Ways To Save Money On Your Dry Cleaning

Professional dry cleaning bills can be quite costly, and if you are of the many American’s that make regular weekly drop off and pick up trips to the cleaners, then you are draining your finances. Rather than giving it up, here are a few budget-friendly tips that you should follow to save on your monthly dry cleaning allowance.

Items Marked “Dry Clean Only” Can be Safely Home Laundered

According to the Care Labeling Regulation, only one method of cleaning must be communicated to consumers. However this one cleaning method doesn’t represent all acceptable cleaning methods. In this case, the dry cleaning process actually means a chemical cleaning process, not a dry method. Keep in mind when home laundering these items, you must use cold water, a gentle hand-cleaning process, and a gentle cleanser. On these fabrics make sure that you never use bleach, regular laundry detergent, fabric softeners, or rinse additives. Most importantly, do not put the clothing in a dryer, instead hang it up and let it air dry.

Watch for Coupons, Discounts, and Specials

Many dry cleaners offer coupons, discounts, and specials in local mailers and online. They may also run daily deals that are advertised when you walk in or online. Also if you don’t see any deals being advertised, don’t be afraid to ask. In today’s economy, businesses are more willing to negotiate better terms for their clients.

Treat Your Own Stains

The most important rule to saving money on clothing is to treat a stain immediately after it has happened. Stains that wait a week or longer to treat, sometime won’t come out at all. To treat the stain you must first find out if the stain is water-based or oil-based. If it is an oil-based stain you will want to send it to the dry cleaners, but if it is water-based, you can treat the stain yourself.

Try to Keep Your Clothes as Clean as Possible

This sounds easy enough, but in life we always must expect the unexpected. Always keep wipes or a stain remover handy. Where t-shirts under white shirts and jackets to prevent perspiration stains. Be careful when applying hairspray, makeup, perfumes, or body oils on you after you are dressed

Use a Home Dry Cleaning Kit

These inexpensive kits can be found at your local dollar store, drug store, or supermarket. These work wonderful, however you will have to do the pressing and stain removal steps manually. Only opt out of this if you have an oil-based stain on your clothing.

Jessica Williams is Consolidated Credit’s Marketing Communications New Media Coordinator. As a member of the education team, Jessica focuses on helping consumers make better financial decisions while living debt-free. She has previously worked with Take Stock In Children, where she was a mentor and communications specialist, and SouthPromo.com, where she managed community relations, event planning, marketing, and public relations. Jessica attended both the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida where she received her B.S. in Interpersonal/Organizational Communications and Marketing. Connect with Jessica on Google+.