A Guide for When Disaster Strikes

Relinquishing your clothes to a dry cleaner can be a very stressful experience that takes considerable trust. Whether it be sentimental, aged, expensive, or all the above, there’s many good reasons to be somewhat wary. Imagine you’ve just spent $700 on a brand new wool suit and worn it  just once with huge success. The stylish jacket elicited many compliments on the first wear and you’re confident you’ve made a great investment by purchasing it. Though it’s been laying in a sweaty ball in the corner of your room for a couple days, you can’t bring yourself to turn it into the dry cleaner. Thinking about all the things that could go wrong with your precious suit perhaps you start to spiral. How could you afford a replacement?

But don’t let fear hold you back from enjoying the convenience and quality of dry cleaning services. With knowledge comes power, and we’ve gathered over 100 years of experience in the industry to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes that can lead to damaged items. Whether it’s ink stains, broken buttons, shrinkage, or lost items, being aware of these potential issues can help you take preventative measures and ensure the longevity of your beloved garments. Trust us, with a little preparation and awareness, you can confidently entrust your clothes to the care of professional dry cleaners.

After reading this article, you will have a newfound sense of confidence when it comes to entrusting your precious garments to the care of professional dry cleaners. Armed with the knowledge of the most common mistakes that can occur during the dry cleaning process you can rest easy knowing that you are prepared for any unlikely and unfortunate circumstances that may arise. So go ahead and take advantage of the convenience and quality of dry cleaning services, knowing that you have the power to protect your garments from damage.

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Top 4 Most Typical Dry Cleaning mistakes

1. Ink Stains

The easiest way to completely ruin a customer’s clothes is by running the machines while a pen or some kind of ink is in the pocket of one of the garments turned in. This is a huge issue because not only is one order damaged, but so is each piece of clothing that happened to be getting cleaned at the same time. The one who cleaned the clothes is completely at fault in this case, as the pockets of each garment are supposed to be checked before they are sent along to be cleaned. Still, slipups and missed items do happen, and checking your own pockets before submitting any clothing is a huge help towards eliminating this issue. Snedicor’s pays in full for replacements for any garment damaged in this way, and the cleaner’s are very thorough at checking pockets in order to avoid such catastrophic circumstances.

2. Broken Buttons 

A much less dire mistake than the previous one, buttons breaking on clothes happens for many different reasons. One potential cause of such a fault is the cleaner missing a cuff or collar button that needed to be undone, and as a result when the item is put on the machine the button breaks off, either partially or completely. Another cause of broken buttons is the preexisting condition of the buttons when they came in. If the button is already chipped or snapped in places, the chances of it coming off completely skyrocket. Old or brittle buttons may fall apart from the motion and processing of the dry cleaning process. In these cases, the button already needed to be replaced and may have broken anytime that it was used. Many dry-cleaners also offer alterations or small sewing requests, and will be able to fix your button with very little trouble. Snedicor’s will sew and replace your buttons free of charge, and will spot any buttons that will give us trouble before the incident takes place.

3. Shrinkage 

When cleaning clothes that do not require the special care that dry cleaning provides, dry cleaners employ a wet cleaning process that uses water and special detergents. However, it is important to note that not all fabrics are suitable for wet cleaning. If a fabric in an item is not usually present in wet-cleaned clothes, the cleaner may sort it into the wrong area, and the garment may shrink during the cleaning process.

To avoid this, it is important to keep the care labels intact when submitting clothes for cleaning. The care labels provide essential information about the fabric and its cleaning requirements, including whether it can be wet cleaned or not. Cutting off the care labels may increase the chances of the cleaner misidentifying the fabric and damaging the garment during the cleaning process.

Cleaners understand the importance of proper fabric care and will always take extra care to ensure that each garment is cleaned according to its specific requirements. We also recommend that you communicate any specific needs or concerns you have about your clothes to your cleaner, so they can take the necessary precautions to protect them. With the right care and attention, your clothes will come out of the cleaning process looking as good as new.

4. Lost Items

Dry-cleaners nowadays have very sophisticated organizational systems, usually in the form of barcodes and stapled tabs, and are pretty tough to lose. Snedicor’s, for example, uses heat applied barcodes and camera footage that can track a specific bag containing an order based on the time it comes in and is scanned into the computer. It is very unlikely that an order will go missing completely. Despite this, as is the case with all these mistakes, human error is always a factor, and it is possible that your order may be mislabeled or mismanaged, and lost .

If All Hope is Gone, Demand Reparation

Even with your best efforts to avoid any issues with dry cleaning, accidents can still happen. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having a garment damaged beyond repair, it’s important to know your rights as a customer. Don’t hesitate to hold the cleaners accountable for their mistake and demand reparation. Be sure to provide them with the original price of the item, and they should reimburse you for the ruined garment.

As rare as these mistakes may be, by taking the time to pre-check the pockets of your garments before submission and researching the dry cleaner beforehand, you can significantly reduce the risk of experiencing any issues. Additionally, clear communication with your cleaner about any specific needs or concerns you have about your clothes can also help prevent any mishaps.

Remember, trust is a crucial aspect of the dry cleaning process. While it may be nerve-wracking to relinquish your beloved clothing to a stranger, with knowledge and preparation, you can confidently entrust your clothes to the care of professional dry cleaners.

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