Martin Young
February 21, 2012
CONCORD, N.C. — There are times when quality stain removal comes down to a series of little things. And there are times when the difference in returning a garment to...
Martin Young
January 16, 2012
CONCORD, N.C. — A new year brings new opportunities for those prepared to take advantage. You’re no doubt heard the saying, “Foolishness is continuing to...
Martin Young
December 15, 2011
CONCORD, N.C. — When I’m around fabricare colleagues, they often say a certain competitor “just doesn’t know how much he doesn’t know,...
Martin Young
November 14, 2011
CONCORD, N.C. — If you have been in the industry for less than three years, if you have never received formal training in the “ins and outs” of garment...
Martin Young
September 27, 2011
CONCORD, N.C. — I was interviewed recently for one of those all-too-common consumer reports on drycleaning. The reporter recounted horror stories at the...
Martin Young
July 31, 2011
CONCORD, N.C. — The stain-removal seminar was arranged for operators with less than 18 months experience. Just back from a break, I had started my discussion of...
Martin Young
May 16, 2011
CHICAGO — Every season brings a unique set of stains to the garment-care professional. Spring typically finds customers venturing outside again to do yardwork,...
Ian P. Murphy
April 4, 2011
CHICAGO — Wherever I go these days, I no longer get questions about removing customers’ stains, I’m asked about correcting “in-house” stains....
Martin Young
March 14, 2011
CHICAGO — A reader recently wrote to ask for guidance in removing Super Glue from an expensive piece of fabric. I had a problem answering, however, since there was too...
Martin Young
December 24, 2010
CHICAGO — The New Year is a perfect time to modify practices that no longer contribute to the bottom line. And today, getting stains out is no longer something you can...
Martin Young
November 19, 2010
CHICAGO — As cold weather creeps down from the north, customers will start to pull their bedspreads and comforters up to their chins in bed, never giving a thought to...
Martin Young
September 23, 2010
CHICAGO — Whatever financial recovery may be underway probably has not reached your front door yet. What’s the best use of your downtime? To enhance your stain-...
Martin Young
July 20, 2010
CHICAGO — Effective stain removal is now a multi-solution process. Garments are getting so sophisticated that you must follow the care label. Choosing to go against...
Martin Young
June 3, 2010
CHICAGO — I usually devote my time to explaining what should be done in order to achieve effective stain removal. This month’s column is devoted to spotting don...
Martin Young
April 22, 2010
The Clothing Care Council (CCC) offers every drycleaner an opportunity to distinguish himself or herself with the voluntary Award of Excellence (AOE) certification program....
Tom Lucenta
April 13, 2010
Drycleaners must make difficult decisions about what to do with the suedes and leathers customers bring in for cleaning. You have four options, each with benefits and...
Martin Young
April 1, 2010
I just finished the last stain-removal test necessary to requalify for the Award of Excellence (AOE), a voluntary certification that helps cleaners distinguish themselves...
Martin Young
March 5, 2010
Too many drycleaners in the industry have never taken the time or made the effort to acquire a working knowledge of fibers, fabrics, dyes and trims. This means that they...
Tom Lucenta
February 5, 2010
Tanning — the process in which animal skins become leather and are no longer subject to rotting — is not a new process. Tanned skins were likely the first...
Tom Lucenta
December 9, 2009
When pressing suede and leather garments, you usually don’t want to press creases into the sleeves — and customers don’t want sleeve creases, either. And...
Martin Young
December 2, 2009
I was standing with my back to the hors d’oeuvre table at my 40th high school reunion. I was catching up with a guy I hadn’t seen since 1969 when I overheard a...
Tom Lucenta
October 22, 2009
What’s the ultimate tool for pressing the wrinkles out of suede and leather garments? The hothead press.
With a hothead press, there’s no live head steam to...
Martin Young
October 8, 2009
It was the way the light reflected off the shiny, smooth satin that caught my eye. It was a beautiful, flowing, full-length dress with vivid red and yellow flowers on an...
Martin Young
September 29, 2009
The white-linen designer dress was a gift from her grandfather after she became junior-class president. It has great sentimental value. It’s the dress she’s...
Martin Young
August 25, 2009
I’m sure she was once a beauty queen, and she’s still stunning in her designer blouse and pants. It just takes her a little more time to maintain the image she...
