Most of us don’t think about what goes on behind the counter at the dry cleaners. We take our shirts, skirts, and formalwear in, and a few days later we come back and pick up freshly cleaned and pressed clothing, ready to wear and enjoy. You’ve probably scented the chemicals once or twice, and then readily dismissed it. Why would they use dangerous chemicals on your clothing? The problem is that a toxic chemical is currently being used in more than 85 percent of the dry cleaners in the United States, and your health may be at risk because of it.

Traditional dry cleaners use a chemical called perchloroethylene (PERC), a toxic chemical with known health risks. Even small exposures to PERC can result in skin irritation, dizziness, nausea, or headaches. When you are exposed over a long period of time, perhaps from wearing dry cleaned clothing every day, you could be at risk for liver or kidney damage. Despite these serious health risks, most dry cleaners continue to use PERC in their cleaning solutions. You don’t have to patronize those dry cleaners however, especially because there is a better way to have your clothes looking clean, fresh, and smelling great without the chemicals and health risks.

Speak to your dry cleaner about the chemicals that they use in their process. You should avoid any cleaning solutions which use hydrocarbons, because they are derived from petroleum and therefore contribute to the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Two excellent alternatives to traditional dry cleaning are professional wet cleaning and liquid carbon dioxide cleaning. Make sure that you ask your dry cleaner questions about the specific process they use, because there is no governmental regulation in place for what qualifies as “green” or “environmentally friendly” in the dry cleaning business. Make your health and the planet’s health a priority, and switch to eco-friendly dry cleaning today.

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If you have a high volume of professional clothing or formal wear in your closet, you may frequently be in need of a good dry cleaner. At the end of the day, you need to know what whenever you send your clothes out to be dry cleaned, they will come back to you clean, pressed, and stain-free, ready to wear whenever you need.
Dry cleaning is a deceptive name. The process referred to as “dry” because there is no water in the cleaning solution, which means that stains can be removed without risk of shrinkage or other possible damage that can be done in the rinse cycle. Chemicals work through your fabric to remove oil based stains and other imperfections, but sometimes a water soluable stain, like coffee, tea, blood, or some food stains, can be tricky.

You know you’ve found a quality dry cleaner when they take their time with difficult stains, instead of trying to rush through your order. While timeliness is very important, it is just as important that when a stain needs special attention, your dry cleaner tells you that they need more time to do the best job for you and your clothing. A simple phone call to let you know they are giving your clothing special attention is the sign of an accomplished cleaner.

Stain removal is a science, and requires knowledge of chemistry and the dry cleaning process to be done correctly. When treated correctly, even the most difficult stains can be massaged out of your fabrics, meaning you won’t have to sacrifice your favorite shirt or suit. Of course, not all Winnipeg dry cleaners can manage such stains properly, which makes your search for the right one that much more important.

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If you frequently get your clothes dry cleaned, you may be at risk for serious health problems because of exposure to a harmful, toxic chemical often found in dry cleaning solutions. The risks of this chemical have only recently been explored, and the green movement is constantly looking for new solutions to this growing concern.

A recent study found that more than 85 percent of the 35,000 dry cleaners surveyed in the United States use a harmful chemical called percholoethylene in their cleaning solutions, also referred to as PERC. This chemical is used as part of the cocktail of other cleaning solutions which help lift the stains from your garments and leave the colors bright and untouched. The downside, of course, is that the health risks far outweigh the benefits. It has been shown that even minimal contact with PERC causes headaches, drowsiness, nausea, and skin irritation. If you have constant or prolonged contact with the chemical, you may suffer kidney or liver damage. PERC is ingested through water contamination, skin contact, and inhalation. It can accumulate in places where you store your clothing, making it harder for you to avoid inhaling the toxic chemical at some point, and exposing pets and children to it as well.

If you are ready to throw away all your dry clean only clothing, stop for a moment. There is a solution, and it doesn’t involve a whole new wardrobe. You can avoid contact with PERC by employing a dry cleaner who uses environmentally friendly methods and solutions in their cleaning process. Ask about the chemicals in use at your dry cleaners. If they use hydrocarbons in their solution, you may still be at risk for some harmful effects. Avoid PERC at all costs. Have a long chat with your dry cleaner to make sure that you are doing your part for the environment and protecting your family’s health.

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If your dry cleaner doesn’t have a quality policy, perhaps you should reconsider whom you trust your clothes with. At Dollar Wise Quality Cleaners, you know that not only will every garment be cleaned using environmentally safe products, energy saving processes, and quality cleaning and service.

You should always be sure of the level of service you will get from your dry cleaners. This is why it is such a good idea to ask if a potential dry cleaner has a quality assurance policy. Dollar Wise Quality Cleaners, for example, vows to meet and exceed your expectations for cleaning and service. They hire trained experts in dry cleaning and customer service representatives who cannot be beaten. There is no better way to make sure that customers are satisfied than by making quality assurance and quality control a priority, and Dollar Wise Quality Cleaners will always make quality their highest priority.

Another reason you can rely on the quality policy at Dollar Wise Quality Cleaners is their commitment to the environment. Most dry cleaners use a harmful, toxic chemical called Percloroethylene. This chemical, known in the dry cleaning industry as PERC, is harmful to human beings and the environment, but most dry cleaners continue to use it on your clothing! PERC does all sorts of harmful things to our planet, and it is not even as effective as the environmentally friendly options available today!

When you choose your dry cleaners, choose the dry cleaners with the quality policy that you can trust. Not only will you be sure that your clothing will come back to you clean, neat, and pressed, but you will know that your health and the planet’s health will remain unaffected by the process. Don’t be afraid to ask your dry cleaners what their quality assurance policy is; after all, you shouldn’t ever settle for less than you deserve.

