Reader report: Last day for Lucky's Dry Cleaner and Laundry

Reader report: Last day for Lucky's Dry Cleaner and Laundry

You Asked For The Best

You Asked For The Best

Highlights from the 2013 NY Open Taekwondo Championships & Korean Cultur...

http://www.youtube.com/v/5zss-ptSTFM?version=3&autohide=1&autohide=1&showinfo=1&feature=share&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=ru7pYs7xY4G1xr7Rln6uIQ

2013 NY Open Championships Celebration

2013 NY Open Championships Celebration

Demetri's Valet Cleaners Nominated Best of LI 2014!

October 1, 2013- The Demetri's Valet has been nominated as the "Best Dry Cleaners on Long Island" once again this year.  This annual contest, hosted by The Bethpage Federal Credit Union and The Long Island Press has become a trusted part of living and doing business on Long Island.

To vote for Demetri's Valet  as "Best Of Long Island Dry Cleaners" please follow the simple instructions below:

Vote DAILY and Vote often between now and 11:59pm on December 15

Welcome to BOLI - 2014 Ballot - Services; Activity!

 

http://vote.longislandpress.com/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=105204

1.       Click on “Vote”

2.       Scroll down to “Dry Cleaner”

3.       Click next to "Demetri's Valet – Levittown”

4.       Scroll down to the bottom of the page

5.       CHECK the box accepting the “Terms of Service”

6.       CLICK the “ENTER NOW” button

7.       Return every day and repeat!

Alteration Alert: Labor Day Is Around The Corner!

Alteration Alert:  Labor Day Is Around The Corner!

August 5, 2013- Labor Day is around the corner.  While no one wants Summer vacation to end, it is important to leave your Dry Cleaner enough time to alter any school clothes or uniforms before it is too late.  Adequate planning will insure any last minute "touch ups" can be done prior to the opening of the new school year.

For more information on where to locate your local, neighborhood Dry Cleaner email us at valetdryclean@aol.com.

Reader Poll: Why Did You Choose Your Dry Cleaner?

Reader Poll:  Why Did You Choose Your Dry Cleaner?

July 28, 2013-  There are numbers of factors that go into deciding what neighborhood Dry Cleaner to use.  Tell us which factor is most important to you.  We will reveal the results in our August 12, 2013 article.

Why Was The #1 Factor In Selecting Your Dry Cleaner?
	Location
	Quality
	Reputation
	Price
	One Stop Shopping
pollcode.com free polls

Coming Soon: Is Your Dry Cleaner A One Stop Shop?

Coming Soon:  Is Your Dry Cleaner A One Stop Shop?

Is there value to identifying a Dry Cleaner that provides additional services under one roof, such as alterations, laundry, show repair and more.   Find out next time.

YH Park Taekwondo Academy News: The Y.H. Park Taekwondo Academy Demo Team Warms Up...

YH Park Taekwondo Academy News: The Y.H. Park Taekwondo Academy Demo Team Warms Up...: The Y.H. Park Demo Team Warms Up The K-Tigers Crowd In Style July 29th, 3:15pm -  The curtain was ready to rise and the final spectator...

Common Fabric Care Symbols Explained

Common Fabric Care Symbols Explained

The clothing industry has attempted to create and implement a set of uniform care symbols designed to transcend language restrictions in garment cleaning.  Unfortunately for consumers and Dry Cleaning customers these pictorial symbols have actually exacerbated the confusion in many situations because consumers are uneducated as to what these symbols represent, and manufacturers do not provide a written guide to the symbols.

Here are some of the most common care symbols and what they represent for the care of your fine clothing:

Herein lies the universal symbol representing DRY CLEAN only for a garment in which the symbol appears on the label.   This symbol indicates that any type of Dry Cleaning solvent may be used on any cycle of moisture and that there are no particular heat restrictions associated with this garment's care.  For consumers and Dry Cleaners this is the most favorable symbol a garment can contain.

The universal Dry Cleaning symbol circling a capital letter A represents that although this garment may be Dry Cleaned using any type of Dry Cleaning solvent that there are other limitations to the cleaning process which must be adhered to.  These limitations are found elsewhere on the care label, hopefully.  The issue that is confusing here is that consumers, and even some Dry Cleaners, do not always understand the interplay of these instructions, which can lead to damaging results.

