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The jean jacket.
The denim coat was first seen on 19th century Japanese firemen, marked with bold indigo symbols. By the end of the century, Industrial Revolution factory workers wore blue jackets, source of the phrase “blue collar.” In 1905, Levi’s “Type I” was the choice for rugged workwear. By the 1950’s, Brando, Presley and those crazy beatniks…
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Science to the rescue.
It’s not your imagination that some workout clothes reek after ten minutes while old-school all-cotton stays relatively sweet. NPR reports that researchers have found there are certain malodorous microbes that only thrive on polyester. The traditional solutions for stinky gym clothes like vinegar or baking soda just can’t fight the tenacious Micrococcus bacteria. Impregnating polyester…
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The gender politics of buttons.
Why left handed buttons for women? In Victorian times, right handed maids did most of the buttoning for fashionable women. Left-handed buttons indicated wealth (you had enough to pay a maid to do the tedious work). As with everything, there’s an answer on the Internet. By the time sewing machines and patterns became popular in…
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Save the memories.
Everyone has an heirloom item made of fabric. Wedding gowns are such popular heirlooms we offer special preservation services. But the same careful cleaning and archival storage can benefit any textile. Grandmother’s lace tablecloth, Dad’s letter jacket or uniform, antique tapestries or christening gowns. We’ve seen it all and can recommend the right procedures and…
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Hanger humps.
We’ve all seen sweaters with humped shoulders from incorrect hanging. Sweaters and knits should be folded and hung over the padded hanger bar. Better yet, stored flat on a shelf or in a cedar-lined drawer. The weight of the fabric pulls and stretches, even while wearing. Hump not: we can get garments blocked back into…
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Out, out darned spot
Our dry cleaning service would be incomplete without our expert spotters. They know how to treat stains without damaging the fabric, the color or the texture. Home cleaning might work on jeans or a golf shirt, but bring your valued garments to us for prompt treatment when there’s a spill. Silk just can’t be treated…
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Dull duds
Do your clothes look dull after you take them out of the wash? Home laundry products often react with hard water and leave residue behind that builds up on your clothes. Combat the dinge with baking soda. Mix ¼ to ½ cup into the water before you add detergent or clothes. The baking soda softens…
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Daylight Savings starts Saturday night.
You’ll lose an hour to Daylight Savings but you can make up for it with our time-saving cleaning and laundry services. Whether we pick up and deliver or serve you from our counter, let us take care of your all your household linens and garment cleaning and ironing.
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Wax on, wax off.
Removing candle drips from table linens is often easier than you’d guess. Remove the tablecloth and freeze it. That’s right, the cold will make the wax brittle and if it doesn’t just pop off the cloth, scrape with a credit card. Now just treat the spot with stain remover, like Shout!, and toss it in…
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The missing care instructions
Are you trying to figure out the best way to clean a tie, hat or handbag, but can’t find the care label? Manufacturers are not required to put care labels on items such as those because they are not considered “washable.” Bring them to us for expert evaluation: we can clean most fabric and leather…