Prior to becoming a work-at-home mom I saw the clerk at the dry cleaner more than I saw my parents. Ninety-five percent of my professional wardrobe was “dry clean only,” which meant I visited my local dry cleaner at least twice a week. All in all, I would consider myself one of the lucky ones–save for a single nasty episode where I took my favorite winter coat to be cleaned and never got it back–I had pretty good luck dealing with my dry cleaner.
However, there is the dreaded flip side of having someone else clean your garments—broken buttons, ruined embroidery, shrunken clothes—they are dry cleaning disasters you hope won’t happen to your prized possessions. If these foul-ups have happened to you then perhaps it is time to get a new dry cleaner—or take matters into your own hands. I’ll address the former first.
TIPS ON HOW TO FIND A GOOD DRY CLEANER
Ask around. See what neighbors think, check on membership in professional dry cleaning groups, and call consumer groups to look up old complaints.
Make sure the clerk examines your clothes before handing you a claim ticket. If the person behind the counter just asks when would you like your laundry returned, and never looks at the merchandise–don’t go there. You can help by pointing out any stains or loose buttons.
Look for a dry cleaner that will compensate you if they break or damage your clothing items.
If your white shirts come back looking gray, it means the chemicals used to clean them are dirty. Time to get a new drycleaner.
TIPS FOR AT HOME DRY CLEANING
If you are fed up with your dry cleaners’ bad habits and don’t want to search for a new one, you do have the option of completing your dry cleaning at home.
Dryel is a product that can be found at practically any retail store (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.). It is an in-home dry cleaning system that only takes about 30 minutes to complete. You simply toss your clothes into the plastic Dryel bag (don’t overstuff it or none of the items will get cleaned properly—the garments need to have enough space to tumble freely) and add the pre-moistened Dryel Cloth. You then place the bag into your dryer.
I don’t use the product on bulky items (as I mentioned earlier the size of the bags makes this impossible), but I have had success using it on single items such as silk shirts and rayon dresses. Dryel is formulated to work on items such as sweaters, blouses, blazers, dresses, slacks and vests. It also does well on fabrics such as wool, rayon, silk, linen, acetate and blends of these fabrics. However, it is not formulated for use on leather, suede, velvet, or fur.
I would recommend it for smaller items made from the acceptable fabrics. Also, if your garments are stained you need to completely remove the spot (Dryel sells a stain remover as well) prior to placing the bag into the dryer. Overall, the product is not bad if you have a handful of “dry clean only” products and you want to avoid a trip to the dry cleaner. If you have larger items or heavily stained garments—I would recommend seeking the aid of a professional dry cleaner.