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Whether you are simply concerned with doing your part for the environment, or you have heard about the harmful effects that traditional dry cleaning has on your health and the earth, you should consider switching to a dry cleaning service that uses environmentally friendly methods.

The traditional method of dry cleaning involves heavy use of a chemical called percloroethylene (PERC). Exposure to PERC can cause dizziness, nausea, headaches, and skin irritation. Long or prolonged exposure to this chemical can cause serious health problems like liver and kidney damage. This chemical enters your system through contaminated water, skin contact, or most commonly, inhalation. When you walk around wearing PERC on your clothes all day, you are more likely to start breathing it in. This toxic chemical has even been identified as a possible human carcinogen. PERC has been proven to be an effective cleaner, and good for your clothing in the conventional sense, but why would you take the risk with your health and the environment?

There are alternatives to traditional dry cleaning, and you should speak to your dry cleaner about the chemicals they use in their solutions. For example, you should avoid any chemicals that are hydrocarbons, because that means they are petroleum based and adding to greenhouse gases. You may choose to have your clothes professionally wet cleaned, or cleaned with liquid carbon dioxide. All of these methods are safe for the environment, and best of all, safe for you.

Don’t risk your health and the health of your family. When you use PERC dry cleaning for extended periods of time, the chemical accumulated in your home and closet. You may expose your children or pets to the chemical, and in the end, the risks far outweigh the benefits. Don’t wait. Start looking for an environmentally friendly dry cleaner today.

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Everyone has a horror story or two about a dry cleaning experience gone horribly wrong. Maybe they lost your tablecloths, or ruined your favorite suit coat. How do you avoid having another bad run in with a dry cleaner? There’s no doubt that some items just have to be dry cleaned, and unfortunately, the process can’t be effectively replicated at home, no matter what some laundry soap companies will tell you.

The best way to find a good Winnipeg dry cleaner is to simply ask your friends and family. No one is going to recommend a bad dry cleaner to a friend or family member, and you may also get a few cautionary tales of places to avoid when you’re asking around. Personal experience is hands down the best way to know if a dry cleaner does good work, so asking friends and neighbors will assist you in your selection.

Most neighborhoods in Winnipeg have a few dry cleaners that service the area, so why not try a couple? Select a few shirts and drop them off at various dry cleaners in your neighborhood. It will give you a good idea of what the prices and customer service levels are like at each place, and you will also get to inspect the finished product. Keep an eye out for dry cleaners who offer extra services, like mending, button replacement, alterations, and the like. These extra services will separate the discount dry cleaner from one who can be trusted with your favorite shirt, worry free.

The last place you can look for customer feedback and reviews is the Internet. There are many customer satisfaction pages you can find on various Winnipeg dry cleaners. If you find negative reviews consistently, that will tell you not to visit a particular dry cleaner. Take your time and choose wisely so you can put your dry cleaning troubles behind you.

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The green movement has picked up speed in recent years, so you’ve probably heard all kinds of ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, reduce waste, and help save the planet. But did you know you could be contributing to global warming and harming your health just by dropping your clothes off at the dry cleaners? It’s true – many dry cleaners use harmful chemicals that may be doing real harm to your health, and are definitely harming the environment.

According to a recent study, over 85 percent of the dry cleaners in the United States use percholoroethylene (PERC) as a solvent in their cleaning process. This toxic chemical, which cleaners use to help loosen oil based stains and make your dry clean only clothing come out spot free, can actually harm your health. Even minimal contact with PERC can cause dizziness, nausea, skin irritation, and respiratory problems. If you are regularly exposed to PERC, you may find yourself at risk for liver and kidney damage. PERC has even been found to be a probable human carcinogen. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that when you bring PERC-cleaned clothes into your home, you are elevating levels of the toxin throughout the home, particularly in places where clothing is stored. This means that over time, your closet could turn into a toxic waste zone!
So what can you do when you need to clean those pesky “dry clean only” shirts and suits in your closet? You definitely don’t want to destroy them by sticking them in your washing machine, but the alternative will damage your health and hurt the environment. The best solution to this problem is to select a dry cleaner who uses environmentally friendly dry cleaning solutions. There are earth friendly solvents that can be used to cut down on the kind of harm you want to avoid. Always check with your dry cleaner to make sure they are using environmentally safe solutions in your clothing.

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Last Thursday night, Shane slept outside for the CEO Sleepout in partnership with Change for the Better.

Watch Shane on CityTV here.

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There are a few things you should consider when you decide on a Winnipeg dry cleaner, and you may not be aware of some of them. Don’t be fooled; when you choose your dry cleaner you are selecting someone who will be pivotal in the health and the lifespan of your clothes. Take your time and ask some key questions before you commit to a regular dry cleaner.

The first thing you should be aware of when finding a Winnipeg dry cleaner is the inspection process. Of course, when you drop your clothing off at the dry cleaner, you should make sure that you have voiced all your concerns about stains or special care for your clothing items. A dry cleaner should always take note of special instructions you give to them.

The real question is, does your dry cleaner inspect your clothing once you’ve left the store? This may seem like a trivial question, but it will tell you a lot about whether your Winnipeg dry cleaner really cares about their craft. Dry cleaners cannot simply rely on their customers to know exactly what needs to be done. The reason for this is simple – your dry cleaner is a professional. Clothes should be sorted as they come in for cleaning, tagged with special instructions, and any other notes that the staff comes up with. Good things to look for include stains, alterations, small tears, broken zippers, and pocket issues.
You should never take your clothes to a dry cleaner that doesn’t do a thorough job. One of the best indicators of whether your dry cleaner is going to do a good job for you and your clothing is if their employees are attentive, questioning, and knowledgeable. Once you’ve found out the answer to those questions, your decision will be clear. Don’t take your clothes to anyone who can’t meet these qualifications.

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