Frequently Asked Questions
What is wet cleaning?
Wet cleaning involves cleaning with water. This is the best method for everyday wear fabrics such as jeans and t-shirts because water enables soil and dirt to decompose easily and effortlessly. Wet cleaning is recommended for most cotton fabrics. Men and women's business shirts can also undergo wet cleaning, which is the perferred method since old fashion water and soap are the best elements to eliminate the unavoidable collar and cuff marks.
What is dry cleaning?
Dry Clean Only labeled clothes are often more delicate, hence more expensive. Because you have made an investment in these clothes, also think of cleaning these special items in your wardrobe with extra and expert care. Delicate garments sometimes are ruined with the use of water. Dry Cleaning involves a chemical solvent other than water. The most common is perchloroethylene, usually referred as perc. While most dry cleaners nationwide still use this chemical, we at Village Cleaners consider it too abrasive and use a petroleum-based chemical instead. Because dry cleaning chemicals are much stronger than water, dry cleaning items can sometimes be worn sometimes twice to minimize the times they're cleaned, maximizing the life of the garment. However, if there is soil, stains, or even a slight smell on garment, it's imperative to get the garment to the cleaners as soon as possible. Letting dirt or odors sit on your clothes worsens the problem. Dry cleaning can also be used when garments are labeled "hand-wash." If you are unsure of how to clean a specific clothing item, we'll be glad to advise what is the proper care.
What kind of soap is used to wash my clothes?
The soap we use is liquid-base non-allergenic strong enough to maximizes the removal of stains and soil while delicate enough to leave the fabrics feeling soft and colors vibrant.
I got home and noticed a stain on my "clean" clothes. Why was it not removed?
We encourage our customers to point out stains at drop off so we pay close attention to that particular spot during the cleaning process. You should have seen a mini slip that states the following: "Special Attention has been given to this garment but the SPOTS or STAINS remaining cannot be removed without causing damage to the color or material. We call this to your attention so you may realize that it has not been overlooked." Due to hundreds of clothes being cleaned daily, it may happen that a particular stain was overlooked. If this is the case, we apologize sincerely and would love to take care of it immediately at no extra cost to you.
How can shrinkage be avoided?
The most common cause of shrinkage is excessive heat. In wool garments, for example, this is due to scales on the fibers which heat and agitation cause to stick together. Some fabrics are stretched by mechanical forces during production, and can shrink slightly when heated. Avoid heating at much as possible and when it's necessary, don't over-dry your clothes. A lot of clothes can be line-dried or dried on a flat surface. Always read the clohtes care label to avoid these problems.
Do you offer any discounts?
We often have exclusive offers. These are available to our Village Cleaners Club Customers. Sign up to receive them by clicking Village Cleaners Club above. Rice students, faculty, and staff receive a 10% discount on all dry cleaning every day.
I spilled (wine, coffee, ink, milk, etc) on my favorite garment. What should I do?
Use a dry gentle cloth to immediately soak up excess liquid. Try not to rub, but instead blot so stain does not spread. Bring it into Village Cleaners as soon as you can so we can professionally take care of the stain. Most stains can be removed if treated promptly. The longer it sits, the less of a chance the stain will be 100% removed.