Look your best

Q. My daughter had poison ivy last week and I am worried that the clothes she wore will cause her to relapse. Is there anything I can do to be sure she won't get it again from her clothes?

A.  Both drycleaning and laundering are acceptable cleaning methods for removing poison ivy from clothing. Laundering is preferred because of the multiple flushes used in this process. Also, it is best to wear gloves and wash the contaminated clothing separately. Casual contact with your daughter's clothing should be okay, but be sure to wash any areas that contact the clothing with soap and water. This precaution will usually prevent a rash from appearing.

Garments must contain sap from the plant to transmit these chemical contaminants, and not all people are sensitive to them. Remember to wash them separately so the poison won’t be able to spread to other garments.

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If you are a frequent drycleaning customer, you may have more hangers in your closet than you know what to do with. Rather than throw out the ones you are not reusing, why not recycle them by returning them to us?

More than just freeing up closet space, recycling hangers is good for the environment — which is one reason many cleaners participate in recycling programs. Most hangers can be steam processed for cleanliness and reused. Hangers that are unsuitable for reuse are often sold for scrap metal to avoid unnecessary waste.

We can do this together – let’s recycle!

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You carefully planned your wedding. Then you spent hours trying on dresses, finally finding the perfect gown. Once the day is over how do you care for your beautiful dress to either preserve your dress as a keepsake, or perhaps for your own daughter to wear on her wedding day. We are here to help – you will need a professional’s help before storing this treasure.

Beware of invisible stains from food, beverages, and body oil. If these stains are not properly cleaned, they may become permanent. Therefore, it is important to point out any stains or spills to us before cleaning.

Most wedding gowns have some sort of decorative trim. Be sure to inspect these trims with us prior to cleaning since many trims are not made to withstand the dry cleaning process. For example, many beads, glitter, sequins, and laces are attached to gowns with adhesives that dissolve during dry cleaning. Some beads and glitter are made of plastics or covered with surface coatings that are not solvent- resistant. In many of these cases, the trim becomes separated from the dress or altered in some way.

In some cases, decorative trims yellow as their finishes oxidize. An ivory or ecru trim may lose its color and no longer match the gown if a dye component is lost in cleaning. Color failures of this type are due to poor colorfastness of the dye, not to improper cleaning.

Sarni Cleaners has many years' experience in wedding gown alterations, cleaning and preservation/heirlooming. Call us at 1-800-727-6475 or stop by one of our locations for a free consultation. 

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Q. During my spring cleaning, I washed my couch cushion cover it is now too small, totally off color, and crumbly on the inside when I got it out of the laundry. What happened?

A. The fabric covering for stuffed furniture and cushions is known as upholstery. The covers on the cushions usually have a zipper, giving rise to the myth that the cushions can be taken out and the cover can be cleaned, much like a pillow case to a bed set. This is not true–in fact, the zipper was put on for the convenience of the manufacturer. Most manufacturers do not expect the cover to be removed from the cushion during use or cleaning.

One should never remove cushion covers for separate dry cleaning or washing. Any tumble cleaning method can destroy the back and shrink or otherwise damage the upholstery fabric. There are several different cleaning methods from spot cleaning to a light rub that can work on upholstery. Since each fabric is different and the correct method is not obviously apparent, the best thing to do is take the item to us with the cushion inside the casing. We will take care of the rest!

Visit our coupons page to get a $10 off coupon for cleaning household items!

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• Wash and dryclean everything before storage. Some stains that are now invisible may darken with age. Dirt and food are also invitations to insects.
  
  
• Make all necessary repairs—sew sagging hemlines, replace missing buttons, and fix split seams— before cleaning and storing for the season.
  
  
• Store all items in a cool, well-ventilated area. Hot attics, damp basements, and garages are to be avoided.
  
  
• Store away from natural and artificial light. A cool, dark closet is a good location for storage. Store woolens in cedar chests or other airtight containers. Second choices for storage are cloth or canvas bags and cardboard boxes. If you store your garments in a closet, drape a cloth sheet over your clothes to protect them from dust and light. Do not store leathers, furs, and woolens in plastic. Plastic encourages moisture, which can create mildew.
  
  
• Pack airtight containers (other than cedar chests) with mothballs suspended above or separate from the clothes—never place mothballs directly on the clothes. Cedar blocks or chips also discourage moths.
  
  
• To decrease wrinkles in sweaters, fold them and wrap in white tissue paper before storing. If you hang your sweaters, fold over the cross bar to avoid shoulder stretches. Down, like all winter clothing, should be cleaned (either washed or drycleaned according to the care label) before storage. Down should be stored loosely to allow for air circulation.
  
  
• Furs should be stored on a wellpadded hanger in a cool, dark place, ideally with a professional fur storage company or a drycleaner with fur storage capacity.
  
