Dos & Don’ts

Do’s:

• Do have the hanging tags that come with garments you buy. Show them to your drycleaner and take note of instructions that have to do with home care.
• Brush your clothes regularly and thoroughly.
• Dry rain-soaked or damp garments thoroughly in a cool, well ventilated place before hanging in a closet.
• Have garments dry cleaned regularly. Even a small accumulation of perspiration, grease, grit and dust particles can impair the attractiveness and longevity of a garment. Garments cleaned regularly last longer.
• Take stained garments to the drycleaner immediately. Exposure to air, heat and light sets stains and can make their removal impossible.
• When a garment has been stained, tell your drycleaner about the staining and what it might be; that is important for successful stain removal.

Dont’s:

• Press a garment if it’s stained. The heat of pressing will set the stain in the fabric and possibly make it’s removal impossible.
• Hang knitted garments. Hanging stretches them out of shape and causes a sagging hemline. Knits are best stored in a drawer or folded over a padded hanger.
• Use untested (or even tested) home stain removers. They can aggravate the condition of the fabric or may create permanent damage like color loss.
• Use nail polish remover to remove nail polish stains. This may damage the garment’s dye. If the garment is an acetate, nail polish remover can create a hole in the fabric.
• Store garments at home without having them cleaned and moth-proofed before storage. Be sure that the storage boxes or cedar chests used are kept in a cool dry place.