| Your wedding was a great day, do you remember it all? The dancing? The walk down the aisle? The pictures? The food? The congratulations? Your dress does, and unfortunately all of the stains and marks that happened on your big day are proof. If you’re looking to make your gown like new again to save for later (for maybe a daughter later down the line?) here are some tips.
While dress preservation is a service that many cleaners offer, there are some steps you can take on your own to ensure the dress is kept in great condition. For starters, pay attention to how you hang your dress leading up to your wedding and on the day of the event. Hang it by the loops inside the gown to ensure no part of the dress sags or becomes damaged. All of that fabric is heavy and can pull at delicate seams.
Also, before your wedding, be aware of the conditions where you store your dress. Avoid extreme temperatures and try covering the fabric with a sheet instead of plastic. Plastic contains materials that could yellow your dress and also traps in unwanted moisture. How heartbreaking would it be to pull out your dress just mere days before your wedding only to find ugly discoloring?
Those are a few suggestions to keep your dress in mint condition before your big day. But after? We all know that a wedding celebration can turn into one big party. If you’ve done all of the work to keep your dress looking like new before the wedding, bring it in to Crest Cleaners for help in the cleaning and preservation process. Feel free to ask us plenty of questions regarding our techniques processes. Your wedding is one of the best days of your life. Preserve those memories by perfectly preserving your dress. Contact Crest Cleaners today and ask how we can help take care of those memories. |
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Can Dry Cleaning Shrink Clothes?
We’ve all made the mistake of shrinking a favorite sweater or dress in our home washing machine. This commonly occurs when certain fabrics are exposed to the wrong water temperature for too long. But what about when you bring your clothing to a professional dry cleaner? Can they make the same mistake and cause shrinkage?
Here at Crest Cleaners, we can proudly and honestly say that the answer is a resounding NO! Crest Cleaners does not use water in our dry cleaning, but you already knew that. Our dry cleaning uses eco-friendly components to pristinely clean your favorite garments and do so without a chance of shrinkage. Not only will your garments return to you clean and fresh, but also toxin-free! We don’t use the dangerous chemical perc in our dry cleaning process, which means you’re not exposed to anything harmful to your skin.
While we offer traditional laundering services as well as dry cleaning, we are the experts when it comes to laundry and won’t damage your clothing no matter what the medod is.
Save yourself the hassle and worry of reading labels on your clothes, go ahead and buy those delicate fabrics! Bring them to your local Crest Cleaners and ensure your clothes leave crisp, clean and in the exact shape and form they were when they came in to see us.
| When you dress to go out this summer, focus on two things; looking cool and keeping cool! Try and dress in the following fabrics that can help control your temperature and keep you comfortable all summer long.
Cotton
Cotton may not sound like the best choice to keep your body temperature regulated but this natural fabric allows for better air circulation which minimizes fungal breeding which is a prime culprit for rising body temperature.
Linen
Linen is the oldest fabric known and has a reputation for coolness and freshness in hot weather. It is versatile, strong and stays away from your skin allowing better airflow over your body. Also, linen is soft and feels cozy and comforting.
Chambray
Chambray is imitation denim and, even though it looks just like denime, it is a lot lighter and more breathable.
Silk
Silk is pretty, fashionable and traditionally very expensive, but it is also a protein just like your skin and hair so it does not soak up water like other fabrics. Since silk is an adaptive material, it reacts to the changing weather, cooling you down when it is warm and allowing you to look chic and classy in the process.
Are you ready for the summer heat? For more summer fashion tips, make sure to check out our Facebook page. |
| One of our secrets to success is that we listen to customer feedback! Crest Cleaners has built up a reputation on quality customer service and superior dry cleaning. We pride ourselves on being your go-to dry cleaner and we would love to hear what you have to say.If you’ve had a great experience working with Crest Cleaners, please share with us on Yelp. Make sure to mention the name of any employee who has really gone above and beyond for you so we can let them know that they’ve made an impression on you!