The universal Dry Cleaning Symbol circling a capital letter F represents that although this garment may be Dry Cleaned, the Dry Cleaner may only use Petroleum based solvents in the process.  This label is highly confusing to consumers, as they may be unaware as to whether or not their Dry Cleaner uses Petroleum based solvents in the process.  Petroleum was the industry standard for many years, until the 1930's.  In the United States less than 10% of all Dry Cleaners actually still use Petroleum based solvents in the process.  If a consumer has an article of clothing with this care symbol they must bring it to the attention of their Dry Cleaner.

This symbol denotes that the garment should be Dry Cleaned at a Dry Cleaning establishment using the  most common United States standard in the industry, perchloroethylene, also known as "Perc".   This is the solvent used in over 90% of the Dry Cleaning plants in the United States as of 2013.   While there is a trend towards newer, more environmentally friendly alternatives to Perc, it is still the industry standard and is likely to remain so for years to come.  These garments are considered the norm in the vast majority of stores and Dry Cleaning establishments throughout the United States.  These garments require little additional attention.

This is the universal symbol for Do Not Dry Clean.  Dry Cleaning any type of fabrics that contain this symbol is at the risk of the consumer.  Even fabrics that are otherwise normally Dry Cleaned can not be Dry Cleaned if the care label contains this symbol.  Sometimes issues such as finishing with certain beading or dyes may make, otherwise, standard Dry Cleanable fabrics impossible to manage in normal Dry Cleaning process.

These supplemental cautionary symbols must be read together with the standard Dry Clean Care Symbols.   Garments that are able to be Dry Cleaned but have these symbols appearing on the care label indicate that the garments may not be ironed or steamed, respectively.  This is an important caution for Dry Cleaners in the finishing of the garments, as most Dry Cleaned garments are finished by steaming or ironing.  While garments may survive the Dry Cleaning process, a failure to observe these cautions may destroy the garments in the finishing.

Most consumers do not always consider the care, or Dry Cleaning, of garments when purchasing them. Similarly, they do not always recognize the importance of only using a professional Dry Cleaner that understands the importance of reading care labels and proceeding in accordance with each garment's specific care instructions.  According to Jimmy, the owner of Demetri's Valet Cleaners, in Levittown, NY "Reviewing care labels on garments is a time consuming task, but it is so important to the process.  We have many new customers who arrive, teary eyed with garments that were not properly cared for at other facilities.  Sadly, it is usually too late at that point".   

The cautionary message:  READ THE LABEL!

Keep Your Wedding Gown Safe For The Next Generation

Keep Your Wedding Gown Safe For The Next Generation

The spring and summer mark the height of the wedding season all over the United States.  Blushing Brides all over the country have the opportunity to present themselves to their loved ones, new and old, in the Wedding Gown they always dreamt of wearing.  This dress is not only a personal statement of a Bride's individuality, romanticism, and style, it is a major financial commitment.   Of all of the financial commitments associated with that special day, the Wedding Gown is, often, proportionately, the most expensive, single undertaking of the event.

Wedding Gowns may vary in style and complexity.   Some are plain, others beaded, some sensual, some traditional, some with long trains and some with no trains at all.   However, what they all have in common is that none are inexpensive and none are without special value to the Bride.  Therefore, after the big day comes and goes, the Bride is left with a valuable garment and a priceless, personal heirloom that can quickly become damaged, oxidized and ruined if left unattended.  Professional Wedding Gown Preservation is the solution to cleaning, protecting, and preserving this part of your family's history for the next generation and longer.

Professional Wedding Gown preservation can be done by your neighborhood NCA approved Dry Cleaning establishment.  According to Jimmy, the owner of Demetri's Valet, in Levittown, NY, it is important to get that dress to the Cleaner's as soon as possible after the Wedding Day.  "People don't realize how damaging food stains and body oils can be to fine fabrics if not treated within a reasonable time."  He went on to say that some people hesitate to bring the Wedding Gowns in right away because they are reluctant to spend the money needed to properly clean and preserve the garments.  "If you think about the amount of money spent on the dress itself, the cost of cleaning and preserving it for a lifetime is really worth the price-there is real value in the process."

A Wedding preservation specialist will hand spot the garment.  They will then check all the beading, zippers and accessories to insure they are secure and in good condition.  The gown will then be Dry Cleaned and placed in a Preservation Chest.  These Preservation Chests are moisture resistance, oxidation proof, archival storage boxes designed especially for fine garments such as Wedding Gowns. The newly cleaned and treated Wedding Gown is delicately placed in the Preservation Chest and sealed.  These attractive Chests are where the Wedding Gowns will remain, safe and preserved.  If the day comes that the Bride chooses to break open the Chest, perhaps for a child to wear on her wedding day, the Wedding Gown will be beautifully preserved, clean, and unoxidized-ready to wear.

