Laundry Products: The Bare Essentials

With so many different laundry products on the market, it’s sometimes difficult to muddle through the options to determine which ones you and your family really need. Do I really need this color or scent enhancer? Is it worth it to purchase the detergent with the boosted stain removal? Liquid, power, or pods?

The good news is, you need a minimal amount of product in your laundry room to get the job done effectively. The items can found in your local department store - and some are probably already in your home - and they won’t bust your family budget.

Choosing a laundry detergent

Liquids, pods, and powders can all be used in any water temperature and are formulated to use in high-efficiency washers; just look for the "he" (high-efficiency) symbol. FYI: you can use “he” laundry detergent in a standard top load washer.

Below are the pros and cons of each detergent type.

Liquid Detergent

• Pros: Perfect for using as a stain pretreater or spot cleaning, especially on oil and grease stains as it adheres to the fibers of the fabric to help release the stain. Less expensive than single dose pods.
• Cons: Difficult to measure the correct amount resulting in too much detergent per load, wasted money and residue left on clothes and washing machines. The packaging places an enormous strain on landfills.

Pods (Pre-Packaged)

• Pros: Convenient and simple to use. Premeasured dose of detergent produces consistent results. Less packaging waste for landfills.
• Cons: Most expensive per load of laundry. Pods cannot be used for pretreating or spot treating stains. Poisoning hazard and easily swallowed by children and vulnerable adults.

Powder Detergent

Pros:

• Most cost effective
• Packaging is recyclable and more environmentally friendly.
• Powder detergent formulas are more stable than liquid or pods.

Cons:

• must be stored in a completely dry area to prevent caking.
• Pretreating stains is more difficult because a paste must be made first with the powder detergent and water.

Whether you decide on liquid, pods or powder, price isn't always the best indicator of how well a detergent will perform. The more active ingredients listed in the formula, like enzymes that break down stains; the better the detergent will perform.

Mattituck Laundry is located at 12250 Main Road, on the North Fork of Long Island, New York, with additional locations in Greenport and East Hampton. Our services include on-site dry cleaning, wash and fold, pick-up and delivery, and self-service coin operated washers and dryers. Visit our site or call (631) 298-1963 to learn more!

Reducing Clothing Waste this Earth Day

This year, the 47th annual Earth Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22nd. Many Americans don’t realize how much clothing ends up in landfills, taking up valuable space and releasing harmful gases and chemicals into the atmosphere. Reducing clothing waste has become a goal for many environmentally-conscious citizens, and this Earth Day marks a perfect opportunity to shine a light on this important topic.

Cheaply-made Clothing and Faster Fashion Cycles Contribute to Waste

As clothing became mass-produced, and then more cheaply-made, affordability and increased fashion cycles skyrocketed. While at first glance, affordable clothing seems like a positive, low-quality items tend to get treated as disposable and end up being tossed. NPR reported that fashion has moved from a 4-season industry to as many as 10-15 cycles per year, and the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans alone now generate roughly 14-15 million tons of textile waste each year.

Low Quality Garments are More Difficult to Recycle

Textile recycling, as well as the secondhand clothing industry, are enormous global businesses that help alleviate the problem of clothing waste. Clothing that can’t be resold is often made into industrial wiping cloths, cleaning cloths, rugs, carpeting, and more. When garment quality is low, however, recyclers have a difficult time finding buyers for the used fabrics.

Investing in Well-Made Clothes

Although it’s tempting to stock up on cheap clothing that you can wear a few times and get rid of, the cost of “fast fashion” is high when it comes to the environment. Investing in quality pieces that can last through the years can be a responsible and wise investment both financially and socially. Although “fast fashion” makes it difficult to keep up with the trends of the moment, many clothing styles are timeless or stay in fashion for years. When you purchase clothing you really like, it can be frustrating if it falls apart after just a few washes. Investing in well-made clothing instead often gets a better return on your money, and comes with the added insurance that, even when it goes out of style, it has a higher likelihood of being usefully repurposed.

Other ideas for saving clothing from waste include clothing swaps, renting special occasion outfits, and repurposing fabric at home yourself.

