laundry symbols

16 Facts About Laundry Symbols Everyone Thinks are True

Laundry symbols seem like another language, but the washing instruction symbols on your garments’ care labels tell you exactly how to do the washing and drying, as well as give extra information on bleaching and ironing. Read on for our quick guide to what the symbols mean, or download and print your own laundry symbols chart to refer to when you see a symbol you don’t recognize.

 

Washing Symbols

Getting the temperature and wash cycle right is important for seeing great laundry results, and can even prevent damage to your clothes. The clothes washing symbols below can give you an idea for temperature, indicated by the number of dots in the tub of water symbol, whereas different cycle types are represented by a tub with one or two lines drawn under it.

 

Washing cycle symbols: machine wash, hand wash, do not wash, dry clean only, do not dry clean

 

Important: Don’t forget to look out for dry clean signs, given by a circle, or hand wash symbols, indicated by a tub of water with a hand sign, so you’ll know when to avoid putting garments in the washing machine.

 

Washing temperature symbols

 

Washing temperature symbols: wash cold on temperatures between 65 and 85F, wash warm on temperatures at max. 105F, wash hot on temperatures at max. 12

 

 

Washing machine symbols

 

Washing machine symbols: normal cycle, permanent press cycle, delicate / gentle cycle

Drying Symbols

Drying is an important part of the clothing care process, but we’ve all heard those scary stories of cashmere sweaters that come out of the wash three sizes too small.

Knowing your dryer symbols, like the square with a circle in the middle that indicates tumble drying allowed, can help you avoid putting the wrong garment in the tumble dryer. Other symbols can give you additional information, such as a square with a horizontal line in the middle means you should dry the item flat, or the crossed-out twisted symbol, which tells you not to wring the garment. The temperature is given by the increasing number of dots inside a circle.

 

General drying symbols: tumble drying allowed, do not tumble dry, hang to dry, dry flat, do not wring

Drying temperature symbols

Drying temperature symbols: tumble dry, low heat, medium heat, high heat, no heat / air

Bleaching symbols

If you want to use bleach, you’ll want to take a look at your garment’s fabric care label to see if there is a bleach symbol, given by a triangle or more importantly a do not bleach symbol, a triangle crossed out. Recognizing these signs can save your garment from getting permanently damaged by chlorine bleach.

 

Bleaching symbols: bleaching allowed, do not bleach, use non-chlorine bleach

Ironing Symbols

Some fabrics look great after ironing but others, like more delicate materials, can be damaged. There are even some fabrics that simply need special care when ironing.

For example, if you want to iron your new dress shirt and you want to know if it can be ironed safely, look out for the iron symbol on your garment, represented by a little iron symbol with dots in the middle that denote the temperature setting, like those shown below.

 

Ironing symbols: iron low, iron medium, iron high, do not iron, no steam added to iron

Download Your Laundry Symbols Guide

Don’t let laundry symbols confuse you. Get this printable laundry symbols guide and keep it to hand the next time you do the laundry. Once you download this laundry symbols pdf you’ll be a pro when it comes to doing your laundry. Download now

Laundry symbols are there to guide you, so your clothes get the care they deserve. Make sure you use the right laundry detergent for the wash cycle you pick, like Tide Plus Coldwater Clean for cold washes, or use a detergent-like laundryman plus that’s suitable for any temperature. Get the best out of your laundry, with a little help from Tide, and if you need more detailed information, visit our comprehensive guide on how to do laundry.

Choose a Dry Cleaner You Can Trust 

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While you can always tackle your laundry yourself, you may want to consider entrusting a reputable dry cleaner or laundry service to do the job for you. They have the skills, know-how, and equipment needed to make sure your sweat goes away and your coloured clothing retains its original brightness.

