot.

The Federal Trade Commission says care labels must explain one safe cleaning method for each garment or item, but, if the comforter is not properly constructed to begin with, it may still break down even when the prescribed method of care is used.  Feathers poking through the fabric on a down comforter? That almost always means the responsibility lies with the manufacturer. Right? Of course right! by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

Gift cards are no longer “new news”.  McDonald’s began its Christmas gift-certificate program, forerunner of the gift card, back in 1970, as The Big Money points out, noting that somehow a piece of plastic managed to become the top holiday present, with Americans spending close to $100 billion on gift cards this holiday season alone!

At Classic Cleaners, gift cards aren’t “new news”, either – the company has been offering cards for the past three years. Meant for year-round gift-giving, the Classic Cleaners preloaded gift cards, issued for $10 and up, make for superb stocking stuffers.  Just a few of the many good uses for clothing care gift cards:

• As gifts for people you know who are already Classic Cleaners customers
• As a gift to your college student
• As a gift to a charity to use as a raffle prize
• As a wedding gift (for cleaning and preserving the wedding gown)

Needless to say, the small but mighty gift cards can help pay for custom alternations and for fluff and fold laundry, giving Mom a welcome break from family laundry duty, with more free time to spend with relatives and friends during the holiday season.

True, not everyone is a fan of gift cards, as MSNMoney.com is quick to admit.  “Despite the fact that economists agree it makes more sense to give someone a wad of cash, we have come to embrace the gift card, which can seem more personal and, of course, convenient.”

No, not everyone prefers to give a gift in the form of a plastic card.. But, after three years of offering the gift cards, what we can tell you for sure is this: There’s certainly one group of folks that are gigantic fans of Classic Cleaners’ gift cards.  Who are those happy people? Why the gift card recipients, of course!
by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team