Old Dominion Cleaners makes contribution to Walk MS 2015

In full support of one of our loyal customers’ fundraising team, ODC made a contribution toward the Walk MS 2015.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The cause of MS is still unknown – scientists believe the disease is triggered by as-yet-unidentified environmental factor(s) in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond. Learn more about MS and options for managing symptoms, treatments, coordination of healthcare, and living well with MS. Visit this link to contribute to the fight against MS and to learn more.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/VARWalkEvents?team_id=415312&pg=team&fr_id=25822

 

How do we track your clothes through the dry cleaning process?

Have you ever wondered how we keep track of your garments after we’ve received them from you? Although we don’t expect you to be as obsessed as we are with dry cleaning, we thought you might be interested in a little behind-the-scenes peek at our process. 

Before your garments are dry cleaned, we tag each piece of clothing so it can be easily identified. The tags we use are specially made to ensure that the ink and dye don’t wash out of them during dry cleaning. Next, we group all garments that require the same cleaning process together. This ensures we’re cleaning your clothes safely, and to your specifications.  

Once we’ve separated clothing into similar groups, we weigh the garments to make sure we place the right amount into our dry cleaning machines. At the end of the cleaning cycle, clothes are taken to the finishing department to be pressed on machines specifically designed to handle a great variety of fabric types and garment designs. 

After pressing, clothes go to an assembly area where our coworkers collect all of the items in your order and place them together for packaging. When the number of items we’ve placed together match the number of items on your invoice, the order is complete and ready to be packaged. 

Garments are placed in polyethylene bags, or in your EarthSmart Bag if you have one, before we attach the invoice to your order. Your clean, packaged dry cleaning is then placed on our conveyor system to await pickup.  

Thanks for taking a moment to better understand our dry cleaning process! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Old Dominion Cleaners. We’re always happy to help! Visit us at  http://www.olddominioncleaners.com

Don’t trust a dry cleaner who only keeps one type of stain remover in the back.

At Old Dominion Cleaners, we keep several different kinds on hand, and we know how to use each one.

It only sounds like overkill. It’s necessary because every kind of stain has its own peculiarities. For salsa, you need one kind of stain remover. For gravy, you need another. You need yet another for coffee. (Coffee, by the way, is not something we recommend spilling on clothes. We’ll do our best with it, of course. But coffee is so permanent, it is used as a fabric dye.)

But there’s more to it than that. You also need to how to handle each type of fabric, and each type of fabric finish. And you need to know how each type of stain remover behaves on different fabrics and finishes. A stain remover that’s perfect for removing gravy from one kind of fabric may be harmful to another kind of fabric.

Just to make things more complicated, clothing manufacturers often put incorrect handling instructions on clothing tags. To be great at spot removal, you have to know when to believe what the tag says, and when to overrule it.

Which means that to remove stains effectively and safely, you need to know your stuff. That’s why we don’t turn new employees loose on stains. We keep up on the science, and teach it to our most experienced people only, some of whom have been with us for years. So when you bring us a stain, you can relax. You’ll know that the person who works on it is thoroughly trained and experienced on the science of stain removal and fabric care.

For more information about our services, visit us at http://www.olddominioncleaners.com

Dry cleaners do more than just clean.

One of my neighbors showed me a green Timberland light jacket that had an orange stain all over it.  The stain came from water from a rusty pipe while he was wearing it on a EcoTourist cruise in a Honduran jungle.  Another jacket had also been splashed with the rusty water, but had come clean after washing it.  This green jacket, however, had not come clean after washing it five times.  He was concerned about whether the jacket was permanently ruined.  Suspecting it was rust, I asked to take the jacket to work with the stain.  At first his answer was “no.” The jacket label said “Do not dry clean.” Once I explained we clean all types of fabrics, washables as well as dry cleaning, he agreed to let me take the jacket.   

When I returned the jacket to them a few days later, the rust was gone and it looked like new.   

 Do you have a tough stain?  As your stain removal professional  let us get it out, dry clean or machine wash.

 

Why are women’s blouses more expensive to clean than men’s business shirts?

The reason cleaners charge more for women’s blouses than men’s business shirts is because they are passing along their increased cost of production to their customers. Depending on the cleaner’s equipment, it costs them between three and four times the labor expense to properly “finish” a women’s blouse compared to a men’s shirt. Here’s why… The biggest production cost for a cleaner is their labor expense, the money they pay their employees. Most of their labor goes into the “finishing” of a garment. Finishing is a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing. Most garments require a combination of machine pressing and hand ironing to achieve the desired finish. Many cleaners have special “assembly line style” machines that can finish the typical men’s business shirts without any hand ironing. These machines greatly reduce the time and labor needed to finish a shirt compared to a women’s blouse which sometimes requires as much as 100% hand ironing to achieve the proper finish. Depending on their equipment and the skill of the presser, most cleaners can finish three to four men’s business shirts in the same time it takes to finish one women’s blouse. You may be thinking, why not make similar machines for finishing women’s blouses? Well, I’m sure they would if they could. The problem is that women’s blouses come in an extremely wide variety and combination of different patterns, fabric types, trims and ornamentation. Plus, these variations can change dramatically from season to season with the latest changes in fashion. This prevents the machine manufacturers from developing presses that will fit the majority of women’s blouses. Where as men’s shirts have basically looked exactly the same for more than 100 years and they’re almost always made of 100% cotton or a cotton/poly blend. This stability in style has enabled the machine manufacturers to develop shirt presses that will fit the majority of men’s business shirts. Manufacturers have yet to develop a finishing machine that can finish blouses as quickly as men’s shirts. For answers to more requently asked dry cleaning questions, visit us at:.www.olddominioncleaners.com

Are dry cleaning delivery services safe to use?