At Laundrymann, we take pride in our services and strive to ensure that your laundry is given back to you in the best condition possible

Let someone else take care of the laundry

If you’re overwhelmed by piles of grubby laundry, then why not let someone else deal with it? Our award-winning dry cleaning and laundry service makes wash day a breeze. Upon subscription, We’ll collect your laundry, clean and iron it using professional methods and equipment, and return it to your door. We’ll even fold or hang it for you, so it’s ready to go straight in the wardrobe or drawer.

Your washing machine needs to be cleaned thoroughly every couple of months, and you should be running a 

hot maintenance cycle at least once every two weeks. This will leave your machine out of action for a few hours, so subscribe to our service and let us handle the hard work while you scrub up

sweat stain

How to prevent yellow stains and lingering smells on clothes as a Lagosian

Lagos is Nigeria’s largest city. It lies in the South West of the country on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea close to Nigeria’s border with Benin. one thing that comes with staying in a place like Lagos, is excessive sweat from various activities…

My brother and I have a joke thanks to our Gym instructor who said at the beginning of class: “We sweat when we train, so we don’t bleed at war.”

The combination of her delivery, perfect posture and the softly lit studio made us giggle. Her class made us sweat. A lot.

According to fashion lecturer Yomi casual, sweat marks are left by “a combination of salts in the sweat and deodorant people are using”. She says, “sweat itself is a sterile thing but when it mixes with the bacteria on the skin, the odours we associate with sweat occur”.

laundrymann basket

When not handled correctly, sweat marks and odours can be stubborn. Here’s some advice on how to avoid them.

Wash your clothes promptly

Stains and odours are caused when bacteria forms on fabric, so the best thing to do is launder clothing soon after each wear. As Umoren puts it: “The longer you leave sweat on clothing, the greater the bacterial growth.”

Yomi, a yoga teacher and former professional athlete, goes through “a lot of athletic gear washes”. He recommends airing out clothes on the side of laundry baskets “so they’re never sitting at the bottom sweaty” and machine washing everything on a cold cycle with a liquid detergent before hanging it out to dry.

Umoren the founder of laundrymann points out that it’s important to balance prompt washing with not over-laundering, which can be wasteful. She suggests wearing the same thing a few days in a row before putting it in the wash. A lot of athletic gear is made from synthetic fibres such as polyester and elastane, so consider using a washing bag to prevent microfibre pollution.

Sweat stains can be sneaky

Umoren flags that sometimes stains on special-occasion wear, such as silk, aren’t immediately apparent so the garment is put away without dry-cleaning or laundering. If the fabric is particularly delicate, the sweat might cause a reaction over time, resulting in an odour or stain that appears months later. A quick hand wash or drop-off at the dry cleaner’s can prevent this.

When possible, wearing a cotton undershirt that can absorb underarm sweat and stand up to more frequent laundering may also help extend the life of collared shirts and silk blouses.

 

Spot clean the sweatiest areas

Founder of athleisure-wear brand Nagnata, Laura-May Gibbs, recommends “doing a spot clean right after you exercise” with a natural soap such as coconut oil or eucalyptus.

 Umoren agrees spot cleaning is a good idea because sweat stains can require more attention or higher temperatures than the recommended wash cycle for the rest of the garment. She suggests using “a laundry product designed for spot treating” but to be “careful not to rub too hard on fabrics that might snag or woollen fabrics that might felt”.

 

Choose natural fibres and natural deodorants

Due to their distinctive properties, natural fibres such as cotton, wool and silk react differently to sweat than synthetic fibres such as polyester and elastane.

Umoren says polyester “has a complicated relationship with sweat because it absorbs the oily sweat from under the arms”, which causes long-term odour. “Everyone can think of a polyester top they’ve washed and put on again and it still smells,” she says.

This is in part because polyester has the same molecular make-up as plastic, so it doesn’t breathe. A 2016 study from Norway found that even odour-control synthetic fabrics smell worse than natural fibres over time.

