We love our sweaters and more times than not, we’ve paid a little more for them than other items in our wardrobe.  For your sweaters to maintain that just like new appearance, they must be stored properly on a daily basis.  If you want your sweaters to last until next winter, follow our very important tips on how to store them THIS season.

Sweaters should be folded when storing.   Hanging the sweater will result in a larger sweater than the last time you put it on as it will stretch.  Once the fibers are stretched out, it’s difficult to regain it’s original shape. 

Store sweaters dry.   Never put away a damp sweater.  This will encourage mildew or mold to grow and this cannot be removed.  The mildew and mold may spread to surrounding clothing and they all will smell bad. 

Do not store with moth balls.  They are stinky and they are unhealthy for human beings.  Use cedar balls or mixed herbal sachets as a safe alternative. 

Keep your wardrobe clean.  Give your sweater a good shake after each wearing to remove fluff and dust.  Remove dandruff, hair and lint regularly.  Also, dust and vacuum your closet regularly to avoid dust settling into the fibers of your sweaters when you aren’t wearing them. 

Remove stains immediately.  Even the smallest stain should be removed before you put it back into your closet.  The fresher the stain, the more likely it will come clean. And remember to never rub a stain; blot, blot, blot.  Click here to read our tips on stain removal at home.

Remove pilling from from your sweater regularly.  Pilling is caused by the sweater rubbing together in places like your side, under the arms, on elbows and on the chest during wear.  Remove them often this season because the pilling can become worse when you store them for the summer.  Click here to read how to De-Pill your sweaters.

Follow the washing care instructions on the label.   If the label says “dry-clean only”, we recommend having it professionally cleaned.  The manufacturer recommends dry cleaning because of a sweater’s design, bulk, trim, or fiber content and it should be entrusted to a reputable professional dry cleaner.  If the label says “hand wash only”, Click here to read how to do it properly.

Remove dry cleaned sweaters from their plastic bags.  There is usually some moisture involved in the cleaning and pressing of garments. The plastic bag traps in moisture and can cause mildew which is a real threat to the integrity of the clothing’s fibers.

Give your sweater a break.  Wearing it too frequently, even though you love it, will cause it to lose shape or build up hard-to-remove perspiration stains.  Alternate your favorite sweater with other sweaters or jackets. 

Let your deodorant and perfume/cologne dry or set before putting on your sweater.  Perfume or cologne is best sprayed on your body before you dress as it can weaken the fibers of your sweater.

Accessorize your neck with a scarf.  The scarf acts as a buffer between your face makeup and neck grime and the collar of your sweater.  As a bonus, if you are sensitive to a fiber the sweater is made of, such as wool, the scarf will reduce that discomfort.

At Classic Cleaners, we’re experts in caring for sweaters.  Let us help you maintain the integrity of your wardrobe with our current promotion of $3.00 off each dry cleaned sweater until March 3, 2012.  We’ll help your sweaters look just like new so they can continue to keep you warm and cozy year after year.  We’ll even come pick them up from you for free when you sign up for our free pick-up and delivery service.

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

One of the all-time great “songs about ephemeral someones” listed in Erin McHugh’s book Who? asks the question, “Who put the bomp in the bomp ba bomp ba bomp?”; another asks “Who threw the overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder?”

We don’t claim to know the definitive answer to either of those musical mysteries, but at Classic Cleaners we’re always asking “what” and “when”, rather than “who” questions, when it comes to removal of stains on our clients’ garments, bedding, table linens, and window coverings.

And, while Classic Cleaners specialists are armed with many tools, including steam guns, compressed air, specialized brushes, and more than twenty different stain-fighting solutions, in advanced stain removal, the most important tool is information:

• What is the fabric? Different fabrics lose color, fade, or shrink when improperly handled. You may know the general category of fabric, such as cotton, silk, or rayon, but there are many subcategories that dry cleaning professionals recognize, each requiring specialized treatment.
• What made the stain? Different stains require different treatments. Two basic types of stain are solvent-soluble and water-soluble; our stain-removal technicians are trained to administer different processes for each, based on the very latest in dry cleaning technology.
• How much time has elapsed since the staining occurred? It’s best to get stained garments in for treatment as soon as possible.

  So, who DID put that stain in the bomp ba bomp ba bomp? We’ll understand if you’re not sure or don’t want to confess, but please, when it comes to the “what”, the” how”, and the “when” of stains, Classic Cleaners needs to know!

 by Reb of the Classic Cleaners blog team

 ”Spotters vs. Toughies” might have been the title of Classic Cleaners’ latest film. The challenge – a white wedding dress with a big red wine stain.  The goal: demonstrate the Classic Cleaners expertise in stain removal. 

The profession of dry cleaning has challenges.  Some common “toughies” are:

• “Toughie” trimmings: beads, sequins, vinyl, feathers, fur, mesh
• “Toughie” fabrics: leather, suede, wool with spandex, cottons with silk
• “Toughie” stains: mustard, ink, caramelized sugar, oxidized oils
• “Toughie” reds – red garments, beet stains, and…wine stains!

When the going gets tough, Classic Cleaners gets going, and, as you can see from the before-and-after photos, the score was 1-0 in favor of the spotters. 

Savvy post-”game” commentators on the Spotters vs. Toughies might have mentioned several points:

1. Classic Cleaners spotters knew the stain was from red wine. The toughest stains are often those the customer forgot about; the dry cleaner needs to solve the “mystery” before deciding how to treat the stain!
   
2. The stain was recent. The sooner a stain can be treated, the better the chances for success in removing it without damaging the fabric.

toughie wine stain on wedding dress

Wine stain gone