There are few things that give your local dry cleaner pain. Taking care of your clothes is usually just as easy as throwing them in the wash, but a few do require some extra care. Your local dry cleaner has seen it all, and knows exactly what to watch out for. Here are some of the most frequent laundry mistakes that you might be making at home!

1. Using “stain hacks”.
   1. If there is one thing that we can impress upon anyone facing a potential stain it’s that if you don’t know how to get it out, leave it to a professional! This is especially true for clothing that is dry clean only, because these types of clothes are delicate and can’t stand up to traditional stain removals. Don’t listen to Pinterest remedies like spraying hairspray, using lemon juice, or even squeezing toothpaste. If you’ve used any of these ‘alternative’ remedies, you might actually ruin your clothing before you even take it in to a professional dry cleaner.
2. Hanging up your clothing instead of washing it.
   1. Time is the one enemy of stains. The quicker you notice your stains, the quicker you can remove them before they set. When you hang up a dress or skirt immediately after wear and don’t inspect them, you don’t spot the spaghetti sauce or the wine stain on the fabric.  So next time your come back from a formal event, don’t just hang your favorite dress back up. Give it a quick once-over to save it from potential ruin!
3. Being unaware of daily, invisible damage.
   1. Did you know that some things you do every day could slowly be destroying your clothes? Things like perfume, hairspray, and deodorant can ruin your clothing over time. All of these things contain alcohol or grease, which can pull color out of the fabric and leave a chemical change that can’t be removed, even by experts. Regularly clean your clothing with washing and dry cleaning sheets and ensure your clothing will last for a long time.
4. Thinking stains are the only danger to your clothes.
   1. While stains are one of the largest reasons for clothing to become unwearable, they’re not the only reason. Things like jewelry, bobby pins, Velcro, and watches can rub against your clothing and wear your garments out as well. Always watch out for catching threads and constant rubbing, because you can possibly stop it before it’s too late.
5. Using wire hangers.
   1. Wire hangers are a dry cleaner’s worst nightmare for heavier garments. Wire hangers don’t have the structure to support these articles of clothing, and can even wear marks into lighter fabrics as well.  Make sure to use strong fabric hangers that are gentle on sensitive fabrics like silk, and are able to support heavy suit jackets.
6. Ignoring specific washing instructions.
   1. While many just think that “dry-clean only” is not a command, but only a suggestion, it’s actually important to follow. Dry cleaning is thought of as an extra chore, but it can greatly extend the life of your garments.  You should also take into account that dry cleaning sheets on your garments can extend the life of your clothing, especially when you are washing well-made garments.

We hope these tips were helpful! And if you’re looking for one of the best dry cleaners in New York City, make an appointment with Cameo Cleaners today!

 

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