Author: greg

Dressing up is one of the best parts about winter. Lots of people adore these chilly months simply because it gives them an opportunity to finally wear those beautiful designer jeans, leather jackets, gorgeous boots and all of those pretty scarves. This is the only season you can really layer your outfit in order to look stylish. 

While you are busy unpacking your winter wardrobe you need to make sure that all of those clothing items are still clean, odour free and looking good. You will be surprised at just how much dust clothes can collect while in storage and your clothes are bound to be quite wrinkled. That dusty stored clothing smell also isn’t too pleasant for all-day wear. 

Most people love to wash winter garments after unpacking these items. A good wash makes your clothes look fresh, bright, soft and gives a wonderful fragrance. But before you toss the whole lot into your machine, you should know that there are quite a few items that should be handed in at your local dry cleaner. Here is a quick list of items that will look much better if you leave them in the care of professional laundry experts.

1. Boots

Your winter shoes, and especially expensive leather shoes, just don’t belong in the washing machine. All of that water, tumbling and pulling just isn’t good for winter boots. Your shoes are likely to end up completely ruined if you machine wash them. The best way to give your winter boots a good clean is by handing them in at our laundry services. Experts will take good care of these shoes and will treat them so they will look like they are brand new.

2. Leather Jackets

Don’t ever toss a leather jacket into your washing machine. Leather takes forever to dry, can shrink and can get all wrinkled. Hand these items in at our dry cleaners for professional cleaning without any risk of damaging these expensive garments.

3. Designer Jeans

You can wash your designer jeans in the machine but just because you can do something doesn’t mean that it is a good idea. These items are very expensive and every time you toss them into the machine they will get worn out and faded. Hand your designer jeans in at your local dry cleaners whenever they become visibly dirty.

4. Suede Jackets and Clothes

Suede fabrics are back in fashion but these velvety items are not made for the machine. Those soft fibres will never look the same again if you toss them into the washing machine or expose them to harsh cleaning chemicals.

5. Thick Jackets with a Lining

You probably bought that thick parka jacket because you thought it would be tough, right? Well, in reality, these jackets usually have in inner lining that is quite delicate. In washing machines, this lining tends to tear so hand your thick jackets in at your local dry cleaners.

6. Delicate Garments

Unless you are willing to hand wash, delicate garments such as those with embroidery designs, those made of fine and delicate fabrics and those with sequences are best handed in at our dry cleaners. Your washing machine will rip these delicate designs or artworks right off your clothes.

7. Fur and Faux Fur

Any fur garments, including those with faux fur inner linings should be handed in at your dry cleaners. Washing machines will pull all of those beautiful furs out and can make the soft fabric feel coarse.

Do you want to get any of these clothing items cleaned and ready to wear? Then we invite you to give our services at Brite Dry Cleaners a try right now. Our business is passionate about beautiful clothes and can give all of your winter items a proper clean without causing any damage to these delicate and expensive items.

We all love a pair of beautiful shoes. From the quality sports shoes that enhance your athletic performance, the practical work shoes that reduce pain in your feet when you are running around all day long to the fancy shoes that boost your confidence and make you look spectacular on a special day.

You probably want to get the most use from your shoes, not just because you paid a lot for these shoes but also because the perfect style and fit can be hard to come by. Shoes get dirty all the time and giving them a regular clean is necessary for keeping them looking sharp but it’s important to note that you cannot clean all shoe types the same ways. Here are a few things you should never do to your shoes when you are giving them a good clean.

Don’t Wash These Shoes in the Machine

Some shoe types are perfectly fine in your washing machine as long as you keep it on a gentle spinning cycle but some shoes will be completely ruined by your machine. Never toss leather, patent leather, high heels, suede shoes, cork shoes or velvet shoes into your washing machine. Instead, consult with a professional, like Brite Dry Cleaners who offers women or mens shoe cleaning and restoration services.

To simply remove dirt from these types of shoes, it is best to wipe down your shoes using a damp cloth and a mild detergent. If this cleaning method won’t get rid of stains and grime then hand these shoe types in at our dry cleaners for a proper clean.

Don’t Wash Your Shoes on a Rough Setting

If you are washing some shoes like your flip flops, running sneakers, canvas shoes or sheepskin boots in the washing machine then always put your machine on a gentle setting. Shoes are not designed to handle the rough spinning action of washing machines. Quick spinning action can rip your shoes apart. If a gentle setting doesn’t get the job done then try handing these shoes over to Brite Dry Cleaners for a proper clean.

Don’t Leave Shoelaces in Sneakers

If you are washing your shoes in the machine then be sure to remove shoelaces. Laces always get tangled and often tear out at the holes. Remove shoelaces and wash them apart.

Don’t Use Harsh Cleaning Chemicals

It is important to never use harsh chemicals on any shoe types, especially on fine quality shoes such as leathers and heels. Harsh chemicals can burn or discolour your shoes. If you are cleaning running shoes or other types of casual wear shoes then you can grab a toothbrush and scrub the soles with a chemical cleaner such as detergent, toothpaste or bleach to whiten the soles. Rinse these shoes properly before adding them to the machine for a good wash.

Never Toss Muddy Shoes Into the Machine

Be sure to rinse your shoes properly before adding them to your washing machine. Mud and other messes underneath your shoes can settle inside the machine or can get caught in the shoe fabric. Always scrub dirt from your shoes before giving them a good wash.

There are quite a few ways to get rid of dirt on your shoes at home but don’t resolve to extreme measures if these DIY hacks just don’t work. Instead of risking ruining your beautiful shoes, give them to the experts at Brite Dry Cleaners to take care of. Our specialist team are the best at cleaning all sorts of delicate garments and shoes and will fully revive your shoes so you can shine.