The way to avoid this is by choosing natural fibres such as cotton and wool that respond to the body’s temperature and reduce sweating. “The more natural the fibre, the less likely you are to produce an odour,” Gibbs says. The same goes for your deodorant, she adds: “When you take the aluminium out of your antiperspirant, you are less likely to produce sweat marks.”

When all else fails

Umoren suggests cutting out stained armpits, or the portion of the fabric causing the odour, and replacing it with a patch of fresh fabric. In the case of polyester garments that have a persistent smell, the area could be replaced with a natural fibre, solving future problems.

If transforming a blouse into a sleeveless top or adding a cotton underarm gusset is beyond your sewing skills, these can be done easily by a professional tailor.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Yomi and Tunde both advocate for leaving sweat marks alone on gym gear. With a laugh, Yomi admits: “If there’s a stain, I usually leave it.”

Tunde is adamant they should be worn with pride: “You worked hard for those sweat marks!” So hopefully now . . . you don’t bleed at war. – Guardian

Choose a Dry Cleaner You Can Trust to make your sweat disappear

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While you can always tackle your laundry yourself, you may want to consider entrusting a reputable dry cleaner or laundry service to do the job for you. They have the skills, know-how, and equipment needed to make sure your sweat goes away and your coloured clothing retains its original brightness.

At Laundrymann, we take pride in our services and strive to ensure that your laundry is given back to you in the best condition possible

Let someone else take care of the laundry

If you’re overwhelmed by piles of grubby laundry, then why not let someone else deal with it? Our award-winning dry cleaning and laundry service makes wash day a breeze. Upon subscription, We’ll collect your laundry, clean and iron it using professional methods and equipment, and return it to your door. We’ll even fold or hang it for you, so it’s ready to go straight in the wardrobe or drawer.

Your washing machine needs to be cleaned thoroughly every couple of months, and you should be running a 

hot maintenance cycle at least once every two weeks. This will leave your machine out of action for a few hours, so subscribe to our service and let us handle the hard work while you scrub up

KEEPING WHITE SHIRT WHITER

How to Make Your white Clothes White Again – A Step by Step Guide

It can be harder than we would like to keep our white clothes bright and clean, especially as white is such an easy colour to stain. This guide will help you learn how to make white clothes white again and keep them looking great wear after wear.

if you know anything about laundry, you are already familiar with the need to separate the whites and colours. The reason is simple; you don’t want any of the colouring from one batch to leak in the wash and stain your whites. 

In order to keep your whites bright, they need to be washed together and in a completely separate load from your coloured clothing.

Despite your best efforts, sometimes just one coloured item mysteriously makes its way into a load of whites, only to cause your previously white garments to come out looking tinged with grey.

Pulling your clothes out of the wash to find that they’re nowhere near as white as they were when you first put them in can be pretty frustrating. Don’t fret, though; there are ways that you may be able to refresh your white clothes and restore their whiteness.

Key Steps to make your white clothes whiter:

  • Pre-soak is the first step in how to make white clothes white again.
  • Use products like Ariel to wash your white laundry and keep it bright, clean and fresh.
  • Use lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to lift colour stains from your white clothes.

White clothes look great when they’re brand new, but almost seem to attract stains. After removing stains from white clothes, use quality laundry products to take steps to keep your white laundry clean and fresh.

You will need:

  • Laundry detergent
  • Baking soda
  • Lemon juice

How to make clothes white again

dry cleaning and laundry service pick up in Lagos

When it comes to understanding how to make white clothes white again, the best way is to pre-soak them. There are three key soaks you could try.

Laundry detergent

  1. Adding ¼ cup of detergent powder, like Ariel, to a sink full of warm water and soaking your white clothes for two hours before a normal wash works to whiten them.

Baking soda

  1. Dissolving one cup of baking soda in four litres of warm water makes not only a great whitening solution but also an effective deodoriser. Soak your white clothes in the solution for around eight hours before popping them in your usual wash.

