A very common question we receive is, “How frequently should I dry clean my clothes?” Being the dry cleaning expert in State College, we’re here to help answer that for you! Although it’s not essential to dry clean every item, with every wear, there are certain situations that warrant a cleaning.
Anytime a garment comes into direct contact with your perfume, deodorant, sweat, salt stains (as in wintertime salt) or has any type of stain, it should be cleaned ASAP. Some of these stains start out as invisible, but over time they disrupt the fibers in your clothing and can cause color changes. The longer the stain stays on the fabric, the harder it is to remove. It’s as simple as that!
During normal wear, clothing is exposed to various environmental conditions. Air pollution and dust weaken fibers. They act as an abrasive agent and will wear down fibers if it’s not removed from time to time. To extend a garment’s life, it’s essential to remove them. Certain fibers are more prone to “wearing out” than others. For example, we recommend silks and linens be cleaned with every wear if they come into contact with your skin (like a blouse).
A linen blazer worn over a top may only need dry cleaned with every 3rd wear because it’s not being directly exposed to your skin and sweat. Or a typical suit may only need cleaning every 2 or 3 wears depending on the situation you’re wearing it in.
We ALWAYS recommend that you clean clothing before storing it for the season. Garments that are stored without cleaning are covered in skin flakes (gross, right?) and they attract bugs and have a higher chance to discolor and will be unpacked with stains.
If you ever have ANY questions, please feel free to call us! We’ve been in business for 88 years and we’re State College’s textile experts and we’re here to help!