Frequently Asked Questions

There are many types of stains that are not visible prior to cleaning that can be activated during the cleaning process. Just as an apple cut open and exposed to air will discolor over time and exposure to the air, stains that are not immediately apparent (for example, a coffee spill that you brush off and think ‘great, that didn’t leave a stain’) will eventually oxidize, or darken, either from exposure to the air or the heat involved in processing your garment. These “invisible stains” are usually sugar or oil based. Sugar-based stains can caramelize from the heat and leave a brown stain that is difficult to remove and oil-based stains can oxidize; causing a “new” stain that wasn’t visible prior to cleaning. Sodas and salad dressings are often the culprit! Be sure to tell us about any spills on your garments so we may give it proper attention during the cleaning process.

With today’s eco-conscious world, many cleaners are claiming to be ‘organic’ or ‘green’ in the hopes that it will attract business. The fact is that, at this time, there is no government sanctioned definition of ‘green’ or ‘organic’ dry-cleaning. The USDA has standards for organic milk and other agricultural products, but there are no such standards to define organic dry-cleaners.

At American Cleaners, we offer hydrocarbon based solvents in almost all of our dry-cleaning plants, which is the same solvents that most ‘organic’ or ‘green’ dry-cleaners are using. We are working towards using only the most energy efficient and current processes in our industry. Our goal is to be environmentally sustainable.

We recommend following the manufacturer’s care label instructions. We clean dozens of comforters every day and offer a competitive price. We can dry-clean or wash your comforter, according to the care label, and return it to you fresh and on a hanger.

The Federal Trade Commission requires manufacturers to state on clothing care labels at least one method to safely clean the garment or textile. Occasionally, these add-on trims and decorations are not able to withstand the dry-cleaning process. There is also a small chance that the adhesive or the sequins and beads themselves transfer color to the garment. This is due to the manufacturer using trims are inconsistent with the cleaning instructions on the care label.

We have cleaned thousands of garments with sequins and beads, almost all of them clean beautifully. Any garment that we are concerned will not clean well, we will call you before processing your garment.

Some everyday items that can cause discoloration to your garments or household items include: sunlight, fruit juice, toothpaste, deodorant, perspiration, hair spray, lotion, face creams, make up, hand sanitizer, perfume, cologne, salt, some medications. The heat of the processing accelerates the chemical reaction with the fabric dye. This type of reaction can leave a discoloration where the substance came into contact with your garment. Sometimes the change is not always visible until after the garment is cleaned. We do not have any product that could cause this type of a reaction in any of our dry cleaning facilities. Having your garments cleaned quickly after contact with such products is recommended. Also, if you let us know what has gotten on your garment, we can give it proper attention prior to the cleaning process.

Over time, buttons in a commercial laundry may crack as a result of repeated pressing, age of the shirt, or threads being loose. As part of our shirt laundry service, we do replace all cracked buttons at no charge. If we have missed replacing a button on your shirt, just let our staff know and we will replace generic buttons on any shirt we have laundered at no charge.

Some designer shirts with unusual buttons, shirts with pearl snap buttons, corduroy shirts, shirts with leather elbow patches, wool shirts, silk shirts, shirts that do not have a button at the neck, some small sizes of shirts, shirts with ruffles,….. are not recommended for processing in a commercial shirt laundry. They do not withstand the commercial laundry pressing process. For best results, those shirts and blouses described should be dry-cleaned.

We will gladly reuse wire hangers that are in good condition. Feel free to bring them in anytime.
While we do not recycle the plastic bags we place on your order, almost every local Target, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart Super Center, Lowe’s, and Shop N Save all have plastic/poly bag recycling. To find a location for plastic bag recycling, look up plasticfilmrecycling.org.

Sometimes things need another try! We will gladly redo any item we have cleaned at no charge. Please let us know the reason for the redo – stain removal, pressing, or anything you are not happy with. In order for us to process a redo, the item must be unworn, have the cleaning tag still attached and should be brought back to the location where you had it cleaned within 2 days of your original order pick-up.

No, dry-cleaners do not charge more for a woman’s shirt than a man’s shirt. We do charge more for a hand-pressed shirt than a machine-pressed shirt. The price is determined by the labor required – not by the gender of the customer. Most men’s shirts are basically the same design – collars, sleeves, straight cut – which can be laundered and pressed while wet on a machine. Most ladies shirts are tapered, or dry-clean only, some don’t have a collar or cuffs, some don’t have sleeves at all, necklines vary, some have belts, some have ruffles or fancy buttons. Machine pressing many ladies blouses would ruin them!