Lemon juice

  1. Boil two sliced (not halved) lemons in a large stockpot of water and then remove it from the heat. Then add your white clothes to soak for an hour. The lemon juice works as a great whitener.

Removing stains from white clothes using white vinegar

If your white clothes just need a little bit of brightening and you haven’t stocked up on detergent, you can try washing them with white vinegar.

Add vinegar to the fabric softener compartment

  1. Add half a cup of distilled white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment of your washing machine.

Use your regular detergent

  1. Use your usual detergent and of course following any appropriate instructions on the care label. Have a look at our article if you’re not sure what the washing symbols mean. 

Wash in a washing machine

  1. Wash your whites in your washing machine.

The great thing about this method is that vinegar doesn’t bleach anything with colours in them. It also won’t leave a smell behind and will get rid of any remaining alkalinity from your detergent in the last rinse.

How to remove colour stains from white clothes using a detergent

White clothes are so easy to stain, especially if a red sock or a blue shirt has found its way into a whitewash. Here’s how to deal with colour stains using a good detergent.

Wash your white clothing with a laundry capsule

  1. Pop a capsule in your washing machine, then put your white laundry in there.

Wash at 40 degrees

  1. Wash on a normal cycle at 40°C.

Air-dry the clothing

  1. Let the clothes air-dry, preferably in sunlight as the sun’s rays can help bleach the stains.

Pre-treat any remaining stains

  1. Spot-check for any remaining stains. If you find any, you can pre-treat the stains with a little Persil Bio Liquid for 15–30 minutes before washing again.

How to bleach white clothes

Bleaching white clothing should be done with caution. So here’s how to bleach white clothes properly to remove stains.

Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.

Soak your clothes in cold water

  1. With a container, add cold water and soak your clothes. Ensure all the clothes are completely soaked.

Add bleach to the clothing in the container

  1. Add a few tablespoons of bleach into the container where your white clothing is soaked.

Stir everything in the container and soak for 10 minutes

  1. Stir everything together to make sure everything is soaked completely. Allow the clothes to soak for about 10 minutes.
  2. Bleach can weaken or damage your fabrics if you soak for too long.

Remove and wash through with cold water

  1. After 10 minutes, remove the clothing and wash thoroughly with cold water.

Leave to dry

  1. Remove any excess water and leave to dry.

Alternative methods to removing colour stains from white clothes

peroxide for whites clothes

These steps using lemon juice or distilled white vinegar will help remove colour stains from your white clothes.

Dab lemon juice or vinegar onto the stain

  1. Dab the lemon juice or distilled white vinegar directly onto the stain.

Scrub with an old toothbrush

  1. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain for a couple of minutes.

Leave to soak for ten minutes

  1. Leave the liquid to soak for up to ten more minutes then rinse out the liquid.

Wash normally

  1. Wash your clothes as normal.

Alternatively, if you have a stain that is still wet and fresh you can rub a little salt into it, which will help to absorb the moisture and lift away the stain whilst still in its liquid state

Choose a Dry Cleaner You Can Trust to make your clothes whiter

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While you can always tackle your laundry yourself, you may want to consider entrusting a reputable dry cleaner or laundry service to do the job for you. They have the skills, know-how, and equipment needed to make sure your whites are kept white, and your colored clothing retains its original brightness.

At Laundrymann, we take pride in our services and strive to ensure that your laundry is given back to you in the best condition possible

Let someone else take care of the laundry

If you’re overwhelmed by piles of grubby laundry, then why not let someone else deal with it? Our award-winning dry cleaning and laundry service makes wash day a breeze. Upon subscription, We’ll collect your laundry, clean and iron it using professional methods and equipment, and return it to your door. We’ll even fold or hang it for you, so it’s ready to go straight in the wardrobe or drawer.

