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Winter Clothes Storage - Vick's Cleaners

Tips For Storing Winter Clothes

It is officially Summer! That means you can pack away your coats and boots and bring out the shorts and sandals. You may not have enough closet space for all of your clothes, so this may require you to store the winter clothes away for a few seasons. The first step to clothing storage is making sure everything is clean. You’ll want to run everything through the washer and dryer before putting them away in storage. You want your clothes to stay clean and dry so it is important to store them correctly. There are plenty of storage options, but which one is the best for each type of clothing?

Delicates

These items are called delicates for a reason, so they require some extra care. You’ll want to fold these items and place them in non-acidic tissue paper. Once wrapped up, these items should be placed in a cotton garment bag. Unlike plastic garment bags, the cotton will allow the fabrics to breathe properly.

Non-Delicates

Plastic bins are perfect for these items. Jeans, sweatshirts and everything else should be folded and placed in the bin with the heaviest items on the bottom. Although plastic bins do take up space, they allow for the fabrics to breathe. Vacuum seal bags can distort the shape of your clothing and don’t allow the fabric to breathe. To keep your clothes smelling fresh and keep pests out you can throw a lavender sachet or cedar ball in the bin.

Shoes

Winter shoes come in contact with harsh salt and snow throughout the season, so it’s important to clean them thoroughly before placed in storage. Shoes can easily lose their shape if they are not stored correctly. Tall boots should have boot trees placed inside, and smaller shoes such as ankle boots and loafers can be stuffed with tissue paper. Shoes can be stood up in the back of the closet, or if you need to save space they can be placed in a plastic storage bin. The largest shoes should be laid down at the bottom of the bin and a cotton t-shirt or shoe bag should be placed in between each pair.

What Should Be Folded, and What Should Be Hung

Hangers are not ideal for sweaters and bulky coats. When a piece of clothing is hung for months at a time it can become misshapen. These items can also be placed in a plastic bin, with the heaviest items on the bottom. With these items it is important not to over stuff the bin. Compressing these items can lead to a distorted shape. Dresses and fur coats are the only winter items that should stay hung up in your closet. They should be placed in a cotton garment bag, in the back of the closet, away from light.

Once all of your winter clothing is packed and stored away you’ll want to store them in the right place. Your bags and bins should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place. Before hitting storage, Vick’s Cleaners can help prepare every piece of clothing by cleaning it right. With three dry cleaning locations and two laundromats we can help anywhere in the Kinston area.

 

How True is “Dry Clean Only”?

The care labels on the inside of your clothing can tell you a lot of information about the product and how it was made. The main purpose of the care label is the care instructions, which will tell you if your garment is machine washable or is better off being dry cleaned. Many clothes today will have a “dry clean only” instruction, but how true is this?

When You Should Definitely Dry Clean

  • Silk, wool, velvet, taffeta, leather and suede must all be dry cleaned
  • Special finish such as beading, embroidery or lace
  • If the garment has structure such as a suit jacket
  • If the garment is lined-Each fabric will have a different shrinkage rate
  • Does the color run when it is wet? Test a wet cotton swab on the fabric
  • Is the garment expensive? You may want to play it safe and have it dry cleaned
  • The fabric is made of acetate, triacetate or rayon- these fabrics can be carefully hand washed but would be better of dry cleaned as they easily shrink and get misshapen in water

When You Can Wash “Dry Clean Only”

  • Use cold water and a gentle detergent
  • Wash the garment alone so it does not mix with others
  • If you decide to machine wash, use the gentle cycle
  • Never put the garment in the dryer, hang to dry or lay it flat if it is a knit garment

How Can Vick’s Cleaners Help?

Vick’s Cleaners is your go-to for your professional dry cleaning and laundry services. We offer free pick up and delivery so you never have to worry! We have three convenient dry cleaning services in the Kinston area, as well as two laundromat locations with wash and fold service. We understand how important your clothing is to you, so we want to ensure that you can trust our services. To get started you can visit us online to schedule your free pickup, or drop off at one of our locations today!

 

cleaning curtains: Vick's Cleaners

Guide to Cleaning Curtains: Machine Wash or Dry Clean?

Over time you may start to notice that your curtains are getting dusty and discolored. Vacuuming your curtains weekly can lengthen the time in between cleanings, but at some point they do have to be washed. The dust isn’t just a sight for sore eyes, but it can be a health hazard for those with allergies. Curtains can be made from all different types of fabrics, so you want to make sure you are cleaning them the correct way.

Every Fabric is Different

  • Silk: This fabric is very delicate, so you are going to want to hand wash with mild dish soap and line hang to dry

  • Wool and Cashmere: These fabrics must always be dry cleaned

  • Cotton: If your curtains are unlined they can be either machine or hand washed

  • Suede/Crushed Velvet: These fabrics must always be dry cleaned

  • Synthetic Fabrics: The chemicals in the dry cleaning process could have an affect on this fabric, so it is best to machine/hand wash or bring it to a professional cleaning service

  • Sheer: This fabric is very thin, so discoloring can occur if they are not cleaned often. Since the fabric is so thin you are going to want to hand wash in cold water and dry without heat in a dryer

  • Stitched, Pleated, Beading: These curtains have fine details, and all should be dry cleaned. Even if the fabric itself says it can be machine washed, your safest bet to keep all of the detail in place would be dry cleaning

How Can Vick’s Cleaners Help?

Whenever your curtains are soiled and stained, it is best to have them dry cleaned. Long curtains contain a lot of fabric, which may be too large of a load for an ordinary washing machine. Vick’s Cleaners has three dry cleaning locations and two laundromats in the Kinston, Snow Hill area. No matter what kind of curtains you have, we can clean them. Our team has experience in curtain cleaning, so you can be assured the fabrics are safe with us. We offer free home pick up and delivery, so go online or call today to schedule your next cleaning with Vick’s Cleaners.