There are certain household items that, no matter how many times you put them on your To Do list, never make it into the washing machine or to the dry cleaner. Tablecloths, runners, cloth napkins, bedspreads, quilts, duvets and pillows may not look dirty, but they should be cleaned regularly — and springtime is the best time to do it.
Tablecloths, Table Runners and Cloth Napkins
You may have a set of tablecloths and napkins that are only used once per year, such as a holiday set and a fancy set for special occasions, for example. Decorative tablecloths, runners and napkins are made to be used over and over again, but they’re used in a dangerous territory: some food stains are very difficult to get out, especially if they’ve been left to set in a closet for the entire year.
To make sure that you’re not surprised by a year-old wine stain on your Christmas tablecloth the next time December rolls around, get in the habit of bringing all your dining linens to the dry cleaner at the same time every year.
Because dry cleaners like Dependable Cleaners know exactly how to treat all sorts of stains, they can help remove even the toughest food stains from the last family feast.
Comforters, Duvets and Pillows
People spend about a third of their lives in bed, but those bed linens are not cleaned nearly as often as they should be. You may wash your sheets and pillowcases every week or so, but your pillows and comforter or duvet may only get a cleaning once a year — and often less.
One study undertaken by a London hospital showed that after two years, more than one-third of a pillow’s weight is made up of living and dead dust mites (can you believe this!!), dust mite excrement, dead skin and other bacteria.
You may not see this buildup of grime — once you pop on a fresh pillowcase, it smells clean. To really make sure that you’re keeping your family safe, however, you should clean your feather pillows at least once a year.
But pillows and down-filled duvets are one of the toughest things to clean at home, which is why most people forgo ever actually getting around to them. A full service dry cleaner, such as Dependable Cleaners, has special processes to clean feather pillows and duvets to ensure that they are not only clean, but retain their structural integrity.
On feather pillows, we remove the ticking and throw it away, then sterilize the feathers within before expertly putting it all back together in a brand new cotton ticking — with or without some extra down to make it fluffier (upon request).
Leave It to the Cleaners
Keep your rarely used table linens in perfect condition for those moments you need them, and make sure your family isn’t breathing in bacteria from their own beds. Regularly washing all your household linens can be a big undertaking, but springtime is one of the best times to bring those hard-to-clean items to the dry cleaner.