Your washing machine needs to be cleaned thoroughly every couple of months, and you should be running a 

hot maintenance cycle at least once every two weeks. This will leave your machine out of action for a few hours, so subscribe to our service and let us handle the hard work while you scrub up.

dry cleaning work in laundrymann

How Dry-Cleaning works in Lagos

Doing dry-cleaning in Nigeria is difficult but dry-cleaning in Lagos is a different ball game

Doing laundry has been a common household activity for years. Whether the techn­ology­ was­ beating the garments on rocks by the river or pushing buttons on programmed washing machines, this process depends on water and a mechanical action usua­lly assisted by soap or an alkali. The purpose of an alkali is to saponify the oils and dislodge ordinary soil and other matter. More often­ than not, the soapy agent holds soil in suspension as it becomes loose during the wash cycle, and is subsequently flushed away during the rinse cycle and centrifugal spin.

The drying process for doing laundry at home is either hanging clothes on a clothesline or tumbling them in a gas- or electric-heated dryer.

Dry-cleaning, on the other hand, is different. It’s a process that cleans clothes without water. The cleaning fluid that is used is a liquid, and all garments are immersed and cleaned in a liquid solvent — the fact that there is no water is why the process is called “dry.” In this article, we will take a behind-the-scenes look at the dry-cleaning process so that you can understand what happens to your clothes after you drop them off at the cleaners!

dry cleaning work in laundrymann

Dry-Cleaning Evolution

Like many inventions, dry cleaning came about by accident. In 1855, Jean Baptiste Jolly, a French dye-works owner, noticed that his table cloth became cleaner after his maid accidentally overturned a kerosene lamp on it. Operating through his dye-works company, Jolly offered a new service and called it “dry cleaning.”

Early dry cleaners used a variety of solvents — including gasoline and kerosene — to clean clothes and fabrics. In the United States, the dry-cleaning industry is fairly new and has developed only during the past 75 years. Since World War II ended, the volatile synthetic solvents carbon tetrachloride and trichlorethylene gave way to a product known as perchloroethylene (perc), which became the overwhelming solvent choice for the industry. It was not only safer and faster, but did a much better job of cleaning, required less massive equipment, less floor space, and could be installed in retail locations offering excellent quality one-hour service.

As a result of this innovation, the majority of clothes today are cleaned by perc. A proliferation of cleaning franchises and dry-cleaning businesses offering fast service from convenient, clean, and attractive locations evolved to change the industry into what we see today.

 

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The Process of Dry-Cleaning

When you drop your clothes off at the cleaners, the employees follow a pattern that holds true at just about any dry-cleaning operation running today. Your clothes go through the following steps:

  1. Tagging and inspection – Some method, whether it is small paper tags or little labels written on a shirt collar, is used to identify your clothes so they don’t get mixed up with everyone else’s. Clothes are also examined for missing buttons, tears, etc. that the dry cleaner might get blamed for otherwise.
  2. Pre-treatment – The cleaner looks for stains on your clothes and treats them to make removal easier and more complete.
  3. Dry cleaning – The clothes are put in a machine and cleaned with a solvent.
  4. Post-spotting – Any lingering stains are removed.
  5. Finishing – This includes pressing, folding, packaging and other finishing touches.

The following sections look at each of these steps in detail.

Tagging

A typical tag used by a dry cleaner
A typical tag used by a dry cleaner

When you drop off your clothes, every order is identified. Although the exact identification process may vary from dry cleaner to dry cleaner, it basically includes counting the items and describing them (e.g., shirt, blouse, slacks). Also noted is the date they were dropped off and what date they’ll be ready for the customer to pick up. Then, a small, coloured tag is affixed to each piece of clothing with a safety pin or staple, and this tag remains attached to the clothing during the entire dry-cleaning cycle. The dry cleaner also generates an invoice, and information about the order — including the customer’s name, address, and phone number — is entered into a computer. This helps to keep track of the order.

