Whether you have or have not, allow us to give you the info you need to know. As a Dry Cleaners in Birmingham Alabama, Champion Cleaners knows a thing or two about washing machines and we are here to share that knowledge with you.

High efficiency machines are newer washing machines that tend to have more customized settings as a neat bonus. They work differently that traditional washers and require specialized detergents. The theory is that the machines, paired with appropriate detergents provide an equal cleaning of your laundry to that of older machines while saving water and electricity.

The Facts About High Efficiency Washers
High Efficiency (HE) use only about 20% to 66% of the water older washers use.
Energy use is generally 20% to 50% of older machines.

Less water used means less water to heat and in the long term that means saving you some green!

How High Efficiency Washers Work

Traditional “agitator” washing machines consist of a large drum and agitator. They work by completely submerging your laundry and using the actual agitator to move clothes around and scrub them clean. In high efficiency machines, namely front loaders, the drum is on its side and only needs to have a small amount of water it. You then load the clothes and the drum itself spins, causing the agitation of the garments. Top loading, HE washers use either a smaller agitator, wobbling wheels, or disks.

Use The Right Detergent with Your Washers

High efficiency washing machines use less water and therefore need a detergent specially formulated for high efficiency models. The traditional detergent causes too much sudsing for an HE machine and hinders the cleaning of your clothes. Using non HE detergent in an HE machine can cause your clothes to not be as clean, leaves lots of soap in your clothes, gunks up of the washer from accumulated deposits and require more water to properly rinse the clothes. All of this leads to less efficiency in a high efficient washer.

Some detergents label their product as “HE compatible.” This is not always the case. Be sure to buy only the detergent made specifically for high efficiency washers. Also, stick to only powder or liquid detergent. Mixing of these in the same compartment may cause caking and will result in inefficient disbursement of the detergent.

Maintenance of Your Washer

It is recommended that you run a maintenance cycle anywhere from once a week to once a month. This is a full wash cycle with no clothes designed to remove any dirt or residues from the machine. Taking the time to do this will help keep your washer in peak condition.

At Champion Cleaners in Birmingham Alabama, we know all about laundry. From fabric care to folding, we do it all. Allow us the opportunity to take laundry off your To-Do list. And check out our Maytag Equipped Laundry at Champion Cleaners in Calera.

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Sometimes we have clothes we absolutely love but are a pain in neck to care for.  White denim is a fabric that I often hear this sort of sentiment about.

While owners of white denim love the clean crispness that new white denim has, many would agree that this is one of the hardest fabrics to maintain.  It shows every stain, acts as a magnet to lint and fuzz, and yellows over time.

Champion Cleaners in Birmingham Alabama is  providing you some information to help clean and care for your white denim garments.  Following this advice will ensure you’re jackets, and pants will stay looking newer, longer.

An Ounce of Prevention

Prior to wearing any new white denim item, it’s best to protect it from the future inevitable stains.  Using a product like Scotch Guard can really help protect your white denim from any future stains. 

Washing White Denim

Always check the care label!  Before bleaching, ensure that your white denim is 100% cotton.  If it is not, do not bleach as it can actually cause your whites to yellow.  Do not use bleach if the item using stitching in any other color but white.

Wash often; a good rule of thumb is to wash your white denim twice as often as your blue denim, preferably after each wearing.  Only wash these items with true whites, never anything with the slightest bit of color.  Even “lights” will fade and the colors redistribute onto your whites, causing discoloration over time. 

Detergent is alkaline which is something that also causes yellowing in whites.  Because of this you’ll want to be sure that the detergent is completely out of your denim.  The best and easiest way to do this is to run through two complete rinse cycles after washing.  Fabric softener also causes yellowing so avoid it as well. 

Air dry your denim and be sure not to leave it out in the sun too long if you dry them outside.  Long exposure to sunlight is yet another yellowing culprit.    If you do notice your white denim is looking a little dingy, you can add a commercial laundry brightener that doesn’t contain bleach to the first rinse cycle.  You also can add a half cup of distilled white vinegar.  Running a cycle with a whole cup of vinegar before loading clothes can help clean your washing machine so nothing redistributes onto the whites from your machine.

The best way to do this is to take it to your Dry Cleaners. 

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Take a look at our Youtube video that’s only about a minute long and takes you through the entire process. 

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The Dress Shirt.

The uniform of the corporate world and countless other professions.

It’s a style choice, valued wardrobe item and personal statement all in one.

But, dress shirts aren’t perfect and how you go about caring for dress shirts in your closet will contribute greatly to the look and longevity of this most versatile of wardrobe pieces.

Dress shirts will not last a lifetime.  Don’t be surprised if after a year or so your favorite dress shirt begins to show signs of wearing our.  And please, don’t blame your dry cleaner when the seams of a shirt give way.  The Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institure estimates an average shirt shirt will withstand 50 launderings before showing signs of wear. I’ve had plenty that lasted longer…and some even less.

Dress shirts all face the same common problems: basic wear and tear, stains and spills, and your own forgetfulness. Here’s what you should know.

Basic Wear & Tear

Dress shirts, like any clothing item, experience wear and tear during their life span. You can greatly extend the life span of your shirts by doing a few simple things:

Wear a T-shirt underneath to limit the transfer of perspiration, deodorant and cologne. These elements can weaken a shirt’s fabric more quickly and can cause discoloration.

Watch the size and placement of your wrist watch to protect your cuffs. The more your watch rubs against the cuff, the more likely you’ll experience fraying.

Buying the right size of shirt particularly in the neck and torso will limit the stress on the collar and seams.

Caring for dress shirts includes having them laundering regularly.  While laundering or dry cleaning any garment causes some stress on the garment, allowing it to get soiled and not cleaning is regularly causes more stress.  Launder your dress shirts regularly to keep them looking their best.

The Stain Solution

You can’t prevent all stains and spills. It’s just not possible. But, you can limit and treat stains as soon as possible to keep them from becoming permanent. Talk with your dry cleaner about the best way to pre-treat a variety of stains and spots. Then, when spills and stains happen, treat them and get your shirt to the dry cleaner ASAP to be laundered. The longer the stain sits, the more likely it is to set.

Routine is the Spice of Life

No, actually variety is but not when caring for dress shirts. Set up a weekly routine of dropping off and picking up your shirts. The longer they sit around in a crumpled ball in the corner of your room (you know it’s over there), the more likely they are exposed to indoor pollutants and those elements like rain, perspiration and cologne that cause problems for dress shirts.

If your dry cleaner offers a once or twice-a-week dry cleaning pickup and delivery service, use the service regularly.  Don’t let your dress shirts (or any garment) sit around soiled for long.

Keep the most valued part of your wardrobe looking it’s best. Know the common problems you face in caring for dress shirts and make sure you look your best each and every day.

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