Frequently Asked Questions

First of all, it is not a dry process. The clothing gets wet, just not with water. We use a hydrocarbon solvent. This solvent is pumped into a machine called a “dry to dry” machine. It is called this because the clothes go in dry and come out dry. The solvent is effective on oil based soils and stains. Additives are added to the solvent to assist with the removal of water based spots and stains. These additives include sizing to give body to the garments, optical brighteners to make the colors pop and antibacterial solution to maintain the integrity of the solvent as it is recycled in the machine. Our dry cleaning machine uses a series of carbon and clay filters to keep the solvent clean, and to remove the dyes that might cause graying or tinting of the white or lighter colored garments.

As an alternative to dry cleaning some garments are cleaned with water. The decision to wet clean is sometimes based on the care label of the garment, the spots or soils present on the garment, or the type of fabric. We use detergents unlike what is available for home use. These detergents allow us to put garments in water that otherwise could not be submersed in water.

Like wet cleaning, laundering involves processing the garments in water. Special high alkaline, enzyme based detergents are added to the water for excellent soil removal. It is during this process that starch is added to the garments if requested by the customer. Starch is a bath process after the final rinse. Unlike at home where shirts and pants are dried before ironing, we take the shirts and pants from the washer and press them dry on specialized equipment. This pressing until dry gives a smooth finish that cannot be duplicated at home. It also eliminates shrinkage caused by dryers.

No. The use of either of these could make professional stain removal more difficult. Hairspray could also ruin some fabrics. Bring your items in as soon as possible and inform our customer service representatives as to the location and origin of your spots and stains.

The primary factor in garments accepting starch is fabric content. 100% cotton shirts hold starch much better than cotton/poly blends. Heavier weaves also accept and retain starch more favorably.

Yes. Garments dropped off before 9:00 AM Monday thru Friday may be picked up after 5:30 the same day. While this is our goal, there are days when we reach the maximum number of garments we can process prior to 9:00 AM. On those few exceptions we will try to accommodate you with next day earlier ready times when possible.

There is no extra charge for same day service.

First, many manufacturers cut corners and do not put a button on the shirt that can withstand the heat of professional laundering. Secondly, simply wear and tear over the life of the shirt causes them to become brittle and break. We have a large inventory of colors and sizes of buttons and replace broken and missing buttons free of charge.

Approximately 2 years. This usually means between 35 and 50 washings. Studies have shown that a shirt may be laundered and pressed up to 150 times before failure of fabric, but when worn between, the life of the shirt is drastically shortened. The exposure to everyday life puts the real wear and tear on shirts.