If a garment needs special attention, such as removing a red wine stain from a shirt or putting a double-crease in pant legs, there’s a special coloured tag that gets affixed to that particular item of clothing. Once the clothing has been washed or dry cleaned, it goes through a quality check and the order gets re-assembled. This means the clothing is bundled together for the customer to pick up. Remember, every order is identified by a coloured tag with a number on it so the person who re-assembles the order knows which shirts and which slacks go together and to whom they belong.

Pre-treating Stains

Pre-treating stains is similar to the procedure used at home when you apply a stain remover to stains prior to washing them. The idea is to try to remove the stain or make its removal easier using chemicals. You can even help the process, especially if you catch the stain early! Simply apply water for wet stains (a stain that had water in it) and solvent for dry stains (a stain that has grease or oil in it). Then, gently tap and blot both sides of the fabric with a soft cloth so the stain “bleeds off” onto the cloth. Then, rinse the fabric, let it dry and your cleaner will do the rest.

If you don’t know what to do when a stain happens, call your cleaner and ask him or her what to apply.

Dry-Cleaning

While there are many brands and makes of cleaning machines, they are all basically the same in principle and function. A cleaning machine is a motor-driven washer/extractor/dryer that holds from 20 to 100 pounds (9 to 45 kg) of clothes or fabrics in a rotating, perforated stainless-steel basket. The basket is mounted in a housing that includes motors, pumps, filters, still, recovery coils, storage tanks, fans, and a control panel. In all modern equipment, the washer and the dryer are in the same machine. Doing this makes it possible to recover nearly all of the perc used during cleaning, which is better for the environment and saves the dry cleaner money.

As the clothes rotate in the perforated basket, there is a constant flow of clean solvent from the pump and filter system. The solvent sprays into the basket and chamber constantly — not only immersing the clothes but gently dropping and pounding them against baffles in the cylinder as well. The dirty solvent is pumped continuously through the filter and re-circulated free and clear of dirt that gets trapped in the filter.

As an example, a typical machine might pump perc through the clothes at a rate of perhaps 1,500 gallons (5,678 litres) per hour. Perc is about 75 per cent heavier than water. If a cycle lasts for eight minutes, the clothes would be doused during mechanical action with 200 gallons (757 litres) of solvent. This is more than adequate to thoroughly clean the clothes.

The next cycle drains and rapidly spins the clothes to expel the solvent and then goes into a dry cycle by circulating warm air through the clothes. The remaining fumes and solvent are vaporized by warm air and then condensed over cooling coils. The distilled solvent is separated from any water (that may have remained in the clothes or system) and returned to the tank as distilled solvent. Since any moisture that may have condensed into the water during the process floats on top of perc, it is relatively simple to separate it.

Cleaning plants using petroleum solvent rather than perc are exposed to a different set of circumstances and face some challenging considerations. The solvent is flammable, and therefore many fire-prevention steps must be taken for safety. The solvent is very slightly lighter than water and the two mix easily. There is also a need for higher temperatures to dry and deodorize the garments, which makes shrinkage and re-deposition of soil into the clothes more likely. These disadvantages are the reason why the industry currently uses perc almost exclusively.

Regardless of which solvent the dry cleaner uses, the quality of cleaning, the degree of soil removal, the colour brightness, the freshness, the odour and the softness all depend on the degree to which the cleaner controls his filter and solvent condition and moisture. Quality control can vary day to day unless the cleaner is constantly attentive to these factors.

 

row-industrial-laundry-machines-laundromat-public-laundromat-with-laundry-basket-laundrymann pg

Post-Spotting

Post-cleaning spot removal is another part of the quality control process. Post-spotting, as it is called, uses professional equipment and chemical preparations using steam, water, air, and vacuum. Post-spotting involves a fairly simple process for removing a stain. If the stain had water in it, to begin with (bean soup, for example), then it takes water or wet-side chemicals to remove the stain. If the stain was on the dry side (grease, oil-base paint, tar, nail polish), it takes solvents or dry-side chemicals to remove the stain.

