Ideal Cleaners

04/23/2021

We can clean your commercial door mats

11/23/2020

Wedding gown cleaning 💯

10/07/2020

Proper Care Prolongs the Life of Leathers

Leather is one of nature's most practical and sensual materials. Because of new techniques, skins are lighter, enabling designers to fashion garments for year-round use. Beautiful finishes, textures, and colors enhance leather's appeal and universality. To help you fully appreciate your genuine leather garment, the Clothes Care Gazette offers the following information on how this unique natural product is made-and the proper ways to care for it, courtesy of the Leather Apparel Association and the International Fabricare Institute.

The Look and Feel
If you are like most people, the first thing you do when you look at a leather garment is touch it to feel its softness and texture. The way leather feels to the touch is called its hand and the general rule is: the softer the hand, the higher the cost.

Several factors influence the general appearance and overall quality of a leather garment. the first is the raw material, which is a product of genetics.

Every hide (a whole pelt from a cow or steer, etc.) and skin (the pelt of young or smaller animals) have sections that are inherently wrinkled, softer, or thinner than other parts. Environmental conditions including climate and food supply are also a factor. Nature's creations are never uniform; these surface variations and imperfections impart a unique beauty to genuine leather garments.

To get the best value out of your leather goods:

• Buy from a reputable retailer that will stand behind the products he or she sells.

• Consider the cut, fit, quality of stitching, the lining, and style that suits your lifestyle.

• Choose a garment priced right for you, noting that the price of leather is greatly determined by the quality of the raw materials used and the workmanship involved.

• Notice details such as waterrepellent treatments, lining, and trimmings on the garment.

• Look for close matching colors and texture between various portions of the garment or outfit.

• Some panels may not match exactly even when new.

• Select a slightly larger size than normal, as leather is stretched during tanning and will shrink as it relaxes over time. Age and cleaning can also shrink the garment somewhat, so it is best to get a slightly larger size.

Leather Care Tips
Because leather goods typically are expensive, there is plenty of incentive to take good care of your purchase. Leather ages gracefully and can last a lifetime with the proper care right from the start.

• Always hang leather garments on wide or padded hangers to maintain their shape. Use shoetrees in footwear and stuff empty handbags with tissue to help retain their shape.

• Never store leather goods in plastic or other nonbreathable covers. This will cause leather to become dry.

• Allow wet or damp leather to air-dry naturally away from any direct heat source. Leather can be treated with a conditioner to restore flexibility while suede can be brushed with a terry towel to restore its look.

• In winter, promptly remove salt deposits from garments and footwear by sponging with clear water; follow with the above treatment for wet or damp leather.

• Avoid very humid and dry environments as well as direct sunlight.

• Do not use waxes, silicone products, or other leather preparations that will impair a garment's ability to breathe.

• Wrinkles should hang out. If ironing is desired, set iron on rayon setting, use heavy brown wrapping paper as a pressing cloth on the right side of the garment, and move quickly to prevent overheating and shine. Steam ironing will stiffen leather.

• Avoid spraying perfumes or hair sprays while wearing your garment and do not apply pins, adhesive badges, or tape. Wearing a scarf at the neckline will help keep hair and body oil away from the collar.

• Hems may be fixed with a tiny amount of rubber cement. For best results, see a leather care professional.

• All products formulated for at-home use should be tested on an inconspicuous part of the garment. It is often best to leave stain removal to the professional leather cleaner as many home remedies result in color loss or permanent damage to the leather.

09/23/2020

Come see us for that professional clothing care!

09/22/2020

Got some new signage!

09/08/2020

Update Your Closet for Fall

The first step toward having a great wardrobe is being able to work with what you already own. You may think you need to start from scratch, but what about those great clothes you already have in your closet? If you have a great skirt and no matching blazer, why buy a new set? Just buy a blazer instead! What about those wonderful wool pants you haven't worn because of a broken zipper? Replace the zipper, not the pants!
Here are some tips you can follow for maintaining an updated, streamlined closet: s First, go through your closet and donate anything you haven't worn in two years to a local charity. If it does not fit, why are you keeping it? Unless you are really planning to lose a few pounds, give those too-tight garments to someone who can use them now.

There are few things as satisfying as cleaning your closet and helping someone else at the same time!

• If you haven't done so already, store away all your spring and summer clothes. Make sure they are soil-free, and hang or fold them carefully. Be sure all garments can breathe. Do not store in plastic bags. Make sure the storage area for your clothes is cool, dry, and free of direct light.

