clothing care

What Causes Clothes to Shrink?

The fit was perfect when you first purchased it, and now it is not. What gives? It does not matter the garment – sweater, t-shirt, trousers – all fabric is stretched as items are made. Then when clothes are washed, they are exposed to heat, agitation, and moisture; and therefore, the fibers shorten, leaving your perfectly fitting garment smaller than it was before. The good news is that by following the garment’s care label and knowing a little bit about fabric, you can avoid the shrinkage issue. …

Read Article »

How to Tie a Bow Tie

According to thebowtie.com, Croatian soldiers of the Thirty Years War, which occurred in the 17th century, were the first folks documented to wear tied fabric around their necks to keep their shirt collars together. After the war, French soldiers shared the look and in the 1700’s the necktie was born. Fast forward to 1886 when Pierre Lorillard designed and wore a black bow tie tuxedo to a formal ball held at the Tuxedo Club. It quickly became a hit, being known as black tie attire. …

Read Article »

Pulling Your Winter Clothes Out of Storage

It is time to start transitioning your closet from shorts, t-shirts, and sleeveless dresses to pants, long-sleeve shirts, and sweaters. If you stored your winter clothes properly at the beginning of spring, you should be able to pull them out, place them in your closet …

Read Article »

Purchasing and Caring for Your Winter Coat

Last year for Christmas I asked for a puffy coat. You know, one of those coats that looks like it is quilted and is filled with either down or synthetic fibers. I told my mom to try it on, and if she was hot wearing it, then it was perfect for me. I also asked her to purchase a size larger than what I normally wear because it was going to be my everyday coat, and I would wear it with sweatshirts and heavy sweaters. …

Read Article »

How Hairspray Impacts Your Clothing

Years ago, I developed a habit of draping a bath towel around my shoulders before I sprayed hairspray on my hair. I started doing this because I could see and feel the sticky substance falling onto my clothes and arms, and I just didn’t like the thought or feel of that stuff laying on my clothes or body all day. Turns out that was a wise decision because some hair products contain oxidizing agents that could cause color loss on fabrics. …

Read Article »

Home Laundry Wash & Fold Service

The statistics are all over the place, but one article I read said that the typical family of four does 8-10 loads of laundry per week, averaging 8 hours of time being spent on washing, drying, and folding clothes. We are a family of three …

Read Article »

Don't Wear Nice Clothes While Cooking

The Holiday Season brings lots of cooking in my house and I suspect in your house as well. I happen to be a messy cook; I inherited this gift from my mom, who inherited it from her mom. I recall as a child walking into …

Read Article »

Common Dry Cleaning Myths

Once upon a time, I believed these too. Debunking Dry Cleaning Myths Dry Cleaning Wears Out Your Clothes In fact, the opposite is true. Not cleaning your clothes often enough allows the soil between the fibers to abrade the fabric. In addition, products we all …

Read Article »

Does Dry Cleaning Kill Germs on Dirty Clothes?

My husband thinks I wash and dry-clean our clothing too often, but I disagree. Once upon a time, I used to wear a pair of slacks and a sweater to church, and if we went straight to church and then home without stopping anywhere, I would hang those items back in the closet. Not anymore. If I wear something out of the house, even for only a short period of time, I will wash or dry-clean those items as soon as possible because Germs Are Everywhere! Luckily, washing and dry-cleaning helps kill germs and bacteria that get deposited onto fabrics. …

Read Article »

Freshening Up Your Closet

It seems like the further we get into colder weather, the more my house, in particular my closet, smells stale and musty. Apparently, it’s a common problem, and it occurs because things are shut up tight to keep the cold out and the warm in; air simply does not circulate as well within closed spaces like closets and such. …

Read Article »

Subscribe to clothing care