Five Secrets Your Dry Cleaner Won't Tell You
With all the parties and events that happen around the holidays, you'll probably be making at least one extra trip to the dry cleaners. But if you want to avoid the expense, here's a list from "Cosmo" of five secrets your dry cleaner doesn't want you to know . . .
1) Most Clothes Don't Need to be Dry-Cleaned. If it's made of cotton and it's one color, dry-cleaning is a waste of money. But if you're not sure, try this: Wet a q-tip and dab it on a part of the clothing no one will see, like under the armpit of a shirt, or inside the waistband of a pair of pants. If any color comes off on the q-tip, the clothing should be dry-cleaned.
2) If They Don't Offer a Deal for New Customers, You Should Ask for One. Dry cleaners want repeat customers, and some are willing to give a 10 to 20 percent discount to get them. All you have to do is ask. But it only works at small, family-owned dry cleaners. Don't expect a deal if the person you ask makes minimum wage.
3) You Can Get a Better Deal In January and February. Between New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, there aren't any major holidays people dress up for. So some dry cleaners offer 20 to 30 percent discounts to bring in more business. And if yours doesn’t, tell them you'll have a bunch of extra stuff cleaned if they give you one.
4) There's No Such Thing as "Organic" Dry Cleaning. There aren't any government standards for green dry cleaning yet. And most cleaners who offer "organic" services use hydrocarbon, which is technically organic because it comes from the earth. But in reality, it's only slightly less toxic than the regular stuff.
5) The Plastic They Use Can Ruin Your Clothing. The plastic covers they return your clothes in are made of polyethylene, which starts to break down as soon as light hits it. And it can make the colors on your clothing fade. So when you get them home, take the plastic off everything before you hang it in the closet.
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