When Daylight Savings Time ends this Saturday night, winter’s right behind. Now’s the time to store away your warm weather clothes. It’s a good tradition and a great way to make closet space for the bulkier winter clothes. Just don’t add moth balls to your stored garments — instead use cedar chips or dried lavender. Be sure to clean everything thoroughly before storing—stains and yellowing can develop over time on garments that aren’t 100% clean.

Classic autumn favorite corduroy needs special cleaning care to preserve the rich velvety pile and prevent shrinking. If your corduroy is garment is washable, check the label for specifics before throwing it in the wash. Never wash with lint producers like fleece, felt or terry. Use the right water temperature, wash like colors together, and turn the garment inside out to wash. Then air dry until barely damp, tumble dry for ten minutes at lowest temperature to fluff the nap. Pull from dryer and shake out, turn back right side out and brush nap to remove any lint or surface wrinkles. Or skip all that and let us dry clean your corduroy for like-new results.

Is your costume fresh and ready to wear? You’d be surprised how many costumes we clean every year. Let us clean your outfit so the only scary thing about it is meant to be! Need some ideas? Check out this Pinterest page with home-made costumes for kids and adults.

Never hang a sweater; it’ll droop and sag. Instead, fold and store in a drawer. If you must hang, fold in half over a cardboard-crossbar hanger (like we do). We can block your sweaters back to shape when we finish them, and our gentle cleaning prevents shrinkage. If your sweater is wrinkled, a light pressing with steam will freshen it, but be sure to use a pressing cloth to prevent adding shine. Or better yet, bring it to us. We can even add elbow patches to worn favorites.

Now that it is sweater weather in many parts of the states, here is how you can keep your sweaters looking fresh. Remove lint and pet hairs with a lint roller or wrap your hand with tape, sticky side out, for a clean look. Pills (those little bumps right above the smooth weave) can be removed with a pumice stone, scissors or simply shave them off with a disposable razor. For those little snags inside, pull through with a crochet hook and weave back into the sweater. Sound too tricky? Bring us your knits for expert cleaning and repair.

The added wearability you get from professional cleaning is actually a benefit to the environment. Every extra use you get from a garment reduces your need to buy new, and keeps it out of the landfill. Our gentle cleaning and laundry procedures add life and comfort to your wardrobe, prevent shrinking and fading and extend the value of your wardrobe investment.

Rainy fall day? Take an hour and clear some closet space with these tips from Real Simple. Start by pulling bad bridesmaid dresses, old Halloween costumes and anything that’s stained, torn or ill fitting. Gone are super low-rise jeans, painful shoes and every piece of outdated trends, starting with velour track suits. Do yourself proud by losing anything that makes you feel exposed, overweight, or uncomfortable.

When your favorite fitness gear loses its fresh smell: First, turn everything inside out before washing to expose what’s the dirtiest. Add a quarter cup of white vinegar to your washer to release odor-causing bacteria. Special detergents like Win or HEX are formulated to deep clean performance fabrics. And never use a fabric softener—it leaves a coating that interferes with wicking. Or just bring everything to us. Our wet-care experts have special techniques and products that can clean the funkiest gym and workout items.

Nothing evokes back-to-school like the smell of new denim. When you buy a pair made of untreated raw denim, some experts recommend wearing for six months before washing. Why? It takes wear to break down super-stiff fibers, and during the process the jeans actually conform to your shape. When you do wash (or have us expertly wash or dry clean), turn inside out, use cold water in a gentle cycle. If you want them to fade, use hot water. Lay flat or hang upside down to air dry, avoid a hot dryer.  

We’ll be closed Monday to celebrate the end of summer with our families. It’s a time to remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” We’ve built our business by providing “painstaking excellence” from our laundry and drycleaning professional staff. We celebrate their contributions, day in and out.