With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, we can officially declare that the holiday season has begun! Soon, we’ll all be masked up and dressed up in our best threads as we attend family gatherings, office parties, and get-togethers with friends. At J’s Tailor & Cleaners, we know that the next two months will be chock-full of business as our customers prepare their clothing for their seasonal itineraries. While we’re excited to do our part to make your holidays merry and bright, we are eager, as always, to share some tips and tricks on caring for fabrics that you may only wear occasionally.

Know that our team is here to help you with all of your dry cleaning and tailoring needs this season. The following tips are to help you with basic upkeep, but if at any time you are worried about ruining one of your pieces, give us a call; we’ve got you covered!

Chiffon

Chiffon is a stunning fabric that can bring the perfect amount of pop to your attire. However, knowing how to care for it is essential. To start, we want to clarify between the different types of chiffon – silk, polyester, and nylon. If you are looking to clean a silk chiffon piece, give us a call to schedule a pick up because these are dry clean only! If your clothing is polyester or nylon, you can care for it at home. A few things to remember are:

• Use a mild, gentle detergent such as Woolite.
• Wash in cold water.
• Do not wring.
• Lay flat to dry.
• Do not put it in the sun.

Sequins

Is it even the holiday season if you aren’t rocking at least one sequin outfit? While eye-appealing and an absolute show stopper, sequins are very fragile and should be handled with great care. To prevent damage, we recommend that you do the following:

• Wash on a gentle cycle.
• Use a mild, gentle detergent
• Wash in cold water.
• Put your spin cycle on the lowest speed.
• Do not bleach or use fabric softener.

Velvet

Velvet is one of our favorite fabrics. Both comfortable and stunning to wear, we think that everyone should have at least one velvet piece in their closet. While we do recommend that you use a professional, such as us, to clean velvet, we have a few tips to keep in mind regarding upkeep.

• Do not apply pressure when wet.
• Never iron.
• Hang in a well-ventilated space when not wearing.
• Use steam to remove wrinkles.
• If you stain your item, do not blot; contact a professional.

Cashmere

A holiday fabric must-have, cashmere is tricky to maintain. To keep your items looking brand new, you need to follow these steps.

• Fill your basin with cold water, and add a mild detergent.
• Let your cashmere soak for five minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Fold into a ball to drain the excess water.

Hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be looking jaw-dropping beautiful this holiday season. Remember, if you are ever worried that you’ll mess up one of your pieces or feel like the maintenance is too much, contact one of our J’s Tailor & Cleaners location nearest you. We would love to lend you our expertise and have your clothes in perfect wearing order!