  
• If you do not have proper storage space, ask us about box storage. You can get your clothes cleaned and properly stored all at the same time.
  
  

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One of our recommendations for keeping coats, jackets and blazers in top condition is to wear scarves to avoid soiling the collar, especially for leather and suede coats. Below is a video "25 ways to wear a scarf in 4.5 minutes" from Wendyslookbook. Enjoy!

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 I tried using hairspray and water to get an ink stain out of my dress shirt. It removed the ink, but left a discolored mark where the ink used to be. What happened?

Answer: As you have discovered, using hairspray can remove ink stains, but it can also lead to other problems. Hairspray can contain alcohol and oils which can cause color damage and additional stains, especially on silk. A more appropriate solution would be to ask us to remove the stain. We will test for colorfastness in an inconspicuous area before using any stain removal product, blot the stain with a towel until all the bleeding stops, moving the stained area as the towel absorbs the ink. If the stain remains, we can treat it with a mild synthetic detergent and household ammonia.

Not every stain can be removed, but we have the best tools and know-how to maximize the potential for removal.

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After a long slumber, your spring and summer clothes will need to be awakened and taken out of storage. Warmer clothing, such as long skirts and heavy jackets can be safely tucked away to make room for the less-inhibiting light fabrics of spring.

How your stored spring and summer wardrobe looks when it comes out of storage has a lot to do with what precautions you took when you put it in.

Going In

Sweaters and coats, long skirts, and scarves: all of these items are going to be a little too warm to wear in the spring and summer months to come. Here are some tips to help you store you garments so they will be ready to serve you when we slow back down into next Fall and Winter.

1. Clean the garments to ensure that left over body oils or spills don’t attract insects. Insects can sniff out a spot of ginger ale from miles away and they have ways of getting inside your closet or attic.

2. Fold and store the garments in a dark, well-ventilated area. Do not store in plastic bags. Many dyes fade if exposed to sunlight or artificial light. This is especially true for silk. Fume fading is caused by a reaction of atmospheric oxides of nitrogen with certain dyes, resulting in permanent color change. Make sure your boxes are stored away from exhaust gasses or heating fumes.

3. Make sure the storage area is dry. Mildew is more than just an unpleasant odor. It is a fungus that usually develops on soiled garments or items that are stored in damp or humid conditions. Mildew appears as irregular purple, gray, black or yellow speckled stains.

Coming Out

When you get your garments out of storage, check for any of the above listed damages, and then wake them up. Your warm-weather clothing has been sitting in boxes for a few months by now and it’s time to bring them back to life so you can look your best.

Look for small holes, worn areas, and discolored lines on the portions of the garment that had spills or stains that were never removed. The odor from moth balls or crystals is difficult to remove. Try airing the garments by hanging them outside in the shade. If this does not completely remove the odor, cleaning the garments should bring them back into action

Many people store their clothing in the off-season to keep it safe, but by not taking the proper precautions you could be putting next year’s wardrobe into jeopardy. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially since many of the different types of damage that can befall fabrics while in storage are preventable, but irreversible.

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Fur clothing is made from animal hides that still have the hair attached. The most common types of fur clothing include fox, mink, sable, rabbit, chinchilla and seal. The presence of hair means that fur clothing requires special care.

• Store fur clothing during the summer. This generally requires a refrigerated unit made specifically for this purpose. The ideal temperature for storing fur is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A humidity of 50 percent prevents the fur from drying out without allowing it to become wet.
• Avoid keeping fur clothing in regular closets, since closets are typically 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house. They also don’t provide the constant airflow needed to maintain the conditions needed to store fur.
• Keep fur clothing from picking up unpleasant odors. This is especially common with cedar closets and mothballs.
• Condition your fur clothing once per year. Fur requires professional cleaning from an expert, like Sarni Cleaners. We offer seasonal fur storage in our secure temperature and humidity controlled vaults.
  

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Cashmere is a fiber made from the wool of cashmere goats. It is soft and light with excellent insulation. However, these fibers also have a fine texture and are easily damaged. Cashmere clothing therefore requires additional care to keep it looking its best.

• Buy a garment made from a blend of ordinary wool and cashmere. This type of clothing will be stronger and last longer than a garment made from pure cashmere.
• Consider the length carefully when buying a cashmere coat. A short coat is stylish, but it won’t protect your legs from cold weather. On the other hand, a long hemline will attract debris more easily.
• Choose the color of your cashmere garment. The fine fibers of cashmere pick up lint very easily, which is less obvious on darker colors. Everyday cashmere clothing should therefore be dark, and you should reserve light-colored cashmere clothing for special occasions.
• Clean cashmere garments more frequently to remove the lint. This type of clothing typically requires dry cleaning.

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