Your Clothing Tips

We want to help ensure that your clothes last between visits to the cleaner. There’s plenty of small, easy things you can do at home to curb stains, sew small holes, and keep your garments looking snazzy and fresh.

Have a question or didn’t find a tip we didn’t cover here? Get in touch!

Remove the plastic wrap from your dry cleaning as soon as you get home.

Yes, dry cleaners will return your clothes back to you in plastic wrap — however, it is meant strictly for short term, transitory use. Storing your clothes in plastic wrap for an extended period of time can suffocate the garment, causing staining, mildew, or other damage. One hack? Cut a hole in an unbleached, white sheet, and drape it over your clothes to store and protect them.

Where (and how) to store your seasonal clothes

Store your clothes in a cool, dry place — and make sure they’re properly laundered and cleaned before you do. Body oils, tannins, and stains are all magnets for moths and other destructive pests. Avoid storing your clothes in the attic or basement, as both can be warm, damp, and poorly ventilated. For hanging garments, opt for an unbleached, ventilated cotton cover, and for folded clothes, select a storage box that is acid-free.

Color coding your closet

When you visit a clothing store, there’s a reason why the clothes are sorted by color, lights to dark or darks to light. It’s because when light garments are stored next to dark garments, the sublimation of dyes can occur; this is to say that there’s the possibility that the dark dyes can create stains on your lighter clothes. So, the next time you’re putting your clothes in your closet, think about hanging them the way they would at your local boutique.

Save your clothing from makeup stains

Whether you apply your makeup before or after you get dressed, you’re always somewhat at risk for ending up with foundation or lipstick on your blouse. If you’re putting makeup on after you get dressed, we recommend draping a towel or or robe over your outfit before applying your makeup, or using a Betty Dain Makeup Protector Hood, should you apply your makeup and then get dressed.

Protecting your clothes from the sun

We protect pretty much everything on our bodies from the sun — our skin, our hair, and our eyes — but it’s virtually impossible to protect our clothes from the damage the sun causes.

Careful when wearing your favorite sequined outfit

While sequins make for a great party outfit, you’ll want to be careful when sipping a cocktail or applying perfume: Alcohol causes the discoloration of sequins. Another pro tip: If a few previously sewn-on sequins fall off your garment, save them and bring them to your dry cleaner. They may be able to sew them back on.

Don’t fight ink stains with hairspray

No matter what the internet says, hairspray and alcohol are definitely not functional removers for ink stains. When in doubt, bring your stained item to a dry cleaner.

Cashmere, blended if you can

As wonderful as the look and feel is of cashmere, it’s a delicate fabric, and thus susceptible to wear and tear. We recommend selecting a cashmere-wool blend, for the luxury of cashmere, but with a longer shelf life.

Raincoats may need some refurbishing

If you find your raincoat is no longer doing the trick keeping you dry, talk to your dry cleaner. They can often apply a water resistant finish to a fading raincoat.

Visit here for even more tips from the National Cleaners Association