7 Worst Mistakes People Make In Dry Cleaning Service
Dry cleaning has found widespread popularity in Singapore due to the benefits that people gain from the service. The ease of dry cleaning is one of the factors that have significantly contributed to this method of dealing with their laundry. What’s more, people who have tight work schedules and other activities can just drop them at a dry cleaning shop and later pick the laundry at a time of their convenience. Even better, some other providers of this service have delivery options where they can drop completed laundry at your home.
Despite the convenience that comes with dry cleaning service, a lot of Singaporeans make mistakes that may be too costly for them in the long run. Since dry cleaning is not as straightforward as it looks, below are seven worst mistakes that you should avoid in dry cleaning:
1. Not differentiating dry-cleanable clothes and those that are not suitable
Not all clothes are supposed to be washed using the dry cleaning machine. This is fact that many people are not aware of or just choose to ignore blatantly. Your closet of clothes is full of fabric that is manufactured from different materials like nylon, leather, wool and polyester among other types of material. Each of the materials mentioned above have their way of getting cleaned so that they achieve perfection in dirt removal. This means that not all clothes are compatible with the dry-cleaning machine. You need to be careful so that you select the appropriate way to go about the cleaning process. Before dropping your clothes at the cleaning service, manually sort them out into machine washable type and the hand washable fabrics.
2. Failure to empty your pockets
Foreign objects lodged in your textiles can cause untold damage to your clothes when you send them for dry cleaning. For example, pen lids that you often leave in your pockets can get dissolved as it is made of light plastic. After dissolving, it mixes and solidifies again on your clothes leaving them destroyed to the extent that you cannot wear them again. Other culprits that end up in the washing machine with your clothes may not be necessarily be lodged in your pockets but could just find their way as a result of being entangled in the clothing. These include candles and coins.
To curb this menace, you need to frisk all your pockets carefully before sending your clothes for cleaning. You can do this effectively by individually sorting the clothes and shaking them so that any unwanted item can drop off. Even you are in a hurry or you do not have the time to do this yourself, you can inform the attendants at the dry cleaning shop so that they can be extra careful and check for you. Whereas informing them is a common courtesy that may go a long way in preserving your fabrics, most of these companies check their laundry before cleaning anyway. So there is no problem even if you fail to notify them.
3. Excessively dry cleaning clothes
Subjecting your clothes to excessive cleaning causes damage to them in the long run. In fact, you may notice that the color of your clothes changes after occasioned cleaning. This is normal as far as cleaning goes. However, you need to be less frequent in the number of times that you get your clothes cleaned because they wear and tear after some time. The cleaning companies use a combination of tough chemicals and machine force in the process of cleaning your clothes. To reduce the effect of chemicals on your clothes, take your clothes to the laundry only when it is very necessary. You need to be aware that dry cleaning is a safe process and the chemicals used therein are regulated. Therefore, it is an excellent way of cleaning your clothes, although too much of it causes damage.
4. Lack of knowledge that dry cleaning does not remove all stains
Dry cleaning is a relatively efficient process of dirt removal in clothes. The systems of cleaning have been perfected over a long period. However, much like any other system that makes work easier, it does not guarantee you of removing 100% of the stains on your clothes. You need to rid your mind of the perception that dry cleaning can clear the stubborn stains. A great way to remove stains is through the use of spotting solvents that are optimized for treating stubborn stains. To go about it, you may have to soak clothes in tough chemicals or utilize steam jets.
5. Failure to follow instructions when dry cleaning at home
Whereas the dry-cleaning service has availed mass cleaning of clothes, some consumer-grade equipment is available for personal use. This means that you can undertake the cleaning of laundry at your home although it is limited to some specific laundry. Further, there are some simple instructions that you need to follow diligently as they are very handy in ensuring that the process runs smoothly. Failure to adhere to these instructions can not only cause damage to your clothes, but also to the machine as well.
6. Choosing the wrong company
The truth of the matter is that the market has availed many dry cleaning companies. Some are cheap while others are reasonably affordable. High-end companies who boast of high-quality services also charge a high price for their services. You need to know that those who charge exceedingly high prices do not necessarily guarantee you of good quality of service. Be smart and do your research on the cleaning companies so that you select a company that gives you the value for your money.
7. Hand washing an item that has the label “dry clean only”
Often, many people read this on their clothes and opt to commit his blunder because they do not know of the repercussions. Generally, most fabric that is machine-washable can also be hand washed and this includes silk and most linen. However, you need to check for colourfastness by moistening a cotton and swabbing it with a mild detergent so that you can ascertain if any dye comes off. It is highly recommended that you stick to dry cleaning for most cloth categories such as leather, dupioni or suede.
You now have it. Listed here are those mistakes that you do not want to commit in the course of dry cleaning your clothes. As a precaution, check customer reviews of any cleaning company as they always indicate something that you may not be aware of their cleaning strategies.
