What Do You Know About Those Pesky Stains?

As dry cleaning professionals, we’ve seen and heard it all but some of the most frequent misconceptions have to do with stains. With proper care and attention, most stains can be removed. Unfortunately, many people are not sure what “proper care and attention” really means and they end up causing inadvertent harm to their clothes by making a few critical mistakes.

Consider these as just a few examples of what to look for when it comes to caring for your valuable clothing:

• Did you know that spills and stains that are not attended to right away, eventually become permanent? It’s true. Stains that are left without treatment will slowly start to oxidize, set and become a permanent fixture. So, what should you do? Once you notice a stain, immediately rinse it with cold water and gently wipe off any excess dirt and grime with a clean cloth. For best results, soak the fabric in cold water and get it to a dry cleaner as soon as possible.
• Did you know that ironing stained or dirty clothes will further push the dirt into the fabric and will increase the chance that the fabric becomes permanently stained? Unfortunately, we see this too often as people try to get just one more wear out of their clothes before taking them to the dry cleaner.
• Did you know that stains on your clothes can attract bugs and insects that may eat away at your clothes? All too often people do not attend to the stains on their clothes quickly enough, and instead think that they will get to it later. So unfortunately, later means that the clothes go back into the closet either on a hanger or worse, on the floor. Stains caused by food likely have sugar and other tasty additives that attract bugs, which nibble and eat away at it until you’re left with holes that ruin your clothes forever.
• Did you know that those sweaty shirts that are left in piles between dry cleaning visits can become permanently smelly? This is one we frequently see in men’s dress shirts where armpit sweat is common. Well, unfortunately those sweaty arms will produce a lingering odor that will never completely go away if shirts are left for extended periods of time between cleaning visits. At Canyon View Dry Cleaners, our experience suggest dropping dirty clothes off every 3 to 4 days is best for ensuring proper removal of most stains and odors. As a best practice, drop off sooner because you can always pick up later – avoid doing it the other way around!