dev, Author at St Croix Cleaners Dry Cleaning

August 7, 2015 In Uncategorized

Stain Tips to AVOID

While the internet has useful tips on just about everything, some of their stain removal tactics are a recipe
for disaster. In many cases, using home remedies can cause a stain to become worse and tougher to
remove. So we’re here to share what stain removing methods you should avoid when treating stains from home:

Stain removing sticks: The reason we advise against these is because they often contain either bleach
or some kind of alcohol that can pull the color from the fabric. Instructions on these sticks usually suggest
rubbing the stain. Doing so can cause more problems for your stain. It can result in the stain just
spreading and becoming harder to remove.

Hairspray, Nail Polish Remover, Toothpaste: These are all household products that have one
thing in common—Alcohol. Again, alcohol isn’t great for your clothes. It often results in color loss or
staining your garment. As a general rule if you are going to try to get the stain our at home, check the
ingredients listing. If you’re not sure, bring the garment to us and our team of experts will take a look!

June 2, 2015 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Fashion, Press, Uncategorized

Fashion Trends Summer 2015

Summer 2015 trends approach with a little bit of the old and lots of the new. Your dry
cleaning team at St Croix Cleaners keeps up on the latest cleaning trends and care for specialty designs and fabrics.
We stay prepared to clean just about anything! Fashion can be hard to keep up with!
Below are a few of the top 5 trends we’re seeing lately:

1. Kimono
From loose fitting festival styled to a delicate, sheer Kimono jacket, this movie inspired look has
hit the runways in a number of variations.

2. Bold Reds
Stand out of the crowd with a bold red. It looks incredible on all skin tones and
buying a red dress will never go out of style.

3. Polka Dots
Polka dots are definitely one of the 2015 trends and this year they’ve come back bigger and better.
Polka dots can also be tricky when it comes to cleaning –due to the multi-patterned colors.
Be sure to read care labels and follow cleaning instructions carefully.
When in doubt, bring the garment to your local trusted dry cleaner

4. White Lace
Another elegant trend coming down the catwalk is delicate white lace.
Lace is breathable and great to wear on hot summer days.
This one we recommend dry cleaning no matter what the care label states.
If not cleaned properly the lace can become distorted, torn, discolored and look worn fast.

5. Gingham
This pattern can be worn in a variety of ways and is very chic this season!

May 13, 2015 In Uncategorized

Laundry Detergent 101

So what’s exactly in the laundry detergent you use at home?
Do you know that producers of detergents aren’t required to list exact ingredients?!
Clothes were not designed to be washed in perfumes or colored detergents.
We’ve had customers bring in garments that have literally been dyed from the coloring
some laundry detergent products use.

We like to play it safe here at St Croix Cleaners and only use eco–friendly cleaning solvents
and soaps.When you receive your garments back you won’t smell any fruity fragrance
or nasty chemical smell. There should only be a fresh clean scent.

All of our soaps used in our laundry and wet-cleaning processes are scent
and color free, leaving your clothes softer to the touch. For at home use
we suggest using non-fragrance, color free detergents too!
Most of your favorite brands will carry some version of this.

April 14, 2015 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Dry Cleaning Tips, Green Cleaning, Press, Specialty Cleaning, Uncategorized

Storing Winter Garments

Spring is here! The snow is finally melting and it’s time to swap out the winter gear for those fresh spring looks.
Before we get too eager, it’s important to prep your garments for storage.

The first step is cleaning. The reason we clean items before storage is because any dirt or stains have the potential to become
bigger problems when left untreated for an extended period of time.
We often see garments come in that have stains that sat untreated all year, which makes them difficult to remove.
Some stains are easily forgotten about and can cause major problems on your garments. For instance, say you spilled some clear soda on your sweater and when it dried you couldn’t see it anymore.
Even though the stain has “disappeared”, you still have sugar and other chemicals that hide. Once they oxidize, it’s common for them to turn a yellowish/brown color. As mentioned above, the longer a stain goes untreated, the harder it is to remove. So even if it comes to our attention during the dry cleaning process, we still can have our experts
work on it rather than having it sit all year and turn into a much worse stain.

A huge mistake many of our customers make is storing items in the plastic you receive your garments back in. Storing your garments in plastic can cause discoloration if left for too long!
We suggest promptly removing the plastic bag when you get home.

Our favorite tip when tucking your clothes away is instead of using moth balls, try the skin of your favorite citrus.
They need to be changed periodically but you completely avoid the moth ball smell and instead are greeted by a citrus scent.

February 2, 2015 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Fashion, Green Cleaning, Uncategorized

Valentine's Stains

Every holiday comes with its own assembly of tough stains. Valentine’s Day is no exception to that rule.
With the celebration of friendship and love comes the chocolate, strawberry, lipstick, candle, and pollen stains.
But if you’re in a pinch and don’t have time to get your garment to the cleaners,
we’re here to help with some methods that can come in handy.
Keep in mind all these suggestions do depend on the type of fabric the garment is made of.
These methods are safe on cotton, however may not be successful on fibers like silk or rayon.
So proceed with caution. If you’re ever unsure, bring it to us and we can get our experts working on it.

