Dry Cleaning or Washing? The Answer: It Depends

There are arguments to be made for both dry cleaning and washing a clothing item. Which process is best depends on the item and how you use it.

Dry cleaning and washing are different and yet similar. Dry cleaning uses solvents (and sometimes detergents) removed during the drying phase. Washing uses a combination of water and detergents. Aside from that, the process is similar since both dry cleaning and washing are done in a tumbling drum of some sort.

When is dry cleaning the best choice?
For absolute cleanliness and minimal (to no) damage to the fabric or clothing item, dry cleaning is tops.

Dry cleaning (as its name indicates) doesn’t use water. Water can be harmful, as it alters certain fabrics. For instance, it shrinks wool fibers and fades wool colors. Water is also rough on silk, bleeding silk colors and shrinking and wrinkling silk fibers that often are coated with an anti-wrinkle treatment that water removes.

What’s more, dry cleaning uses less agitation than washing. During the wash cycle, sloshing and spinning twists and tears at fabric, wearing it out. In addition, washing doesn’t always remove all the detergent. When detergent remains in clothes, it attracts rather than repels stains and odors. It’s ironic, but true.

On the other hand, the dry cleaning process removes the solvent as well as the dirt.

When is washing the best choice?
It sometimes makes sense to wash items instead of dry cleaning them. Some everyday clothes and certain fabrics that aren’t harmed by washing can be cleaned at home or at Oceanside by our “wash and fold” service. Fabrics most appropriate for washing are some every-day cotton, cotton-blend and polyester clothes where longevity of the fabric, fading and the “look” of the item are not as important.

In fact, certain fabrics cannot be dry cleaned. These include fabrics containing or made up of plastic, PVC, or polyurethane. Fabrics composed of these materials deteriorate during the dry-cleaning process.

Always check the care label on your clothes. That label will give an accurate description of the type of fabric and the ideal care instructions.

Oceanside will help you decide on dry cleaning vs. washing
If you aren’t sure whether to dry clean or wash an item, bring it into Oceanside. We’ll look it over and help you decide the best course of action.

Oceanside Wins Wedding Dress Care Award for 5th Straight Year

The Knot, a global company with resources for engaged couples, newlyweds and first-time parents everywhere, has awarded Oceanside Cleaners their “Wedding Dress Care Award” for 2022, marking the fifth-straight year for Oceanside to receive the award.

Oceanside has also been inducted into “The Knot Hall of Fame.”

The annual award is for “exquisite care for your wedding gown—before, during and after your big day.” Oceanside gown services include: alterations, pre-wedding pressing and finishing, delivery to the venue, and post wedding cleaning and preservation.

Unlike many other bridal cleaners, Oceanside is the only cleaner in Jacksonville that won’t ship a wedding gown out of town for cleaning.

On its website, The Knot includes a special tribute to Oceanside Cleaners, along with customer comments. Among them:

  • Alterations are performed quickly and beautifully. “Everyone we worked with was extremely kind and professional. Their attention to alteration detail is unmatched.” (Lauren R.)
  • Fast turnaround before the ceremony. “I didn’t think I would have enough time to get my dress cleaned after alterations, but they made it happen!” (Emily W.)
  • After wedding cleaning. “We had a fun night dancing and my dress showed it. Oceanside called with the inspection details and cleaning required a few days after I dropped it off. The whole process was simple and professional.” (Samantha D.)
  • Gown preservation. “The bride had some red wine stains that a guest spilled on the back of her silk dress and Oceanside successfully removed those! The dress looks fabulous and certainly will be able to be worn again one day!!” (Karen F.)
  • Personal service. “Clare and the Oceanside team were extremely helpful and easy to work with! I had my wedding dress cleaned so I could wear it for an anniversary photo and then had it cleaned and preserved after that.” (Emily H.)

The Knot offers wedding planning tools and curated vendor options for invitations, registries, attire, rings, gifts and favors. The Knot Best of Weddings is an annual award that recognizes the top wedding vendors across the country. This prestigious honor represents the highest rated vendors on The Knot who are trusted and dependable as well as deliver quality service.

Stain Removal Tips from the Professionals

All of us have to deal with stains on our clothes: grass stains, grease stains, tomato stains, coffee stains, ink stains…the list is never-ending.