Find your location:
Alexandria – Hayfield Shopping Center
Alexandria – Kingstowne Shopping Center
Burke – Burke Centre Shopping Center
Burke – Burke Centre Town Centre
Centreville – Centrewood Plaza
Clifton – Colonnade at Union Mall
Herndon – Frankin Farm Village Center
Reston – South Lakes Shopping Center
Springsfield – Huntsman Square Shopping Center
Gaithersburg – Kentlands Shopping Center
Germantown – Shops at Seneca Meadows
Potomac – Traville Shopping Center
Rockville – Montrose Crossing
Don’t want to leave a Yelp review? No problem! You can also tell us about your experience on Google, Facebook, or by contacting us directly. |
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Do you need a little help with closet organization? Does it seem like all of your clothes end up on the floor instead of hung up or put away? If so, here are ways to organize your bedroom closet.
Tip 1: Declutter
Give yourself a closet makeover by getting rid of unnecessary clutter. One trick is to start by turning all of the hangers in your closet the opposite way (towards you). As you wear something and put it back, turn the hanger back the normal way (away from you). If after a few months you still see some hangers facing toward you, that means that you haven’t worn that item for while and it may be time to donate it or put it away in storage.
Tip 2: Closet Systems
Use boxes, cubbies, tiered shelves or a hanging organizer to sort your items by type of apparel. Setting up a closet system will allow you to make the most of your space and will give everything a “place” to live.
Tip 3: Put it on a Shelf
Use shelves to put and store the most-used items at eye level, less-used items below, and least-used items up high. By doing this you are putting all the essentials in plain view and making them easily accessible.
Do you have any other closet organization tips you would like to share? Tell us on our Facebook page and we’ll post them on our blog!
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970 with an idea proposed by activists to honor peace and the planet. Today, people from all over the world make an effort to be more environmentally aware, green and socially responsible on Earth Day. What will you do this Earth Day to do your part?
Some people make an effort to reduce energy consumption by doing something simple like riding their bikes to work, while others make gestures like signing climate petitions. There are hundreds of ways to make an impact on Earth Day!
If you want to make an environmentally smart decision, visit your local Crest Cleaner for Advanced Dry Cleaning. Crest Cleaners uses GreenEarth cleaning in our EcoTech System to protect our employees, our customers and environment from harsh chemicals.
Crest Advanced Dry Cleaning is not only safe for you and your family, but is also efficient and easy – offering same day cleaning, app alerts and state of the art machines guaranteed to safely clean fabrics of all kinds
While Earth Day only happens once a year, we make a commitment to responsibly clean the same way every day, protecting our environment and pleasing our customers year round!
Now that spring is here, we can break out the summer sandals and open-toed shoes! Before you pack away your winter shoes, don’t forget to clean off the residue salt from the sidewalks. You may notice the white ring around the toes of your shoes as well, but those aren’t permanent!
Here are some simple ways to clean the salt residue from your shoes.
If your shoes are leather, mix two parts water with one part vinegar in a small bowl or jar, dip a rag or towel in the solution and gently rub on your shoes. A few well placed wipes should do the trick.
To prevent further damage, make sure the shoes are completely dry, and treat the leather with some leather conditioner or lotion before storing them away for the summer.
If you’re more like Elvis Presley, and your shoes are suede, gently rub off those salt stains with a kneadable eraser, available in most art stores, or use a tooth brush or towel to revive the nap.
These tips are not only easy, but green and safe for the environment, and will keep your favorite shoes in tip-top shape no matter what season it is. For more tips on how to care for your wardrobe, check out our Facebook page.
| What’s the big deal about dry cleaning poly bags? Aren’t they the same as regular plastic bags? At Crest Cleaners, we have a little secret for you and it’s our poly bags. Our poly bags are great because number one, they’re better for the environment. Number two, they work miracles when fighting wrinkles.Isn’t it awesome to keep the iron in the closet and not have to deal with it all? Image packing up your important dry cleaning in a suitcase, traveling for hours, getting to your destination and emptying out your suitcase… does that usually mean pulling out the iron as well? We have a lot of secrets here at Crest Cleaners, but as you can probably already tell, we’re not very good at keeping them. The secret to our poly bags is that they leave your clothing wrinkle-free. OK, let’s be realistic. If your clothes are folded in a suitcase, we all know there is no way they will come out virtually free of creases, but with the Crest Cleaners poly bag, it’s pretty darn close. You will notice a major decrease in wrinkles when you switch to the Crest Cleaners poly bag… how do we know? Because we see it everyday! Our customers are not fans of wrinkles (seriously though, who is?) and when they see the difference with our poly bags, they definitely let us know.
