Martin Young
February 27, 2009
The ad promotes outdoor weddings by a lake. It doesn’t mention anything about geese, or what they might leave behind on the shore. Traditional wedding dresses are...
Tom Lucenta
December 31, 2008
Using a syringe to reglue sewn cuffs and hems eliminates the need to tear out and resew linings. But you can’t see the glue going into the hem, so you should...
Everett Childers
December 26, 2008
When one thinks of haute couture, one thinks of the emaciated models who never smile and walk like they have a displaced hip as they show off world-famous designers...
Martin Young
December 19, 2008
Exceeding customer expectations is about taking the time to do things right. It’s about spending the time necessary to remove the last traces of a stain. It’s...
Martin Young
November 14, 2008
I’ve always said that if people could hit their mouths, I would go broke. And as we approach the season of family gatherings around the table, I’d like to...
Martin Young
October 10, 2008
I’m amazed at the reaction of some “cleaners” when they first realize that stain removal is as much an art as it is a science. But one must have the...
Martin Young
September 5, 2008
He was one of my best customers. Some call people like him “big tunas;” I called him “friend.” I was well aware that he had been putting jelly on...
Martin Young
June 11, 2008
As I entered the parking lot, I was impressed. An outer parcel in a strip shopping center, the plant couldn’t be more than two years old. The building was red brick...
Martin Young
May 14, 2008
She went through her incoming bundle with a purpose. Then she found it: a beige silk blouse with a harsh red stain on the right cuff and sleeve.
The stain was dry and...
Martin Young
April 9, 2008
There it is, all right. It’s a stain. The garment would look better without it. That’s why the customer brought it to you, the drycleaner. The vision the...
Martin Young
March 12, 2008
I just happened to be at the counter when I saw the lady get out of her car. I saw that look on her face — but was pretty sure I hadn't taken her candy.
It...
Everett Childers
February 12, 2008
If we think of ourselves only as drycleaners, we limit our capabilities and ourselves. Think instead of being (or becoming) a “textile-cleaning professional”...
Norm Oehlke
January 2, 2008
Ever hear this comment from a customer? "That underarm stain wasn't there when I dropped it off — you must have put that stain on my clothes." Lots of...
Norm Oehlke
December 3, 2007
Some drycleaners refer to cleaning drapes, curtains, bedspreads and other household fabrics as something they must cope with in order to keep customers. But being able to...
Norm Oehlke
October 31, 2007
How often have you refused to accept a garment that is extremely soiled — so badly soiled that no one wants to touch it?
While visiting a drycleaning plant recently...
Norm Oehlke
September 5, 2007
‘My coat was soft and smooth when I left it for cleaning, and now it’s rough and stiff, and feels awful. What did you do to my expensive cashmere? It’s...
Everett Childers
August 1, 2007
There are certain rules that must be followed when cleaning clothes — whether you use perc, high-flashpoint hydrocarbons, GreenEarth, water or whatever.
First, the...
Howard Scott
July 4, 2007
Finishing in drycleaning is not given enough attention. Coming at the tail end of the process, it is often pushed through just to get the job done. The presser makes...
Everett Childers
June 6, 2007
Disgusting-looking stuff that gets on people’s clothing falls into one of three categories: Insoluble soils, water-soluble soils and solvent-soluble soils. If a...
Norm Oehlke
May 9, 2007
Memorial Day and Flag Day are coming up, meaning that Old Glory will be flying on homes and businesses everywhere. Isn’t it great to see? Do you have the flag...
Norm Oehlke
March 7, 2007
One of the most complex problems for the drycleaner is handling a customer’s complaints about shrinkage. Most of these problems are not caused by the drycleaner, yet...
Norm Oehlke
February 7, 2007
The term “tannin” covers a broad range of stains originating from fruit juices, mixed drinks, wines and sodas. It’s one of the most common stains...
Norm Oehlke
January 3, 2007
Most yellow or yellow/brown stains that reach the spotter originate from a beverage, liquor or fruit-juice substance. However, some yellow stains won’t respond to...
Ian P. Murphy
December 5, 2006
Amyl acetate is a dry-side agent that is much more aggressive in certain respects than either VDS or POG. It’s important to have amyl acetate on the spotting board,...