It is important to use professional dry cleaners for all of your delicate and expensive garments and home fabrics. These items are just too sensitive to be washed in normal washing machines. The spinning action of a washing machine will rip decorative elements such as beads from your fabrics, will tear delicate fabrics and can loosen the pile of delicate items such as velvets and furs. In addition to protecting your fabrics, here are 11 more benefits of using professional dry cleaning facilities for your fabrics and garments.

1) Pickup and Delivery Services Available

Using Brite Dry Cleaners is incredibly convenient because we can pick it up and deliver it once cleaned for you so you don’t have to travel to our dry cleaning company. We service a number of suburbs including Caulfield North, Caulfield, Caulfield South, Caulfield East, Balaclava, Ripponlea, St Kilda East, Elsternwick, Elwood, Armadale, and Toorak.

2) Free Pickup and Delivery for Bulk Orders

If you order dry cleaning services over $40, you will instantly qualify for free pickup and delivery in any of the above-mentioned suburbs so all you need to do to save some money is to keep your dry cleaning in bulk orders.

3) You Don’t Have To Do the Washing Yourself

Getting sensitive garments cleaned is hard work and in most cases, you need to hand wash these items. When you trust us with your dry cleaning we will take care of all of the hard work for you while you focus on other more important things in your life.

4)Reliable Odour Removal

Our dry cleaners are not just perfect for getting garments clean, we can also get rid of any bad odours in clothing or fabrics that might have been in storage for too long or that might have been exposed to nasty scents.

5) Stain Removal

Our cleaners will also effectively remove all stains your clothing might have. We use the latest technology and the best detergents to target stains and remove them from fabrics.

6) Repair Clothing and Linen

Do you have a few loose ends that need tying up? We will take care of it for you. We also offer clothing repair services and can take care of small repairs for you. You can get those loose buttons and hems stitched up and we can repair lots of other small damages to your clothing.

7) Clothing Alterations

One of the best extra benefits of Brite Dry Cleaners is our available clothing alteration services. We can shorten sleeves and pant legs or make garments fit you much better so you can look your best or enjoy your beloved clothing for much longer.

8) Environment-Friendly

At Brite Dry Cleaners we only use eco-friendly products and all of our methods are perfectly sustainable. The fact that we are environmentally friendly is a major benefit to you and the environment.

9) We Take Care of the Finishing Touches

Our laundry experts will also take care of all of the finishing such as folding, hanging, ironing and more for you. Your clothing will be delivered wrinkle-free and ready for wear.

10) Excellent Service

You will also enjoy an excellent service when you make use of our dry cleaners. We are friendly and quick with all of our services.

There are few services that can compete with all of the benefits you get when you use Brite Dry Cleaners. For all your dry cleaning needs at a reliably high standard, get in touch with our team today or drop off your items at our Caulfield North location.

Seeing one of your precious garments or curtains ruined after a washing cycle is sad and frustrating. These are the items that are more valuable, sometimes sentimental and always harder to replace.

It’s actually quite common for people to not be certain about which items can be machine-washed normally and what should only be sent to the dry-cleaners. To end the confusion, stop the washing mishaps and cease spoiling your favourite garments, we at Brite Dry Cleaners have created this little list to help guide you in getting your items cleaned in the right way. Here are the top items you should and should not dry clean.

Fabrics That Should Always Be Dry-Cleaned

Some fabric types just don’t do well in the washing machine and your normal detergents will absolutely ruin these garments. Here is a quick list of fabrics that you should avoid washing at home or with a regular machine:

• Velvet fabrics – They’re mostly used in curtaining and often in clothing and bedding and should never be machine washed because the machines will flatten those fine fibres in your fabric, can crease everything horribly and can cause shedding.
• Shiny sequins – These will get ripped off in your washing machine so be sure to hand in all of those sparkly outfits and cushions to your dry cleaner.
• Fabrics with embellishments – Are also best suited in the hands of experts who will ensure that these fine artworks and detail won’t get damaged.
• Some synthetics fabrics – Items like Rayon are also not machine washable and will last you much longer if cleaned by dry-cleaners.
• Leather – Should always be washed at the dry cleaners unless you can simply wipe down dirty spots on smooth leather surfaces. If it’s been a long time without a good clean, rejuvenate that jacket and drop it off for specialised dry-cleaning.

Types of Clothing That Should Be Dry-Cleaned

Some clothing items and especially designer items can get pretty pricey so it’s not worth risking machine-washing damage just to save a few pennies. Here is a quick list of the types of garments that should go to your dry cleaners:

• Suits and corporate wear – They are often lined with a fine silk on the inside that is torn out immediately during washing and should always be handed in at dry cleaners.
• Formal wear – Ball gowns, bridesmaid dresses, wedding dresses, and sequin tops contains lots of delicate seams, decorations, and fabrics and should never be dumped into your washing machine unless you don’t mind it being ruined.
• Items with intricate designs – Embroidered items, crochet or sequins should be sent to your dry cleaners.
• Fine leathers – Leather jackets, boots and handbags are at their safest in the hands of our dry cleaners.
• Furs and synthetic furs – Are incredibly hard to clean at home and should always be cleaned by expert dry cleaners so that you don’t risk losing some of their fluff and softness.
• Rugs and carpets – When they have a mat or rubber layer at the bottom, they shouldn’t be machine washed because the pile will loosen and the rubber coating will peel off.
• Fine linen – Like satin, quilts, sequins and items with lots of handmade detail can be hand washed or machine washed but is much safer in the hands of your local dry cleaner.

So there you have the rundown of common items that need to be cleaned with care by professional dry cleaners. If you have a delicate item that does not fit in the above categories, it’s best to not err on the side of caution and get it cleaned by expert dry cleaners rather than risk destroying it in the wash at home.