Yes, they are quite safe! The good people at Old Dominion Cleaners services plenty of busy people, just like you, every day. We have been providing safe & reliable dry cleaning delivery service for quite some time. Hmmm… What about thieves? Used clothing isn’t normally an item of interest for most thieves. However, in the highly unlikely event that your clothes are stolen, we will quickly reimburse you for the loss. If UPS leaves boxes full of “mystery goodies” on your doorstep without a problem, you should have no problem leaving your used clothing there. What if it rains? Your clothes are delivered inside protective plastic covers, so the rain can’t touch them. However, if you prefer, when it’s raining we can hold your clothes until the following delivery day. Or, we can deliver them to an alternative spot, like inside your garage or on your back porch. What about my expensive suits? I can’t just stuff them in the laundry bag! Why not? It won’t hurt them a bit. In fact, in order to properly clean a suit, the dry cleaning machine submerges your suit in soapy solvent. It then applies significant mechanical action to remove all the dust, oil, and dirt. The wrinkles are removed afterwards with professional steam presses. What if I need next day service? No problem! Just let us know what you need and we will take care of you. We are “automatically” in your neighborhood twice a week; however we can come by any day of the week. What if I have special instructions? Just jot down a note and drop it in the laundry bag or give us a call or send us an email. We love special requests! For answers to more frequently asked questions, visit us at: http://www.olddominioncleaners.com

Can dry cleaning shrink my clothes?

Under normal conditions, the process of dry cleaning should not shrink your clothes. The process is called ”dry” cleaning, because rather than use water to wash your clothes with, dry cleaners use a chemical solvent in a machine that both washes and dries your clothes. Among other things, these machines are specifically designed to avoid causing fabric shrinkage. In fact, your clothes are much more likely to shrink if they are washed in water. However, if the dry cleaning machines are not maintained properly or if they malfunction during the cleaning process, shrinkage can occur. Fabric shrinkage during dry cleaning is usually caused by excessive heat or moisture in the solvent. One component of the dry cleaning machine, called the “chiller”, prevents the dry cleaning solvent from getting too hot. A broken or malfunctioning chiller can cause the solvent to overheat, which may result in fabric shrinkage. During routine operation, moisture builds up slowly in the dry cleaning solvent. A small amount of moisture in the dry cleaning solvent is actually necessary for the detergent to work effectively. However, too much moisture can cause fabric shrinkage. One component of the dry cleaning machine, called the “water separator”, prevents the moisture content of the solvent from exceeding safe limits. A broken or malfunctioning water separator will allow too much water to build up in the solvent. Shrinkage can also be caused by garment manufacturing defects. Defective garments will often shrink the first time they are dry cleaned. For answers to more frquently asked dry cleaning question visit:<a href=”http://www.olddominioncleaners.com/” target=”_blank”>www.olddominioncleaners.com</a>

Old Dominion Cleaners, LLC. is a premier dry cleaner and launderer servicing Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. We offer free pick up and delivery to your home or office. We also ofer free pick up and delivery in Chester,Va., Chesterfield,Va.,Glen Allen,Va., Mechanicsville, Va. Midlothian,Va., Quinton,Va., and Sandston,Va. Stay connected with our blog and remain informed about dry cleaning and changes in the industry.

What is dry cleaning?

We now live in a very busy world. We don’t have time anymore to perform some of the necessary chores for living. This is the reason why services such as dry cleaning have emerged. These services are here to help us manage our lives better. They exist to solve a problem brought about by modern existence. These services come in different varieties. And different companies have different offerings. They provide convenience and comfort that are much-needed in this day and age. If you are not still convinced that these services are a boon to humanity, here are some of the benefits. For special clothes: So you want to just clean your clothes. But there are fabrics that you simply cannot wash using conventional means. Some fabrics are so special that it cannot be washed with ordinary water and detergent. This is where dry cleaning comes in. Professional services are also for clothes that are very dirty. The term is not completely accurate. Liquid is still used in the cleaning process but the there is no water involved, hence the word dry in the term. One may argue that dry cleaning agents can be bought in stores and you can actually do the process at home. But again, who has time to do cleaning themselves? Saves you time: One of the biggest benefits of using professional services is that they save you time. And the time that you save from availing of these services is time that you can use for other more important things. Such as spending time with your family or working with a personal project. Time is a most valuable resource nowadays. Some people say that it is actually more valuable than money. This is the reason you should everything you can to save time. If it means spending a little more money on services, then go ahead. Provides convenience: Professional services also provider convenience. That is, they make life easier for you. You already work hard 5 to 6 days a week. You shouldn’t have to work hard anymore on cleaning your clothes during the weekends. Some of these services you can avail anytime of the day. So anytime you need professional dry cleaning, there is sure to be one who is ready to come to your help. Now that you know the benefits that professional dry cleaning services provide, you will have a better appreciation of them. Searching for Dry Cleaners in Richmond, Virginia?, then we are the company you are looking for. We offer prompt and efficient service that is unsurpassed by any other company. If you want to know more about the benefits of dry cleaning services, click here http://www.olddominioncleaners.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_M._Casas Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7310847