In-home laundry, most wet-type stains come out during the washing process. Grease does not. The opposite is true in dry cleaning — it will leave the wet-side stains intact after the cleaning cycle. On the other hand, the solvent removes grease and oils during the cleaning cycle. The exception to this rule involves incorporating a “charge” of specially formulated dry-cleaning soap (an anhydrous emulsifier) into the cleaning cycle.

The dry cleaner will examine your clothes after cleaning is complete to see if any stains remain. If they do, post-spotting tries to get them out. A conscientious cleaner will remove the overwhelming majority of soil and stains, but there is always a small per cent of very stubborn stains that may not be entirely removed for a variety of reasons, such as:

  • Tannin stains set by heat and time
  • Original dye stripped or faded
  • Bleached-out spots or sun-faded materials
  • Foreign dye deposit

Spotting during dry cleaning process

Finishing

A general-purpose pressing machine

The final phase of dry-cleaning operations includes finishing, pressing, steaming, ironing, and making any necessary repairs to restore the garment. This is the least mysterious process since most dry-cleaning stores have their professional finishing equipment in plain view of customers.

Once the clothes are cleaned, they are pressed or “finished.” The steps in this process include:

  • Applying steam to soften the garment
  • Re-shaping it through quick drying
  • Removing the steam with air or vacuum
  • Applying pressure to the garment

The pressure comes from the head of the pressing machine, while steam is diffused through the bottom. Most machines not only emit steam but can vacuum it out as well!

dry cleaning and laundry service pick up in Lagos

Let someone else take care of the laundry

If you’re overwhelmed by piles of grubby laundry, then why not let someone else deal with it? Our award-winning dry cleaning and laundry service makes wash day a breeze. Upon subscription, We’ll collect your laundry, clean and iron it using professional methods and equipment, and return it to your door. We’ll even fold or hang it for you, so it’s ready to go straight in the wardrobe or drawer.

Your washing machine needs to be cleaned thoroughly every couple of months, and you should be running a 

hot maintenance cycle at least once every two weeks. This will leave your machine out of action for a few hours, so subscribe to our service and let us handle the hard work while you scrub up.

woman-hands-sewing-white-shirt-top-view in lekki phase 1

Buttons – The Most Important Part when dry cleaning your Shirt in Lekki Phase 1

“You may turn into an archangel, a fool, or a criminal – no one will see it. But when a button is missing – everyone sees that.” Author (All Quiet On The Western Front) Erich Maria Remarque’s observation about buttons was spot on!  Buttons are one of the most important parts of a dress shirt, suit, and may other garments, but also the most overlooked when it comes to upkeep.

At laundrymann, we understand this, which is one reason button care and replacement is a fundamental step in our process. It’s also why you should bring your dress shirts to laundrymann. There is nothing more embarrassing than having a button pop off in the middle of a meeting, date, or dinner with friends especially in places like Lekki Phase 1.

Lekki Phase 1

Lekki is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the south-east of Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed peninsula, adjoining to its west Victoria Island and Ikoyi districts of Lagos, with the Atlantic Ocean to its south, Lagos Lagoon to the north, and Lekki Lagoon to its east; however, the city’s southeast which ends around the western edge of Refuge Island, adjoins the eastern part of Ibeju-Lekki LGA.[2]

Measurement of Lekki Phase 1

The city is still largely under construction; As of 2015, only phase 1 of the project had been completed, with phase 2 nearing completion. The peninsula is approximately 70 to 80 km long, with an average width of 10 km. Lekki currently houses several gated residential developments, agricultural farmlands, areas allocated for a Free Trade Zone, with an airport, and a seaport under construction. The proposed land-use master plan for Lekki envisages the Peninsula as a “Blue-Green Environment City”,[2] expected to accommodate well over a residential population of 3.4 million in addition to a non-residential population of at least 1.9 million.[4]

Part of the Lekki peninsula was formerly known as Maroko, a slum, before it was destroyed by the Raji Rasaki led Lagos State military Government. One of its neighbourhoods, Lekki phase 1 has a reputation as an area with some of the most expensive real estate in Lagos State.[citatio

Buying High-Quality Buttons

The closest laundry and dry cleaning pick up service near you

It’s important to assess the quality and use of buttons before you buy a garment. This makes maintenance and cares much simpler.