There is no avoiding occasional stains, no matter how careful we are. In fact, simple spaghetti dinners are the most searched stain on the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) website! More research by ACI found that:

  • Men are more likely to have sports, wine and food-related stains
  • Women are more likely to have food incidents and bloodstains
  • Kids are more likely to have grass stains and marker and paint stains

Thankfully, Oceanside Cleaners has 30-plus years of experience successfully removing stains from every type of garment, from work clothes to wedding dresses. And, because stains are so common, we’d like to share a few professional tips you can use at home to either remove common stains or keep them from setting before you get garments to the cleaners.

  1. Use detergent sparingly. Many customers think the more detergent they use on a stain, the better the removal. It’s the most common error we see. When it comes to detergent, more is not better. Too much detergent can linger in a garment for a long time and even attract dirt and dust. We advise our customers to do the opposite: use just a teaspoon or two of detergent on a stain and then soak the garment in a bucket of water. Pre-soaking can keep the stain from setting before bringing it to us. The more rinsing, the better the stain removal.
  2. Some special cleaning compounds work on specific types of stains. We recommend Dawn dish soap for grease and oil. Hydrogen peroxide often removes yellowing stains on whites. Neutral detergents help prevent color fade when soaking out everyday dirt. Sometimes, vinegar works on tomato stains. At Oceanside, we also have several professional-grade and targeted stain removers that have proven successful over time.
  3. Sometimes it’s better to remove stains by laundry; other times dry cleaning is best. Whether to choose the laundry or dry cleaning for stain removal depends on the stain. Because dry cleaning uses solvents, it can attack petroleum and oil stains. Dry cleaning is the best way to prevent or remove color bleeding stains. Dry cleaning also works on sweat stains. The laundry process works on most of the other stains. We have a complete line of professional-grade laundry stain removers that often work better than any home remedy. We’ve even found a way to remove a red Gatorade stain, known as one of the most stubborn stains.
  4. Know when to use hot water and when to use cold water. This is a complex question we often get from a customer trying to remove a stain at home. What makes it complex is that the answer is sometimes to use both water temperatures! Many stains respond to a cold-water soak followed by a warm or hot water wash! However, in general, our rule of thumb is to use cold water to remove stains on natural fabrics like wool, satin and silk and to use cold water on food stains. But for coffee, chocolate and wine stains, hot water works best.

As we remove stains, Oceanside Cleaners is committed to green cleaning as recommended by the Green Cleaners Council. On a side note, we were recently awarded “Best of Weddings” from The Knot for the fifth year running. If we can successfully clean something as complex and important as a wedding dress, we can tackle the more common stains you experience in your life.

So, the next time you or your family has a fabric stain, do what you can to stabilize it and then bring in the garment so we can do our best to restore it to like new!

High-End Workout Clothes Require Special Laundry Care

In the past, throwing a pair of $15 cotton sweatpants into the washer and dryer was low risk. If cleaning at home shrunk them or permanently set the sweat stains, people just bought another pair.

In recent years, though, athletic clothes have increased in quality and price, as fabric, design and fit have improved. For example, Lululemon and Athleta workout pants start at about $70. Vuori leggings cost up to $100 each. Tanks, crops and hoodies can cost another $100. As a result, workout outfits range from $200 to upwards of $400, making them an investment worth preserving.

“When you put on new fitness gear, you begin to get into character like an actor putting on a costume for a performance. As a result, you expect to have a better performance, making you more mentally prepared for the task.”
– Dr. Jonathan Fader, Sports Psychologist

Regardless of price, high-end workout clothes have become extremely popular for many sports, including biking, yoga, spinning, dance classes and weights. This is due to the fact that well-made workout clothes look good, offer more support and make longer duration workouts more comfortable. What’s more, the fabric breathes better and wicks sweat. These fabrics also often offer UV protection for outdoor wear.

An important consideration, though, is that cleaning these fabrics between workouts requires dedication. More fabric care is required to ensure the fabrics remain long-lasting and so the clothes retain their shape and color.

Cleaning high-end workout clothes at home can cause problems

For do-it-yourselfers, washing workout clothes at home unfortunately results in common mistakes, such as presoaking in the wrong chemicals, using fabric softeners (a no-no) or using the wrong temperature water. In just one wash cycle, even the most careful person can unwittingly destroy expensive workout clothes.

