Extend the life of your clothes: know the difference between laundering and dry cleaning
When you have clothing that needs to look sharp, like a suit, dress, sweater, or dress shirt, chances are you take it to the dry cleaners. But many nice articles of clothing don’t actually need to be dry cleaned—often, having your clothing laundered and pressed is a better choice.
So, what’s the difference between launder & press and dry cleaning?
The short answer - water.
When your clothes are dry cleaned, non-water based solvents are used to remove stains, before they are crisply pressed.
With Launder & Press items, water and detergent are used. Your clothes are washed in a commercial-grade washing machine, emerge slightly damp, and then are individually pressed.
Why Launder & Press?
The chemicals used to dry clean your clothes can cause fabrics to deteriorate over time. Laundering, on the other hand, removes stains and everyday grime using water and gentler detergents.
Laundering is actually more effective than dry cleaning at removing sweat and oil from fabrics, so it is typically the best choice for dress shirts and cotton blouses. After clothes are laundered, they are pressed and hung for that crisp, fresh-from-the-cleaner look.
High-quality laundry services like Rinse read the care label on your clothing and make the call between chemical dry cleaning and laundering to maximize the life of your clothes. When you’re the one making the call, read the label: if it doesn’t say “Dry Clean Only,” ask for Launder & Press. Your clothes will thank you!
Why Dry Clean?
You may be thinking - Why on earth would anyone choose to dry clean when Launder & Press is just as effective (if not more in some cases) and gentler on fabrics? Well, the truth is, it really depends on the fabric.
For clothing made of natural fibers, like silk or wool, dry cleaning is a better method because water can have an adverse effect on the fabric. Water can cause the fibers in the fabric to become rigid and cause the garment to shrink, fade, or lose its shape.
When an item is dry cleaned, it also goes through the “pre-spotting” process where an experienced cleaner will examine each garment to locate stains and determine the source so that they can treat the stain with the appropriate non-aqueous solvent. (It’s not uncommon for a pre-spotter to have decades of experience!).
A helpful tip to extend the life of your clothes -- If you know the source of any stain on your garment, let your dry cleaner know. Be it ketchup, wine, or a splash from a puddle, your dry cleaner will use that information to choose the right solvent and minimize the risk of damage.
There’s a reason both dry cleaning and launder & press are offered today—each serves a different, valuable purpose. Both are aptly named and both keep you looking sharp!
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Learn more about How Dry Cleaning Works from our COO James -- He grew up in dry cleaning.
Or, read Our Guide For Which Clothes You Should And Shouldn't Dry Clean.
Whether your annual Thanksgiving dinner is smooth sailing or full of cringe-worthy questions from the family (how’s your job? when are you getting married? have you thought about kids?), we can all agree on one thing. We always enjoy the delicious food and quality time spent with family and friends!
What we don't enjoy are any stains from accidental (or maybe not so accidental) spills that may occur while eating.
If this happens the best thing to do is to schedule a Rinse. Seriously! Turning over your stained items to garment care professionals is one of the best things you can do if you want to properly treat stains and have your items looking new again.
But much like you, we (and our vendors) enjoy a break once and awhile and we are not available for pickups on Thanksgiving. Don’t worry we have compiled a few helpful tips for dealing with stains this holiday!
- After you spill anything the best thing to do is to immediately wipe off the stain (gently), making sure to not use downward pressure as it may accelerate “setting” the stain.
- If it is an oil stain water only makes things worse so it is best to avoid using water when wiping oil stains.
- Food stains are complex. They are often are a mixture of water-soluble and non-water soluble stains and organic material, which is best taken care of via pre-spotting and then dry cleaning.
- Butter Stains: Like most stains the key is to deal with butter stains fast. Salt is useful in absorbing the grease while the stain is still fresh and helps prevent the stain from soaking deeper into the fabric.
- Gravy Stains: One suggestion we have is to carefully apply laundry prewash product and soak the soiled linen overnight in the washing machine using warm water with enzyme detergent and all-fabric bleach. The next day, be sure to drain the washer and start a new cycle using the hottest water setting and the type of bleach that is safe for the soiled fabric.
- Cranberry Stains: First, try and scoop or scrape the excess cranberry with a utensil and sponge using a little cool water. You can then mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and ½ teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent into 1 quart of cool water. Soak the stained item in this for about 15 minutes. Rinse and dab the soiled fabric with rubbing alcohol if the stain still remains. Lastly, launder the soiled fabric as you normally would with a small amount of bleach added if you have it.
No matter what you’re eating this Thanksgiving take a moment to be grateful and enjoy the much needed break and time spent with loved ones!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Rinsing!
What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
Believe it or not, your bath towels are the ideal living quarters for microbes or microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi. Gross...right!? The water, warm air, and oxygen provide a spa-like habitat and they make themselves right at home. Therefore, it is recommended to use your towels no more than three times before washing them.
You may be thinking well thanks Rinse I know to wash my towels. However, you may not know about the risks involved by not washing them as often.
When you dry yourself with a towel layered in microscopic bacteria you are transferring those germs back onto your body. Yuck! And if you are sharing a hand towel with multiple people you are putting your body at risk of being exposed to bacteria you are not accustomed to. This can cause irritation of the skin, slight illness, or even an infection.
