"We charge $1.99 per garment that's dry-cleaned, which we say is approximately 50% or less than what other dry-cleaners are charging," explains Chris Allsbrooks, of Zips. "We do the exact same procedures, use the exact same equipment. Drop it off in the morning by nine, you can pick it up in the evening after five, too."
But even at less than two dollars per garment, Allsbrooks says you can save even more on cleaning, if you know what really needs to be professionally cleaned and what you can clean at home.
She says, "In all of our stores, we get people that bring in their undershirts, their t-shirts, we get people that bring in sweatpants warm-up jackets. Those are things you can really do at home."
You can also wash down jackets at home. The trick is in the drying.
"You can do down jackets at home," Allsbrooks confirms. "One of the things with down is that it takes a long time to dry, so you have to keep it in the dryer and put tennis balls in to fluff it back up."
Drying technique's also important for sports jerseys.
Allsbrooks explains they should be hung up to dry, "Your'e not going to ruin this (Eagles jersey) unless you put it in the dryer because sometimes these numbers are painted on. If you put heat on there, it gets sticky, it starts to stick together, you pull it apart, it's peeling."
Some items you want to leave to the pros: cashmere sweaters, evening gowns, and items that say "dry-clean only."
Allsbrooks says, "For most of the things, when it says 'Dry Clean Only,' its something that you should be following. There's dyes in the fabrics that, if you wash them at home, they can bleed and ruin the rest of your load, which is a bigger problem."
For more information about Zips Dry Cleaners, click here.