Because high-end workout clothes are often made of Lycra, spandex and polyester, the wrong home cleaning approach can result in some damage that may not always meet the eye:

  • Damage to stretch
  • Coatings that attract and trap smells
  • Increased static cling
  • Trapped bacteria that can harm your skin
  • A fungi smell from too much soap

Some people try to save cleaning costs or extend wear by using workout clothes several times between cleanings. There are downfalls to this approach, though, which range from the faster growth of potentially harmful bacteria to skin irritations.

Cleaning high-end workout clothes at home can cause problems

For do-it-yourselfers, washing workout clothes at home unfortunately results in common mistakes, such as presoaking in the wrong chemicals, using fabric softeners (a no-no) or using the wrong temperature water. In just one wash cycle, even the most careful person can unwittingly destroy expensive workout clothes.

Because high-end workout clothes are often made of Lycra, spandex and polyester, the wrong home cleaning approach can result in some damage that may not always meet the eye:

  • Damage to stretch
  • Coatings that attract and trap smells
  • Increased static cling
  • Trapped bacteria that can harm your skin
  • A fungi smell from too much soap

Some people try to save cleaning costs or extend wear by using workout clothes several times between cleanings. There are downfalls to this approach, though, which range from the faster growth of potentially harmful bacteria to skin irritations.

Why a professional cleaner is the best choice

Careful cleaning of expensive activewear prolongs its life. Professional launderers know the best combination of cleaning agents and the right types of detergents to use on expensive workout clothes. At Oceanside Cleaners, we use temperature-controlled laundry detergents and delicate wash cycles based on the fabric type and color.

If you work out every day, Oceanside Cleaners can set up a regular cleaning pick-up and delivery, so you always have professionally cleaned activewear ready for the day’s workout.

We also pre-spot sweat and odor areas and launder in ways that prolong the life of the garment, so you get maximum use for your investment. We never wash workout clothes with other clothes such as jeans, jackets or zippers that can snag your workout clothes.

Oceanside Enters the Hall of Fame!

the knot Best of Wedding Hall of Fame

Oceanside Enters the Hall of Fame!

After a trying 2020, we begin 2021 completely blown away that Oceanside has won The Knot Best of Weddings for the fourth year in a row, earning its spot in The Knot Hall of Fame!

“We are delighted to have won The Knot Best of Weddings and join the Hall of Fame,” said Clare Harris, bridal services manager and certified wedding gown specialist at Oceanside Cleaners. “This recognition is especially meaningful because it’s a direct reflection of our customers’ reviews, so it speaks to their satisfaction with our services.”

Both of these awards recognize local wedding vendors across the country as rated by couples on The Knot. Each year, The Knot analyzes its millions of user reviews to determine the top-rated vendors. Fewer than five percent of vendors on The Knot are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Harris added, “We take great care to ensure our brides understand each step of the process before and after their big day and we treat each dress as if it were our own. They trust us with one of their most important garments. It’s an honor to receive that trust and a pleasure to see that our attention to detail does not go unnoticed.”

We couldn’t be more thrilled to be recognized for the outstanding care we take of our brides, but know we couldn’t do it without you! Yes you, our real brides, clients, family and friends! Thank you for spreading the word about Oceanside’s bridal services and for taking the time to share your Oceanside experiences through reviews and testimonials. Thank to our brides for trusting us to alter, finish and preserve their most cherished clothing item—we are honored to be part of your big day and after!

To learn more about alternations, finishing services, and preserving your gown schedule a free consultation—we’d love to help!

The Oceanside Difference: Creating a Culture of CARE

Oceanside Facility

The Oceanside Difference: Creating a Culture of CARE

Recently, we’ve had a run of good news at Oceanside Cleaners. In November, CINET, a global textile care association, honored Oceanside Cleaners as the best retail cleaner globally among small and medium-sized businesses. The next week America’s Best Cleaners included us in the 2020 Leadership Forum, where our owner, Mike Harris, served on a panel of five industry leaders to discuss how we’ve managed and adapted in the current business environment. And only a few weeks later, we learned that The Knot was inducting Oceanside Cleaners into its Best of Weddings Hall of Fame.

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Oceanside is much more than a dry cleaner!

Oceanside is much more than a dry cleaner!

Oceanside Cleaners specializes in dry cleaning and laundry, but did you know we also offer a number of other services? From sheets, duvets, blankets, and comforters to altering your wedding gown for the best day of your life, we are skilled in many different departments. We understand that, as a result of the times we are all facing, you are not in need of dry cleaning as often as you used to be. That’s why we want to introduce you to these services that we believe might make your ability to deal with these lifestyle changes easier!

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