Give it a try! Leave the poly bag on your clothes until you need them. Fold them up in your closet, place them in a suitcase, whatever! You’ll notice a decrease in annoying wrinkles and you might even notice a few other things… like how your dry cleaning doesn’t smell funny (that’s another secret of ours). Spend less time ironing and more time looking fashionably fresh, try Crest Cleaners today. |
With the onset of spring comes one thing for sure: Spring Cleaning. While many may dread the annual deep clean, we like to think of it as renewal process that makes us more comfortable in our homes. Step one? Start from the bottom up! Here are some ways to keep your rugs and carpets clean.
- Limit dirt entry into your home: Place thick, sturdy doormats at all entrances to your house so you have an easy place to wipe your feet each time you enter. Better yet, kick of your shoes and have a socks-only rule for inside. Dirt tracked onto rugs and carpets gets engrained in fibers over time, so it’s important to limit the amount of soil breaking through in the first place.
- Vacuum regularly: For wall-to-wall carpeting, frequent vacuuming is crucial for keeping your home looking and feeling clean. Focus on areas near exterior doors, since these likely contain the most built-up dirt and grime. You should vacuum high-traffic areas at least once a week to keep soils from embedding in your carpet.
- Steam cleaning: Every so often, consider renting a steam cleaning machine to get engrained dirt out of your carpets. Just be careful not to use too much cleaner or get your carpets too saturated with water. Alternatively, you can hire professional steam cleaners to properly clean your carpets.
Cute. Cuddly. Stinky. Our furry friends provide a wealth of love and companionship, but when nature calls they can also stain your carpet and clothes. Accidents do happen, so let’s see what we can do to get rid of stains and odors.
There are many reasons why your furbaby made a mess, but typically these things just happen. If you have a new puppy or kitten, your new bundle of joy will most certainly relieve himself in a place he’s not supposed to. If necessary, a vet visit can rule out any health-related issues that cause accidents (incontinence, bladder infections, etc.), so you’ll most likely need to focus on training so your pets know where they can safely do their business.
Because animals are likely to use the same spot to eliminate, it’s important to properly clean the mess so they don’t repeat the mistake. For “fresh” stains on carpets or rugs, use paper towels and/or newspaper to soak up as much as the urine as possible. Pad the wet area for a few minutes until only damp. If possible, place the urine-soaked paper in the area where you do you want your pet to relieve himself so he associates his scent with that spot. Next, rinse the stain with cool, clean water and blot as much of the water as you can or use a wet vac to suck it up.
Stains that have already set are more problematic, so it’s time to bring out the big guns. If you can, rent an extractor or wet vac from your local hardware store to power out the stain with cool water (without cleaner). Avoid steam cleaning as heat will permanently set pet stains in your carpet. A combo of a good carpet stain remover and high-quality pet odor neutralizer from the pet store can also help remove urine stains/smells. Don’t use normal household cleaners, especially those with ammonia or vinegar, since those will only mask the smell, further setting the stain, which may further encourage your furball to use that spot again. You can also tryhomemade remedies that have been proven to work just as well.
For clothes and machine-washable items, wash normally but add a 1-pound box of baking soda to your detergent, then let your items air dry. If you’re still seeing or smelling stains after washing, rewash and use an enzymatic cleaner from your local pet store that’s specifically made to remove pet odors. Follow the directions on the cleaner for best results and to keep your clothes safe.
If you’re still having trouble, bring your stained items to any Crest Cleaners and we’ll get you odor free. We also do area rugs!
Why choose Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners?
