FAQs
At Door To Door Cleaners, dry cleaning is only a part of our process. We separately treat problem stains that will not come out with simple dry cleaning, a task called “spotting.” We also provide professional pressing, careful packaging, and inspections at every step along the way to make sure each garment we handle is returned looking fantastic.
Dry cleaning can extend the life of your wardrobe, which means you receive the maximum value out of your clothing.
Dry cleaning was invented in the eighteenth century, when a Frenchman named Jean Baptiste Jolly discovered that he could remove soils from the elaborate garments of the day by dipping them in “spirits”. Since then, a variety of solvents have been used to dry clean.
Initially, cleaners used benzene or carbon tetrachloride. Both are very effective cleaning agents, but it was discovered that they are also extremely toxic. By the 1920s, the industry had settled on Stoddard solvent, a compound similar to paint thinner. Stoddard solvent was a fantastic cleaning agent, but also highly flammable. Because of this, plants using Stoddard had to be large scale operations to justify the expense of fireproof, explosion-proof quarters for cleaning equipment.
In the 1930s a revolutionary solvent was introduced to the industry. Perchlorethylene, known as “perc,” is an aggressive solvent that makes short work of grease and oily soil, but has little or no impact on fabrics. Unlike Stoddard, it is non-flammable, and unlike carbon tetrachloride and benzene, it has low toxicity. This opened the door for smaller operators to get into dry cleaning. After the advent of perc, mom-and-pop operations became the norm in the industry. Perc is still the current industry standard, and is used by almost all dry cleaners.
Our mark-in staff begins with a thorough inspection of all garments, noting blemishes and textile damage and removing any buttons that might be too fragile to undergo dry cleaning. The cleaner then inspects the garments for stains in need of spot treatment. The clothes are then transferred to the dry cleaning station, and sorted carefully so that like garments are cleaned together.
The garments are placed in the dry cleaning machine and cleaned. This machine appears much like a front-loading washing machine, except that it is hermetically sealed throughout the cleaning process.
After cleaning, garments are inspected again for spots and stains that didn’t come out in the cleaning process. The garments are then sent to the finishing staff. Here they are pressed and finished. If necessary, buttons are replaced, and the garments receive a final inspection and packaging. After our inspectors are satisfied, the garments are sorted and sent for pickup at the counter, or delivered straight to our customers’ doors!
Our friendly professionals receive extensive ongoing fabricare training and education. We believe it is our responsibility to recognize new garment constructions as they are introduced in the world of fashion and to be ready with the know-how to process these garments. We also understand classic couture designers and consider it a privilege to clean and hand finish their beautiful garments each day.
Door To Door Cleaners’ specialists excel in understanding fabrics and trims. When your garments arrive at our facility, we closely inspect each one individually to determine the best method of cleaning. Stains receive immediate attention. Minor repairs are performed both before the cleaning process and – if necessary – during the final inspection process.
At Door To Door Cleaners, hand cleaning and hand ironing are instrumental to our process. Suits and ties receive rolled edges. Garments are soft pressed, which helps minimize the possibility of shine and line impressions. When we hand iron garments, we are careful to do so from the inside out. Natural fibers and delicate fabrics such as silk, velvet, cashmere, linen, and organza receive extra gentle cleaning and drying.
We take our responsibility to our clients very seriously. As a measure of our commitment and success in fabricare, Door To Door Cleaners is proud to be referred by the most prestigious retailers in the South Bay and the greater Los Angeles area.
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