After a shower or bath, there’s nothing as refreshing as a big, clean terrycloth towel. Home laundry fabric softener can prevent a towel from soaking up water, incompletely rinsed detergent can harden the fibers. If towels aren’t smelling so fresh, add a cup of baking soda to the wash. White vinegar freshens mildewy staleness. Nothing smells better than a towel that’s dried on a clothesline in the sunshine.

If you’d rather enjoy the last weeks of summer than clean up, let us at least take care of the laundry. Guest room bedding, far-from fluffy towels, sweaty sportswear or grass-stained chinos? Our professional team will sort, inspect, prespot, launder and finish to your specifications, from simply folded to crisply starched. We do the work and you enjoy what’s left of summer.

Good Housekeeping advises in tip #7, “consider the price of maintaining clothes when you buy.” Dry cleaning extends the life of a garment and costs less than a trip to Starbucks. #8 Stop over-drying your laundry. The heat causes fading, shrinkage and fabric wear. #9. Keep your good clothes in the dark – light will discolor the fabric.  #10 Check your pockets for before bring cleaning, you’d be surprised how many pens, lipsticks and markers we find.

You’d be surprised at what crosses our counter. Tip #4 from Good Housekeeping: watch out for jewelry, watches and pocketbooks rubbing against clothes and creating hard-to-fix damage. #5 Recycle our plastic wrap, immediately. Plastic bags are not intended for garment storage and can trap moisture, leading to mildew and discoloring.  #6. No wire hangers in the closet. They’re only for transporting your cleanin

Good Housekeeping offers ten tips to add life to your good clothing. #1. Hand the stains to the professional before your scrub, squeeze a lemon or bleach your way to a failure, #2. Inspect your clothes after wearing. Spills and drips will soak in, set up and oxidize without prompt action. #3. Avoid applying perfume, deodorant, body lotion or even sunscreen after dressing. The chemicals can pull color out of the fabric, just like perspiration.

Just attending a wedding can break the budget. American Express estimates an average cost of $703, including travel, dressing up, meals and the gift itself. To-be-weds are saving big by simplifying the ceremony, the venue and eliminating the wedding planner and caterer. For weddings large and small, frugal and lavish, your friends in the cleaning business can help make your wedding perfect.

Brush your quality garments before hanging them back in the closet, ideally on a wooden hanger. Brushing removes dust, grime and surface soil before it sinks into the weave. Use short, quick strokes against the grain, then finish with long smooth strokes in the opposite direction. Airing gives the garment a chance to recover and completely dry. A bonus benefit: you’ll spot stains or damage that need special attention when we clean your garment.

Before you buy at the flea market, consignment shop or vintage specialty shop: If it’s too small, skip it. Too large? Bring it in for alterations. Check for holes, loose seams, old stains or beads falling off. Check clasps, buttons, zippers. Learn to bargain, gently. Start with “can you do a little better on this?” and be ready to offer a dollar amount. Cash talks louder than credit cards when you’re bargaining. Whatever you find, bring it in for a professional cleaning.

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 a new one, and keeps it out of the rag heap or landfill. Our gentle cleaning and laundry procedures add life and comfort to your wardrobe, preventing shrinking and fading and extending the value of your investment.

Choosing an outfit to attend a summer wedding? Keep the spotlight on the bride by avoiding white, cream or pale pastels. If the ceremony is in a house of worship, cover your shoulders with a sleeved dress or jacket. If the wedding’s outdoors, skip the heels and wear comfortable flats that won’t sink into the lawn. A fancier evening reception demands a cocktail dress or your standby little black dress. For city weddings, men should choose a lightweight suit, for country or casual a blazer and chinos. Keep everything understated and put on your best smile.