Expert Tip

While the following tips are very helpful and may treat most food stains, it’s always a good idea to have your clothes treated by a stain expert from the start. This is to prevent improper treatment of the stain, which will cause it to sink into the fabric even further and damage your clothing item(s) permanently.

Here are 4 steps to remove barbecue sauce stains from your shirts, pants and dresses.

Step 1. Remove the excess barbecue sauce from your clothing

Using a spoon, gently scoop any barbecue sauce from the fabric. You won’t be able to get the sauce that has already soaked into the fabric, but at least this will prevent the stain from spreading on other parts of the clothing.

Step 2. Rinse with cold water

Run cold water through the back of the stain as quickly as possible. Make sure not to use hot water because hot water can make it even more difficult, if not impossible to remove the stain. Rub a liquid laundry detergent into the stained portion of the fabric. You want both sides to be completely soaked through. The reason to use liquid laundry detergent is that it is very good at removing the oily and greasy parts of the barbecue sauce that try to stick on the fibers of your clothing.

Step 3. Use a stain remover

Apply a stain remover (spray or liquid) of your personal choice and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes before washing. It is best to apply the stain remover on both sides of the fabric to make sure the stained area is fully covered. Do make sure to wash the fabric within 20 minutes of applying the stain remover. If the garment is white, you can apply a mild bleaching product like white vinegar. Make sure to rinse well afterwards. It’s important to keep in mind that even mild bleaching products can remove the color of clothing. If you are concerned about this, it’s best to skip this part.

Step 4. Soak in warm water if steps 1 – 3 are unsuccessful

If for any reason the stain remains, rub some liquid laundry detergent into the stain and soak in warm water for about 30 minutes. Rinse well before washing again and allow the clothing item to air dry to make sure the entire stain has been removed.

Step 5. Bonus: Leave it to the professionals!

If you choose to follow these steps, do remember that the more you treat a stain and if you don’t treat it properly, the more likely it is to embed itself permanently into the fabric. Cleaning experts such as dry cleaners are better equipped to treat any stain. The chance of fully removing a stain is better if it is done by an expert the first time around. If you notice that the stain is still visible after these steps, then we recommend to still have this outfit treated by a professional dry cleaning (delivery) service. Our stain removal professionals are ready to take on any stain. Step 1 is still recommended, but avoid further treatment (especially rubbing!) of the stained area.

Now, who’s ready for some burgers?

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What do most people expect from spring cleaning your home?

Most people thoroughly clean their home in the springtime simply because it is habit or tradition they’ve developed. When your home has that clean feeling, you tend to feel better about yourself and appreciate your belongings more. It’s an opportunity to open your windows and let some fresh air flow through your home, something you’ve not been able to do since the late fall season.

1. CLEAN YOUR WALLS

The walls are the primary thing when thinking about the most important parts of your house. People rarely include walls on their cleaning list yet it’s so important to the overall cleanliness of your home. It’s astonishing that a flat dry surface is able to catch so much dirt throughout the year. Taking the time to clean them at least once a year will make your whole home feel cleaner and fresher, longer.

2. FRESHEN UP YOUR CURTAINS

Curtains are to dust as fly catchers are to flies. They catch dust as if it were their main purpose. Most of the time we don’t even realize how dirty and dusty they are until we get really close to them (and open them dramatically to let some sun in). Your curtains require deep cleaning to prevent allergies. Some curtains can be laundered at home but some require dry cleaning or a larger washing machine than the one you have in your home. Most of the time however, it’s best to leave curtain cleaning to professionals. What better time to do this than during your spring cleaning period?

4. DEEP CLEANING YOUR CARPET(S) & RUG(S)

During the winter season, dirt and dust accumulates inside your home, being brought in under your shoes, on your clothes and even on pets. These end up on and in your carpet and rug. A good vacuum will remove most of the surface dirt and dust, but over time most of it will drop to the base of your carpet, which is difficult to remove with your domestic vacuum cleaner.

To keep your carpet in excellent condition you really need to get it professionally cleaned. The environmental protection agency suggests that carpets be cleaned every 6 to 12 months, especially if you have young children, elderly parents or anyone suffering from breathing disorders. Bacteria and dust mites live in dirty carpets and they may cause some health issues and allergies. Professional cleaning of your carpet/rug removes these unwelcome guests and dirt that reside in your carpet, and increases its lifespan. Learn more about our household textiles service (including carpets) here.

 

! Carpets & rugs are sometimes used interchangeably. But they are different. Carpets cover room floors and can’t be removed. Rugs can be rolled up and moved. For carpet cleaning, you can rent a cleaning machine at most hardware stores.

The post Spring Cleaning? Don’t Forget These 6 Things In Your Home! appeared first on Mr. Timesaver©.

It’s very likely that at some time or the other, you owned a dress shirt or blouse that had stains, discoloration or even tears after only a few wears. Especially in the armpit area (Hello yellow underarms!). With the warmth of the summer comes the challenge of keeping the underarms of your dress shirts or blouses dry, clean, and most importantly the same color as the rest of the shirt. So you’re probably asking yourself: what happened to my dress shirt or blouse that caused the stain or discoloration? Why can’t I raise my arms in confidence, high five people or give thumbs ups?