1. Chocolate

Whether it’s truffles, fudge, or cake, chocolate always seems to find its way on to your whitest top. The best way to approach this stain is to immediately flush it out with warm water. Then, create a solution of water with a small amount of dish soap and blot (dont rub) the stain. The dish soap breaks down the oils in the chocolate and prevents the stain from setting.

2. Strawberry or Red Wine

Both strawberries and grapes contain plastic elements in them. So when you get a stain, you want to prevent it from setting. We suggest flushing this with COLD water first. Using an ice cube, go over the stain in a circular motion. Then continue by blotting the stain and again, repeat using the ice cube. Continue this process and slowly the stain should pull out. Sometimes a solution of dish soap and warm water may help; however, these stains are very tough to get out. If you can’t seem to get it, bring it in to us while the stain is still saturated. Once the stain dries, its harder for us to get it out.

3. Candle Wax

Place a thin terry cloth towel on top of a wax stain. Then gently iron over the top of the towel – this will pull the stain right out. The terry cloth acts like a sponge and absorbs the wax as you iron it.

4. Flower Pollen

This is the trickiest of them all. Pollen is literally a dye that is used to color treat fibers. So when you get some on your clothes, it’s hard to get out. We suggest bringing this one straight to our team. Whatever you do, do not attempt to rub this one. By rubbing or trying to brush the pollen off your’re simply deepening the stain. Rubbing can also damage the fabric itself.

January 13, 2015 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Press, Specialty Cleaning, Workplace

Diamond Awards 2014

Congratulations to our Treasured Garment Restoration team for winning the
Mpls St Paul Magazines Diamond Award for Outstanding Bridal Preservation
This is a huge honor for us and we would like to thank everyone that voted for us!

“The expertise with which this eco-friendly company cleans your gown was not lost on our panel of judges. Their museum-quality preservation process and impressive customer services were an added bonus. Said one judge: “Brides can rest easy knowing that their precious gown is in good hands.”

See other winners of the Diamond Awards here and visit our Treasured Garment Restoration
page to click through a gallery of other preservations we’ve done in the past.

January 8, 2015 In Green Cleaning, Press, Specialty Cleaning, Uncategorized, Workplace

120 Years of Cleaning Service

This year celebrates our 120th year in business. As one of the oldest cleaners in the Midwest, help us celebrate!
We have a rich history of serving customers using top of the line methods to ensure a great product.

Pictured above is out ELK location in St. Paul. Which was once owned by
White Way Cleaners until St Croix Cleaners acquired them in 2010.

Though we don’t deliver garments by horse and buggy anymore, we do pride ourselves
on the 120 years of experience we have gained.

Until the 1930s the dry cleaning process was limited to large central plants with delivery routes into all parts of the city. In 1935 the grandson of the original founder of Despatch developed the concept of the “package plant” or neighborhood dry cleaning store. He is credited nationally as the originator of the dry cleaning store concept. The first one in the country was a White Way, which he opened in south Minneapolis.

December 23, 2014 In Fashion, Press, Uncategorized, Workplace

Ugly Sweater Contest

This year at St Croix Cleaners we had an Ugly Sweater Contest with our team.

Check out some of our winners!

Happy Holidays from everyone at St Croix Cleaners!

December 16, 2014 In Dry Cleaning Tips, Fashion, Green Cleaning, Press, Specialty Cleaning, Uncategorized

Holiday Countdown

10 days to go and counting until Christmas! It’s not to late to get last minute cleaning in.

We clean all of your unique holiday items from Tree Skirts, Stockings, to even Santa Suits!
Pictured below is a recent Holiday item we’ve cleaned.

Feel free to speak with your local Customer Service Representative
about any of your cleaning needs regarding holiday apparel.
We want you and your home to look your very best this year and to start the New Year off right.

Here is a picture of Santa visiting our production facility last year.

November 11, 2014 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Dry Cleaning Tips, Press

Stubborn Stain Tips!

WATCH: Kare11 – Stubborn Stain Tips

Kelley Nemec from St. Croix Cleaners joined us with the dirt on stains and how to get rid of them. Here are some of her top tips.

Nylon sock: Deodorant’s worst nightmare

Rub the nylon sock lightly over the deodorant marks or foundation to remove the top layer of the stain before it blends into the fabric.

You can still wear the garment for the day, but make sure to clean it soon after, as remnants of the stain may still remain.

Dish soap: Grease’s toughest competitor

Create a solution with the following: 1 pinky’s dip worth of dish soap (the original Dawn works the best!) + 1 to 2 cups water

Flush the stain with this solution (do not just use straight dish soap). Then dab, do not rub, the stain.

Flush with water once more.

If the garment will still not come clean, bring it to the professionals!

Ice cubes: Red wine remover

Treat a red wine stain immediately by placing a paper towel under the garment’s stain Gently dab an ice cube on the top After a few minutes, place a paper towel on top of the stain and pull the stain away!

Vacuum brush: Increases longevity of your garments

Next time you’re vacuuming, take an extra few minutes and vacuum your clothes with a vacuum brush.

Dust finds its way into your closet and settles on your clothes, causing fume fading (color loss) of colored garments and browning of white garments.

By removing this dust, your garments will store and keep their color much longer.

AVOID using stain sticks or DIY stain removing tips found on the Internet. Every stain and fabric is different and some of these “fixes” can actually damage your clothing!