Mattituck and Greenport Laundry’s full-service laundry business can care for your clothing with our dry cleaning, wash & fold, and pick-up services. With three convenient locations to serve you in the North Fork area of Long Island, New York, and over 15 years of experience caring for our customers’ treasured garments, we make it easy to keep your wardrobe fresh and ready-to-wear. Please call one of our locations to schedule services, or visit our website to learn more about us!

What Clothes Need Dry Cleaning and Why

The vast majority of your wardrobe can be laundered at home in your own washer and dryer, but there are certain items of clothing that require special care. Certain articles of clothing, especially nicer garments and formalwear, may read “Dry Clean Only” on the label. Chances are that these clothing items are not cheap, so you’ll want to follow the care instructions exactly as stated and not attempt to wash them at home.

What is dry cleaning?

Despite the name, dry cleaning is not completely dry. Dry cleaning uses solvents, like perchloroethylene or hydrocarbon to remove stains that have set in fibers. Dry cleaning solvents are able to remove tough stains like oil and grease more gently and effectively than traditional machine washing, which can damage a delicate garment.

What is the history of dry cleaning?

The most common stories about the origin of dry cleaning center on a surprise discovery when a petroleum-type fluid was accidentally spilled on a greasy fabric. It quickly evaporated and the stains were miraculously removed. The first dry cleaning firm is considered to be Jolly-Belin, which opened in Paris in the 1840s. In these early days, garment scourers found several fluids that could be used as dry cleaning solvents, including camphene, benzene, kerosene, and gasoline. These fluids are all very flammable, so dry cleaning was a hazardous business until safer solvents were developed almost a hundred years later.

Which clothing items should always be dry cleaned?

Says Martha Stewart: Suits, pleated skirts, and clothing made from delicate synthetics, such as rayon, or fabric blends, including silk and wool, should be left to the pros; all tend to lose their shape in water. Leather or suede items and those with metal embellishments, beading, or sequins require special care, too. Heavily soiled garments, especially those with difficult oil-based stains, should be taken to a dry cleaner, who may be able to remove them with specialized solvents.

If you have any garments that need to be washed but their care label specifies dry clean only, bring them to Mattituck Laundry! We provide standard dry cleaning services for any clothing item that is delicate, has a difficult to remove stain, or requires special care. We work with all fabrics and clothing types, including silk, cashmere, wool, cotton, and rayon. Bring us your suits, formal dresses, professional attire, button down shirts, and leather items. Questions or concerns? Give us a call today at 631-477-1994!

Take Advantage of Our FREE Pick-Up and Delivery!

Have you ever found yourself…

•        Altering your route to drop off or pick up your dry-cleaning?

•        Leaving dirty, wrinkled clothes sitting forgotten in the closet because “you just didn’t have time” to bring them in?

•        Forgetting a treasured item at the cleaners because life got away from you?

All too often we’re trying to squeeze one more errand into our already over-packed days.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, when Americans dedicate time to housework, we spend 2.35 hours doing it! Laundry is one of these chores that never go away.

Save precious time by having Mattituck Laundry do the work for you. We offer FREE pick-up and delivery for all your cleaning needs. Let one of our laundry professionals come to your home, pick up your clothes, and bring them back for a cleaning. We’ll dry clean, wash and fold - whatever your needs are. When your clothes are done we’ll deliver them right back to you! 

Wondering what to do with all your free time?

Ten Things You Can Do Instead of Your Laundry

1.     Go straight home after that stressful meeting

2.     Pick your kids up from school on time

3.     Make dinner

4.     Enjoy leisure time with your partner

5.     Grab coffee with a friend

6.     Make it to the gym, yoga, or spin class

7.     Cheer on your teenager at their game or performance

8.     Walk the dog

9.     Catch up on current events

10.  Dedicate mental energy to networking, building your business, or involvement in charity work

Streamline your to-do list, make your errand routes more direct, and never leave wrinkly clothes in the dryer again. For more information on the logistics of our FREE pick up and delivery service, give us a call at 631-298-1963. 

Mattituck Laundry is a full service laundry business offering dry cleaning, washing and folding of machine-washable items, and self-service coin operated washers and dryers.  Head to our website to learn more about our services!