When you’re washing an item at home in the washer there is always a possibility that a thread may come loose over time and unravel. This can be a gradual process or can happen the first time an item is cleaned. The exact same logic should be applied when an item is sent to the dry cleaners. Once the cleaning process begins there is no way ensuring a loose hem/seam will hold its position. Common areas where the hem/seam may be affected are inner leg linings, underarms, or on the edges of items containing ruffles or layers.

Small holes in fabric can come from many things. Over our years of experience, the two most common causes are insect damage and possible contact with small amounts of an acidic or alkaline substance (see examples listed under the question: How did my garment change color?). Regardless of your sanitation habits, all homes are exposed to insects. The three most common fabric eaters are moth larvae, carpet beetles, and silverfish. These pests love to snack on food stains and body oils in dark places such as your closet or attic. The most common target fabric is wool and synthetic fibers, but these bugs aren’t picky! Insect holes are not always evident prior to cleaning and as a result sometimes weakened fabric or small holes only appear after fibers are removed during the agitation of cleaning.

We also come across common problem areas on garments from every day consumer use. For example, over time the lower forearm area of a garment becomes weak from rubbing against a desk at work. Another common area of weakness is in the back pocket of pants from wallet use. Have you ever seen an older pair of pants with a permanent indentation line from a wallet (or a can of chewing tobacco)?

Color changes will occur when an area of a garment comes in contact with a bleaching agent, alkaline, or acidic substance. The change is often not visible prior to cleaning, but the heat of the drying or steam finishing process accelerates the chemical reaction with the fabric dye. The reaction usually leaves a garment with a yellow or orange-like discoloration where the substance contacted the fabric, but the change can come in other colors as well. We do not have bleach or any products that could cause such a reaction in our dry clean facility. If you come in contact with any products that are acidic, alkaline, or contain bleaching agents, flush them immediately by rinsing with water (do not rub!) and get the item to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible.

Every day things that can cause these reactions include: hair spray, body lotion, facial products, deodorant, perspiration, salt, hand sanitizers, perfume/cologne, toothpaste, medications, juices, and sunlight exposure.

Over time buttons in commercial laundry may crack as a result of repeated pressing, old age, or threads coming loose. The combination of consumer wear and the heat of our press units can accelerate this change. Don’t worry though! Please notify our staff, and we’ll replace generic buttons through laundry free of charge!

Tip: Sending designer shirts with thicker than normal buttons or any shirt with pearl snap buttons is not recommended. There is an increased chance these will not withstand the commercial laundry press. Therefore, you should dry clean for best results.

Studies have shown that the average lifespan of a shirt/blouse through commercial laundry is 25 times. This number is not always the answer, but a very accurate estimate. Other factors that can determine the lifespan of a shirt/blouse are chemically treated shirts and consumer lifestyle.

After commercial laundry shirt pressing we sometimes encounter dark or discolored spots on the collar tips. During shirt manufacturing, your collars are constructed with two layers of fabric held together for shape and stability. This process is called interfacing. Interfacing requires an adhesive, or glue, to be applied between the layers to hold them in place prior to completed collar construction. If too much adhesive is used, the heat from the commercial laundry press will cause the excess bonding agent to soften and leave a permanent stain on the tips or surrounding area. There is no way to prevent or know of such instance prior to cleaning. The shirt manufacturer can be held responsible for this type of adverse discoloration.

The best way to clean a comforter is by following the manufacturer’s care label. We clean many comforters a day and have the best prices in town. Cleaning comforters regularly is the best way to take proper care of them, but there are always problems that can arise due to manufacturer’s defects or consumer use. The most common concerns are the possibility of fading or the colors not being colorfast Colorfast simply means that the manufacturer has taken appropriate measures in to ensure the colors used on the comforter will stay in place if the comforter is cleaned. These problems are very rare and we don’t see them too often, however since there is no way for a dry cleaner to predict any of these issues prior to cleaning we require customer consent in order to process them.

Sometimes things need a second chance! We will gladly redo an item for any reason you can think of. Whether it is for stain removal, pressing, or anything you’re not happy with, we will redo your item free of charge. In order for us to process a redo we require the original receipt attached to clothing bag and the item needs to be brought back within 48 hours of pick-up.

At Rick’s we do our absolute best to ensure that 100% of your items are returned to you in better condition than they were received. In the event that something is ever lost or damaged please hold on to your original receipt for that specific order and contact our store manager. All claims and adjustments must be made within 48 hours of original pickup and be accompanied by an original receipt.