After a shower or bath, there’s nothing as refreshing as a big, clean terrycloth dry-off. Make sure you’re getting the best your towels can offer: fabric softener and dryer sheets prevent towel fibers from soaking up water; incompletely rinsed detergent can harden the fibers. If towels aren’t smelling sour, add a cup of baking soda to the laundry rinse, adding white vinegar freshens mildewy staleness. Nothing smells better than a towel that’s dried on a clothesline in the summer sun. We even love the extra exfoliating texture line-drying adds.    

Warm weather means chinos for most guys, dressed up with a white cotton shirt, dressed down with t-shirt or polo. Chinos come in colors way beyond khaki like classic blue, green, grey, brown and black. And there are a lot more colors in chinos than ever before (try Dockers).  For a crisp tailored look, let us clean and press your cotton trousers. For home care, wash chinos inside out in warm water, avoid bleach and over-drying. Touch up wrinkles with a steam iron. Then hang on a trouser hanger, ready for wear.

After each use, rinse swimwear in cool tap water to remove sunscreen, sand, sweat and chlorine. To wash after every few wearings, turn the swimsuit inside out and hand wash in the sink, using a few drops liquid detergent in warm water. Gently squeeze the suds through the garment, don’t wring or twist. Rinse well and lay flat to dry. At the end of the season, put your swimwear in a mesh lingerie bag and run through a gentle wash cycle with a mild detergent before storing for next year.

In the words of Harry S. Truman, “America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination.”  On the Fourth we celebrate the courage, imagination and determination that has made this a great country. We’re with our families tomorrow, celebrating our nation’s freedom, liberty and blessings. Happy Fourth!

Beer stains should be blotted as dry as possible. As soon as possible, rinse the stain with cold water from the back. Mix liquid laundry detergent (or dish soap) with cold water and soak the stain at least ten minutes. Rinse thoroughly and launder in warm water. Yellow mustard can be tough to remove, so bring your garment to us ASAP. We’ll work that yellow spot out – we never charge extra for routine stain removal. Getting your clothes clean should be fast, easy and affordable so you can enjoy what matters, like a hotdog with the works. Enjoy your Fourth of July holiday next week—we’ll be celebrating with family and friends.

Women have it easy with a simple non-white dress. For summer, a man’s traditional dark suit can be too warm and predictable. For a city wedding, choose a lightweight suit in gray, blue or a subtle pattern. Style it up with a pastel Oxford or poplin shirt. In the country, blazers and sport coats reign, paired with well-cut chinos. Seaside or resort? A tailored white shirt, colored chinos and a light-colored linen blazer. Keep everything understated and appropriate for the venue. And always be ready with a clever toast.

A few tips to help keep that timeless, breezy look fresh— Don’t eat in bed or go to bed with makeup on. Stains are easier to make than remove. Wash in warm or hot water to remove body oils. Never use chlorine bleach, it weakens and yellows fibers. Finish your laundry with a white vinegar final rinse to remove any residual detergent that can look grey. And hang your clean bedding in the sunshine to airdry and smell amazingly fresh.

Linen’s looser weave allows air to flow more freely. Linen’s fibers are absorbent and conductive — wicking moisture to evaporate back into the air for a little natural cooling. The wrinkled, rumpled look of linen is a side-effect of flax fiber’s inherent structure, traditionally considered a sign of comfortable elegance. Linen’s long-wearing quality costs a bit more, and takes a little more care, but linen can be a summer pleasure. Our professional finishing adds crispness to summer garments.

Back in the early 40’s, Father’s Day wasn’t widely celebrated. An association of menswear retailers and manufacturers, including the necktie industry, promoted the June holiday as an occasion to make Dad more dapper. Today, the holiday generates over $13 billion in sales – that’s a lot of neckties!  It seems to be unavoidable that the more expensive the tie, the more prone it is to stains from soup, café au lait or wine. Our stain experts know how to gently restore neckware to like-new condition.

Displaying our national symbol is actually covered by an official Flag Code. For instance, the flag should not be flown in the dark or inclement weather. It should not be used as decoration – that’s a job for bunting, streamers and decorative materials. Always display the blue part on top. When the flag is lowered, it should never touch the ground or any other objects, it should be gathered by waiting hands and arms, respectfully and ceremoniously folded (ask a veteran how). Flags should be mended and cleaned when needed – we clean American flags at no charge as a courtesy year-round.  Show your pride and fly the flag, especially on Flag Day this Friday.