  1. Check to see if the buttons are spaced evenly and secured by multiple threads underneath. This helps keep them in place. Be certain extra buttons are included. Quality clothing typically has at least one extra button attached to the label or hem.
  2. Next check the buttonholes. These should always be reinforced with densely stitched thread. This keeps the buttons from pulling or even ripping the fabric. No raw edges of the fabric should be visible through the stitching.
  3. Keyhole buttonholes should be used on jackets, cardigans, and garments that present a clean silhouette. This means they include a round hole on one side, allowing the button to sit comfortably in the hole without distorting the fabric.

Button Care

 

Inspect buttons (and buttonholes) every time you launder or dry clean any garment. Check for loose threads that may cause a button to come off. Do you see cracked, broken, or missing buttons? Dry clean garments with buttons that can’t be washed to prevent damage. If you’re not sure, ask the customer service rep at your Lekki Phase location of Laundrymann before washing at home.

While important, button care is generally overlooked until it’s too late. To prevent embarrassing mishaps, bring your shirts (and other items) to laundrymann. You will always be buttoned up and ready for any occasion when we care for your clothes!

 

How To Take Care Of Men’s Button-Down Shirts

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The button-down shirt is a symbol of the white-collar worker and the uniform of the male professional. Taking care of men’s button-down shirts and keeping them up to standards, however, is a little more complicated than just washing and drying them. They can accumulate the grime of a workday and lose the lustre you expect your button-down to bring to the table.

So what should we do? Do we need to slash and burn our worn-out button-down shirts and get new ones?

For the most part, a shirt usually lasts up to six months – it could live as long as two to three years with the proper care – and it really depends on how frequently you wear it. In some cases, a shirt can be unsalvageable (waxy seams, yellow stains, and rips around the neckline and the armpits), but all some button-downs need to seem fresh again is some proper care and attention.

So, before you go grab that machete knife and flamethrower, do yourself a favour and read up on these tips for managing and preserving your dress shirts.

  • Wear an Undershirt for Extra Protection

Men, you should really invest in some undershirts if you haven’t already. Undershirts provide an extra wall of protection between you, your natural body emissions, and your shirt. Of course, an undershirt can’t stop 100 per cent of body stains from reaching the shirt fabric, but it can be huge for adding months, even years, to the life of your shirt.

  • Use a Special Deodorant

The kind of deodorant you use can be a powerful tool in protecting/preserving your shirts. Make sure the deodorant you use has a neutral pH with little to no acidity. Also, if possible, make sure the deodorant completely dries before wearing your shirt.

  • Launder and Press the Shirts by Hand

If you’re too lazy to do this, go to a nearby laundrymann station and ask them if they could do it for you. If they can’t, ask them if they could at least launder it. You won’t regret it as a dress shirt can cost up to a few hundred dollars, and they start to show their wear after six to seven months.

  • Use White Vinegar in Wash

Dropping about a cup of white vinegar into some cold water along with your dress shirts can help remove the yellow sweat stains as well as give your shirts a fresh clean odour.

  • Wash Your Shirts Right After Your Wear Them

Lastly, it is a good practice to wash your button-downs after each wear, mainly because remaining deodorant and sweat stain chemicals can be extremely harmful to the shirt fibres.

Ultimately, there will come a day when your button-downs need to be replaced from old age, but, until that day comes, these tips can prolong their life. They are, after all, a reflection of your professionalism!

Conclusion

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