Care and Fashion Tips

When Daylight Savings Time ends this Saturday night, winter’s right behind. Now’s the time to store away your warm weather clothes. It’s a good tradition and a great way to make closet space for the bulkier winter clothes. Just don’t add moth balls to your stored garments — instead use cedar chips or dried lavender. Be…

there’s nothing warmer. Pull on a snug knitted cap to keep out the cold and add some style to your bundled-up look. Knit or crocheted hats made of natural fibers should be handwashed in cool water. Soak for twenty minutes in a mild detergent, agitate gently and never squeeze or wring. Rinse in cool water,…

Consumer Reports cautions that excessive pet hair can prevent proper drainage and stick to the side of your washing machine. They recommend you remove pet hair from clothes with a lint roller or masking tape before washing. For bedding, put on a rubber glove, dampen it with water, and run your hand over the sheet or…

Never hang a sweater, it’ll droop and sag. Instead, fold and store in a drawer. If you must hang, fold in half over a cardboard-crossbar hanger (like we do). We can block your sweaters back to shape when we finish them, and our gentle cleaning prevents shrinkage. When your sweater get wrinkled, a light pressing…

Remove lint and pet hairs with a lint roller or wrap your hand with tape, sticky side out,  for a clean look. Pills (those little bumps right above the smooth weave) are removed with a pumice stone, scissors or simply shave them off with a disposable razor. For those little snags inside, pull through with a…

While still a splurge, cashmere’s more affordable than ever. But it’s still an investment worth protecting. Before pulling on your sweater, wait for deodorant to dry or it can build up and create a stain. Don’t wear the same garment more than once a week. Remove wrinkles by ironing on low, inside out. And please,…

Check your supply of table linens to make sure there are no stains, no candlewax or wine ring leftovers. Our professional finishing department can press everything to five-star quality, and we often can brighten old lace and linen. With everything you need on your table is spotless and sparkling, you’re well on the way to…

Before you store away your summer favorites, make sure everything’s clean and free of spills and stains. That little white wine spot or soda spill can oxidize over time, leaving a brown stain. Pack like-colored items together and keep everything away from light and moisture. If you don’t have closet hanger space, fold everything with…

After summer’s hot nights, now’s a good time to freshen your nighttime environment. Begin by stripping the bed down to the mattress. If you use a mattress pad, launder (or bring to us) and dry thoroughly, hanging on the line, if you have one. Flip and rotate the mattress. Is it time to replace your…

Here’s a new red wine stain removal trick from the Food Network. Flush the stain with white wine to remove as much stain as you can, blotting between rinses. Follow with distilled white vinegar rinses to get the last of the red out. Then launder as usual. Or promptly bring the stained garment to us, for expert…