Tips

Dry Cleaning

At Chilworths we know time is precious and very valuable, but please try and make a few minutes to discuss your needs when dropping off clothes. We know often the phone rings just as you get to the shop! But it is very important communication, in our endeavour to give you best results.

A note of advice, when a garment is brought in with a stain, and a request that we endeavour to remove this stain, it is valuable information if you are able to give us the age of the stain and the nature of the stain, which will in turn enable us to treat that stain, taking into consideration the nature of the fabric it is on. Depending on the fabric, sometimes in an endeavour to remove the stain, the dye from the garment may also be removed or faded.

Since all stains have to be treated by hand before the garment is dry cleaned, it is important that the stains and nature are brought to our attention on drop-offs. By keeping quiet, or not pointing out the stain, you will be guilty of setting the stain permanently on your garment, since any form of heat sets the stain. Please note that unless an “Owners Risk” form has been completed, Chilworths will not treat a stain and the garment will be returned merely dry cleaned. Depending on the nature and age of the stain it may just come off during a normal cleaning process, otherwise the garment will be returned with the stain still on the garment. The “Owners Risk” form when signed gives Chilworths permission to deal with and treat the stain with the knowledge of its age and cause, within of course the usual safety lines.

Stains arising from spillages of most drinks not containing strong colours can be blotted out from the garments….., but don’t be surprised if you have just merely placed the garment away in your wardrobes, that when you next want to wear it, it will probably have a yellowy/brown stain. This has come about as a result of the sugar from the drink reacting with your garment!

So once you have had an accidental spillage, even though it may be invisible to the eye, please don’t ignore it, bring the garment for dry cleaning but don’t forget to make us aware of this spillage/nature so that we may treat it before dry cleaning and your garment will be saved! Important note, any form of heat helps set the stain permanently!

Shirt Laundering

You will be surprised how white the shirts are returned to you. However, we recommend that designer shirts or shirts with designer buttons should be drycleaned to preserve the long life of the shirt. On the other hand business shirts are best treated then washed and pressed for best results.

Laundry

At Chilworths, to keep white clothes looking white, we advise that your laundry be divided into white/light coloured clothes in one machine and dark coloured clothes in another machine, to prevent colour run between the white and dark clothes. Also it is useful if one invests in a net bag (sold at Chilworths) for small items such as socks!

Once the clothes have been washed and neatly folded, it seems a shame to put them in black refuse bags! So at Chilworths we sell laundry bags, which seem to last for ever! So the clothes can be arranged neatly in the bag and zipped, to prevent small items of clothing from falling out, and for easy carriage home.

Importance Of Fabric Conditioner

No matter how thoroughly fabrics are rinsed, after repeated washing and rinsing they inevitably loose their softness. This is because fibres become knotted and tangled.

The rate of deterioration can be considerably slowed by use of a good fabric conditioner. Attention to this detail can result in clothes looking better and lasting longer!

Using good quality condition in the final rinse will help untangle matted fibres, eliminate static cling, help reduce cleaning and even make ironing easier!

Repair & Alterations

In the comfort of your home it is much easier to indicate areas of repair, by use of a sticky tape, especially in sweaters that may have had a moth attack! If trousers need to be shortened, make sure they are pinned up before bringing them in. If you are unable to have them pinned, then bring a sample trouser for guidance. If you have several small repairs, a note pinned to the bag containing the repairs does help to reduce the drop off time!