Jimmy gave one other helpful piece of advice.  "I always seal the Preservation Chest in the presence of the Bride.  This insures the integrity of the process.  This way the Bride never has to wonder whether her dress is, in fact, inside the Chest and then feels compelled to break the seal, risking the garment. The process is so important and emotional because the Wedding Gown represents so much to this young, promising Bride."  Well said.

For more information on this process contact your local, NCA approved Dry Cleaner.

No More Moth Balls. No More Cedar Closets!

No More Moth Balls.  No More Cedar Closets!

Few things are more unsettling to consumers than discovering that their fines garments are damaged with moth holes.  Every year people spend hundred's of dollars "moth proofing" their garments with a variety of methods that cost a lot of money and do very little to remediate the problem.

Here are few facts about moth holes that will ensure your garments will survive year after year without being damaged:

1.   Cedar is a safe way to protect against moths; however, what most people don't understand is that the amount of cedar necessary to be toxic to moths is higher than most consumers undertake to protect their clothes in.  While cedar balls and cedar closets are good deterrents they do not offer enough cedar to be toxic to moths.

2.  While Moth balls are quite effective, the reason is that they release toxic chemicals that are not only harmful to moths but are carcinogenic to humans.  Aside from that concern, the smell of Moth balls leaves a lingering, repugnant odor that outweighs the benefit of any moth remediation.  

So what is the proper manner to protect expensive garments against moth holes?  In order to answer that question it is necessary to understand the facts about moth holes.  Most people are under significant misconceptions about moths and moth holes in clothing.  Here is what you need to know:

1.    Moths do not create holes in clothing.  That's right, I'll repeat that-your clothes can me subjected to all the Moths in the world and they will not create one hole in your garments.  

2.    It is the moth's larvae that creates "moth holes" in clothing.  In other words, moths lay their eggs in your clothing and the eggs hatch and the larvae eat away at your clothes until they are ready to hatch into moths.  Once they are moths the damage is already done.

3.    Moths only lay their eggs, that become larvae that cause holes, in dirty clothes.  The clothes do not have to be filthy, they can be clean but for one small food stain, and the moths will identify that stain and lay their eggs in the stain causing the hole to result.

Therefore, the solution is simple.   Dry Cleaning of garments before your store them at the end of a season will insure that they do not develop moth Holes during the change of seasons.   While it may seem expensive to Dry Clean all of your garments before the change of seasons, consider the cost of replacing ones with holes.   The simple act of Dry Cleaning Clothes before storing them will insure they are protected during the change of seasons.

According to Jimmy from Demetri's Valet in Levittown, NY, "People go through elaborate means of preventing their garments against Moths when the solution is a simple as seeing your neighborhood Dry Cleaner."  "I recommend Dry Cleaning garments before storage and then placing them in Sweater bags or storage boxes in order to keep them clean and ready for use when the season is over."  

Moth holes are a major problem for consumers; however, there is a simple, straightforward solution to remediating this problem-Dry Clean before storage.  

  

Dry Cleaning As A Form Of Bed Bug Remediation

Dry Cleaning As A Form Of Bed Bug Remediation

As the Summer season approaches people are out doing their summer vacation clothes shopping and packing away their winter wears in storage.  While people read every day about bed bug infestation, they assume this problem is relegated to people with poor hygiene or that are unclean.  This is far from the truth.  Consumers need to understand that they are susceptible to a bed bug infestation merely by bringing home newly purchased clothes.  Most stores, even the cleanest and the most expensive, have experienced bed bug incidents.  The problem with bed bugs is that they are a "lying in wait" nightmare.  Consumers bring home clothes with no visible sign of infestation; however, bed bugs have laid thousands of eggs in their new garments.  Once you bring the clothes home and place them in the closet or dresser the eggs start to hatch and your entire house becomes infested.  There is a simple solution to this problem-Dry Clean new clothes professionally BEFORE bringing them home.  Your neighborhood Dry Cleaner is well equipped to deal with the issue.  Dry Cleaning will kill any live bugs as well as eggs, eliminating the possibility of a sudden invasion.  Don't end up like the woman who called Demetri's Valet Cleaner's in Levittown, NY.  She was crying because she was confused as to why she didn't notice the spotted pattern on her new dress when she looked at in the store only to discover those weren't spots at all but BED BUGS!