What we do

Cleaning Steps

The Drycleaners Responsibility

All About Stains

Color Loss

How you can help

Stain Removal
Clothing stains are one of the main reasons people seek the help of their drycleaner. With their special solvents, equipment, and training, drycleaners can remove some of the most disastrous-looking stains with relative ease. Successful stain removal depends largely on the nature of the stain, the type of fabric, and the colorfastness of the dye. Ink stains and dried paint, for example, can be impossible to remove. Also, some fabrics and dyes are not made to withstand the use of cleaning or stain removal agents.

Invisible Stains
Many stains that are caused by food, oily substances or beverages may become invisible when they dry. But later on, with exposure to heat or the passage of time, a yellow or brownish stain will appear. This is caused by the oxidation or caramelization of the sugar in the staining substance. It is the same process that makes a peeled apple turn brown after exposure to air.

You can help your drycleaner do a better job by pointing out such stains when you take a garment to be cleaned. The cleaner often treats these stains prior to cleaning, since the heat of drying or finishing may set the stain.

When an oily substance is exposed to heat or ages in a garment for an extended time, it also oxidizes. This type of stain can be distinguished by the irregular "cross pattern" the oil makes when it follows the fabric fibers. Oily substances are successfully removed in drycleaning unless they are left to oxidize. Once they become yellow or brown, they become much more difficult to remove.

Perspiration Stains
Perspiration can also cause problem stains, particularly on silk and wool garments. Perspiration left in a silk garment can eventually cause deterioration of the silk fibers.

Repeated exposure of a garment to perspiration and body oils can create permanent yellow discoloration and an objectionable odor. In addition, perspiration can react with the dye or sizing in the fabric, making it even more difficult to remove the stain. Clothing frequently worn or heavily stained also requires frequent cleaning, especially clothes heavily soiled with perspiration.