Do You Want to Save Money on Dry Cleaning?
Aug 02 '00
(This is not about buying a washer , it is about using a washer to care for dry clean items)
For the past 5 years I have worked in the dry cleaning industry. For three years now, my job has been to do all the cleaning. I do all the dry cleaning of the clothes, wash all the shirts, and clean all the house wares (drapes, sleeping bags, couch covers, comforters, and etc.). I clean about one thousand pounds of clothing and house wares each day.
I don't work with the customers, so I don't know the prices we charge to clean and press items. Today it was brought to my attention that we charge $20.00 to $25.00 to clean a goose down comforter. I was shocked! I was then told that our main competitor charges even more.
I am talking about the comforters with the cotton outside and are filled with goose down. They come in many colors, I find that the white color seams to be most popular. The average price of these comforters start at $100.00 and go up.
The cleaner care label states professional dry clean. What this means is let the professional clean it, but do you know how your professional cleans these comforters? I bet you think the comforters get dry cleaned? WRONG! If they were dry cleaned they would never get the chemical out. You would smell the chemicals for days, weeks, months, and maybe even longer. So, what the label really means is take it to the professional so you don't break your machine at home.
I would like to tell you the best way to clean these comforters. The way the professionals clean them.
FIRST: DO NOT put these comforters in your wash machine at home. They may fit in your machine, but when the goose down gets wet it is too heavy for your washer to agitate. I have heard of many wash machines that have broken down for just this reason. Instead, go to the nearest laundromat. Use one of their front loading double washers. They are gentler and clean better.
SECOND: Water Temperature: I have never had any problems with washing the white comforters in hot water. I recommend washing the light colored comforters in warm water and the dark colored comforters in cold.
THIRD: Drying the goose down comforter is the most important part of this process. If drying only one comforter in a dryer, throw in a shoe. (Clean shoe please) The shoe will help to agitate the comforter while drying. This will help keep the comforter from bunching and preventing it from drying fast. Two comforters may be put in the dryer at the same time. You wouldn't need the shoe then, but it will take longer for the comforters to dry.
It is very important that the goose down comforters are completely dry. If they are not completely dry they could mildew. Usually it takes at least an hour for one comforter by itself to dry. Of course, the time varies depending on the comforter’s size and the dryer temperature. Sometimes it can take a couple of hours. When you think the comforter is dry, check the smell of the comforter. If it smells musty or has areas of lumpy goose down then it is not dry. Throw in another quarter or two.
The cost to wash and dry your goose down comforter will probably be somewhere around $5.00 and about 2 hours of your time. That is a savings of $15.00 to $20.00. However, if you are a busy person and can't afford to spend this much time in a laundromat. Maybe it would be worth it to pay the extra to have someone else to clean the comforter for you. Another thing to remember is if you clean more than one comforter at a time it will save you more time and money.
All comforters come with cleaner care labels. There are three different types of these labels:
1. Tells you the best way to clean the comforter yourself. It has the water temperature and how to dry it.
2. States professional dry clean (goose down comforters)
3. States professional dry clean ONLY. The comforters that have this label needs to be dry cleaned. They are usually made with fabrics like velvet, silk, linen, and upholstery fabric. They usually have a polyester batting in the middle. Please do not clean these comforters yourself. I am only recommending cleaning the goose down comforters in this matter.
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zoeyburger
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Location: Eugene, Oregon
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