• Sort through your fall and winter dresses, suits, skirts, pants, blouses, and jackets. Determine which ones need repair, cleaning, or pressing. It may be helpful to make a chart listing item, color, style, state of wear, and any repairs or cleaning needed. You can take this chart with you when you go shopping to help make rounding out your wardrobe easier. You may even want to clip a small piece of fabric from an inside, unexposed seam of each garment and glue it on your chart next to the description for that item.

• If you have an old skirt that you love but that is seriously out-of-date, considering shortening the garment to give it a new, fresh look. • Inspect your shirts, blouses, and skirts. Are shirt collars frayed beyond repair? Are buttons missing? Are hems sagging? Vary your wardrobe by wearing different shirt and skirt combinations.

• Check your pants to make sure they fit properly. Remember, if the fit is tight, you will be uncomfortable. If possible, consider moving a button to make the garment more comfortable.

• When inspecting your jackets, remember that a great jacket can make an entire outfit. Check for fit - jackets should be comfortable - not cumbersome.

• Suits are an important work investment for many people. Check for quality when buying a suit and take care of your purchases to get many seasons of wear.

• Take all your skirts out and look at how many different colors and styles they represent. Are all your skirts straight and black? Or do you own only full, floral patterns? Either way, even though the style may be your favorite and your most flattering, everyone can use some variation.

• Coordinate new outfits. Maybe the jacket you received as a birthday present is the perfect match for those new suede pants. Coordinate several new outfits and arrange your closet in a way that's convenient for you.

• Don't forget to inspect your shoes and boots. Have heels and soles replaced as necessary. Remember that ill-fitting shoes can cause misery for your feet and entire body.

Using sachets for your drawers and cedar blocks for your closet will help keep your clothes fresh smelling, moth-free, and a pleasure to wear!

08/05/2020

All About Rayon

Many of us come across labels that are not clear or are very misleading. In most cases, though, we are able to determine how the garment should be handled by using the fiber content as a "guiding light." But how should one proceed when the fiber content is 100 viscose, 100 percent cuprammonium (cupra), or 100 percent lyocell? Despite their name, these are all forms of the fiber known as rayon.

What types of rayon exist?
Rayon is a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose derived from wood pulp or cotton linters. Discovered in 1846, rayon is the oldest manmade fiber. It is absorbent and comfortable to wear; dyes and prints easily; and is resistant to alkalis and moths.

Viscose, cuprammonium, and lyocell all were derived through manufacturing processes. The viscose process was developed in England in 1891. Production of this fiber began in 1910. Today, viscose rayon is produced in several plants throughout the United States and is the most frequently used process.

The cuprammonium process was introduced in Germany in 1891, and production began in 1901. The process was modified in 1926. This process is not as widely used as viscose, and is mostly produced by companies outside the United States.

A third method of rayon production currently on the market is called tencel or lyocell. This is a recent process developed by Courtauld's Fibers, Inc.

How do you care for rayon?
With the exception of lyocell, rayon is very sensitive to water. Many dyes applied to rayon are not colorfast and will bleed or migrate upon contact with moisture. In addition, manufacturers often add sizing to rayon in order to achieve a desired body or drape. Some sizings are water-soluble, and washing will distort the shape of the garment.

Drycleaning is recommended for most rayon garments because a professional cleaner is able to solve most of these problems. However, some drycleanable garments may contain dyes and sizings that are water-soluble.

Although substantially similar in chemical composition to rayon, which must be drycleaned, lyocell can be either drycleaned or washed. However, when caring for garments made of lyocell, it is important to follow the care instructions carefully. If a garment made of lyocell is washed when it should have been drycleaned, it may result in excessive shrinkage and a wrinkled appearance.

How do you remove stains from rayon?
Never try to remove a stain from rayon without first pretesting the stain removal agent you wish to use. Apply a few drops of the agent onto a small area of the garment on an unexposed seam and allow it to air dry. If no dye or sizing change occurs, a small stain may be removed in this way. However, large stains should always be taken to a professional cleaner because of the extreme sensitivity of this fabric.

05/20/2020

More rugs successfully cleaned!

05/20/2020

05/06/2020

Let us clean your leathers before you put them away for summer!

05/06/2020

Let us clean your rugs!

04/20/2020

We have gone back to our regular hours from 8-5 Monday-Friday and 8-12 on Saturday.