Nobody likes being sick so trust us when we tell you that washing your towels more often is totally worth it!
Happiness is clean sheets!
We can hear you now. Rinse, please don’t ruin my relationship with my bed! Don’t worry, we know it’s a sacred place of relaxation and comfort for many of you. We are only here to help you keep it clean and keep you happy.
So how often should you wash your bed sheets? You only sleep in it...right?
First consider that you most likely spend 8 hours (or a third) of your day in your bed. That’s a lot of hours per week! It is recommended to wash your bed sheets once a week. Not only will the smell of fresh linens brighten your day but you will be washing away dead skin cells, sweat, body oil, and whatever small particles latch onto your sheets.
We wish it was as simple as putting sheets in the washer and adding detergent. But there are some useful tips to consider when washing bed sheets.
- Ideally you should wash your sheets separately as they take up a lot of space and other items tend to get tangled up with your sheets. Or if you include additional items make sure they are small, lightweight, and similar in color to avoid color-bleeding.
- Different cycles should be considered depending on how dirty your sheets are. Normal cycle is recommended for light soil and heavy duty is recommended for major stains and a lot of soil. But remember to always check the care label before washing.
- White and light-colored cotton sheets typically wash well in any water temperature (cold or hot). However, it is recommended to wash your sheets in warm water, especially during cold and flu season to ensure you’re removing any tough to get bacteria. If you own darker colored sheets you may want to wash them in cold water to avoid fading.
Rinse and our cleaning partners ensure that you receive high-quality cleaning and that we follow all standard recommendations and cleaning practices once you give us your sheets to be cared for. And as an added bonus we are experts at folding fitted sheets!
Phew, that was a lot of information! We understand that trying to keep up with the work required to maintain a clean environment and home might cause you to throw in the towel. But you know what that means...more laundry!
Easy, just schedule a Rinse!
We can take care of your bath towels, hand towels, sheets, and comforters any day of the week. We ask that you consider that comforters are priced differently due to their size and the time involved to dry them. You can read more about how we care for your comforters in our FAQ section here.
Just schedule a pickup with us and one of our friendly Valets will pick up your items. We will then send them to one of our cleaning partners to be cleaned and deliver them to your door as early as the very next day.
If you're interested in hearing more tips and advice on how to keep your home and linens germ free here is a useful segment from NBC's "TODAY" featuring Good Housekeeping’s Meaghan Murphy.
Happy Rinsing!
You’ve likely seen instructions on clothing labels telling you that you should hang some of your clothes to dry for best care, but what exactly is the process of hang drying your clothes and why is it beneficial?
Hanging clothes to dry helps to avoid the heat damage that can be caused by traditional dryers. Delicate fabrics, such as those used in activewear, underwear, and jeans, can lose their shape and fit due to the harsh tumbling and heat of the dryer. By air drying your clothes on a clothesline or laying them out to dry on a flat surface, you can help your clothes maintain the same fit and form that you bought them with.
To help make the process as simple as possible, we’ve laid out a step by step guide with tips on how to hang dry your clothes.
- The first step to hang drying, or air drying, your clothes, is to wash them. This can be done in a machine washer, or by hand in a sink or a basin.
- Once your clothes are washed, remove them from the washer/sink/basin and hang your garments to dry on a clothesline, or lay them to dry on a flat surface inside. Where you choose to hang dry/air dry your clothes will affect the process you should use.
- If you choose to hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline outside, here are some tips about the best way to hang them:
- Pants: Hang your pants upside down. Make sure to match the inner leg seams of the pants, and then place the clothespins on the hems while attaching it to the clothesline.
- Shirts and tops: Also hang these upside down. Place the clothespins at opposite ends of the bottom hem of the shirt or top, and pin to the clothesline.
- Socks: Hang socks in pairs and upside down. Attach the clothespin to the toe area of the sock and let the top part of the sock hang down.
- Bed linens: Since sheets and blankets can take up a lot of space on the clothesline, you should fold them in half and pin each end to the clothesline.
- Underwear and bras: Hang underwear from opposite sides of the upper seams, and bras from their hook ends.
- If you choose to lay your garments to dry inside, here are some tips to help them air dry quicker and look their best:
- Make sure to lay your clothes on a flat surface when air-drying garments inside the home.
- Be sure to leave some room between garments to allow air to circulate and allow the clothes to air dry more quickly.
- Placing your clothes near a window, vent, air-condition, or a fan. This will help to speed up the drying process.
- If you do not have a lot of surface area to lay your clothes flat to air dry, you can always put your clothes on a hanger and hang them to dry on a rod or a drying rack.
- If possible, you should always lay sweaters and garments made from more stretchy material flat to dry. This will help to maintain their shape and form.
Hanging your clothes may take more time and effort than the traditional dryer, but it can help some of your favorite garments last a lot longer and stay looking as great as the day you bought them.
Rinse offers a Hang Dry service and we can take care of any garments that you’d prefer to be air dried instead of dried in a traditional dryer. Try our Hang Dry service at rinse.com.