How armpit stains are formed

Deodorants and anti-perspirants contain several chemicals including aluminum chloride, alcohol and fragrances. Keep in mind that these are also included in your body lotions, perfumes, hair sprays and many other hygienic products that you personally put on. Once these active ingredients, which happen to be quite acidic, connect with your sweat, they can stain, weaken and even ruin your clothes.  Cotton, linen and synthetic fabrics are especially vulnerable to stains and damage from aluminum chloride. It is also important to know that a professional dry cleaner has no way of knowing that your underarm fabric is becoming weakened until the effects are visible, often after the item is cleaned.

How to prevent yellow stains

Natural Deodorant

In order to prevent this type of damage you might consider changing to a deodorant that is labeled “natural”, doesn’t contain aluminum chloride and has a neutral pH. It’s also important to point out that after taking a shower, you should wait until your skin is fully dry before applying deodorant, and then allow it to completely dry before putting on your clothes.

Wear an undershirt to prevent yellow armpit stains

Another solution, although not as popular today as a few decades ago, is wearing an undershirt. The undershirt can effectively protect your expensive dress shirts from stains and helps prolong the lifespan of your clothes. This trick will also keep your shirt fresher all day.

Wash the garment right after wearing

Besides the discoloration of your dress shirt under the arms you may also notice weakening of the fabric, sometimes even small tears. This happens when anti-perspirants have remained on the fabric for a long period of time. In order to prevent this type of chemical damage, make sure to wash the dress shirt as soon as possible after wearing to have the anti-perspirant removed from the garment.

Conclusion

In the business world, armpit stains are not only embarrassing, but they’re also very distracting. How could your potential client or even your boss focus on your wonderful presentation when every time you raise your arm, a big yellow stain is staring back at them? Well, let’s look on the bright side. Mr. Timesaver has you covered. As an on-demand dry cleaning and laundry service provider, we genuinely know your clothing is important for you and also an investment of both money and time. For that reason, we’re always looking for innovative and sustainable ways to extend the lifespan of your clothing and provide you with the best customer service.

Learn more about treating and preventing the “ring around the collar” stain on your dress shirts. 

DRESS SHIRTS: HOW TO PREVENT THE RING AROUND THE COLLAR STAIN

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Preventing Ring Around the Dress Shirt Collar

Before we talk about how to properly deal with yellow collar stains, we should first understand what causes it and a few key things you can do to prevent it (or reduce it). That unpleasant yellow ring on your collar is caused by sweat and a combination of dead skin cells, oils that your body produces, and product buildup.

Hygiene and dress shirts

Sadly, not much can be done about sweat other than making use of body wipes on your neck throughout the day and applying a bit of (baby) powder after showering. For those struggling with a bad case of ring around the collar, adopting a few extra hygiene habits to reduce the amount of collar buildup wouldn’t hurt. Using shower sponges or washcloths in the shower are great ways to give your neck some love in the shower. Post-shower, if you’re a person who uses body lotion or hair products like gel, make sure to wipe your neck before putting on your dress shirt. This is to prevent the products from being soaked up by your collar (and your shirt’s armpit area).

Multiple wears & irons

While wearing dress shirts multiple times between washes might be a popular thing to do for some people, it’s not the best thing to do if you want to maintain the look of your dress shirt in the long run. Wearing a dress shirt more than once without washing is not recommended as the body heat generated from the second wearing can set in stains from the previous wearing. The collars may even look clean at this stage but oils can appear invisible until heat is applied. If for any reason you decide to re-press a worn dress shirt for a second wearing, it’s important to keep in mind that this can and probably will cause the dirt and oils in the collar to set and become permanent stains.

Treating Ring Around the Collar Stains at Home

There are many products to treat rings around the collar nowadays. Most of them are available on almost every store shelf. However, since everyone has a different body chemistry, it’s difficult to say that there’s one specific product that will work best for everyone.  The downside of these “ring around the collar treatments” is that they can actually set in the stain if not used correctly. For that reason, we recommend using an on demand dry cleaning service. A professional dry cleaner will pre-treat the ring around the collar stain with multiple formulas which will remove or lighten it. The probability of the stain setting and becoming permanent is minimized when done by professionals.

*Important notice: If you’re uncertain of how to properly treat a stain, it’s best to let your dry cleaner make the first attempt. Wrongly treating a stain may in fact make it harder or even impossible for the dry cleaner to remove it after your attempt. 

Bonus: Tips For Keeping Dress Shirts Looking Great

• Make sure to scrub your neck well during shower.
• Minimize use of body lotion or colognes around your neck.
• Wash your dress shirt after every wear, especially white ones.

Other benefits of using a dry cleaning service and more on our blog.

The post Dress Shirts: How to Prevent The Ring Around the Collar Stain appeared first on Mr. Timesaver©.

Clothing Care Guide

To help you successfully maximize the lifespan of your winter clothes, we’ve put together this handy guide with great tips and tricks that you can truly benefit from. You may consider this your ultimate guide for keeping your winter clothes looking sharp for many seasons to come.

Cashmere Sweaters & Coats

• It is best to dry clean your cashmere clothes. As soon as you receive your cashmere coats and other clothing items back from the dry cleaner remove the protective plastic immediately. Fold and wrap cashmere items in tissue paper and store.

 

• Cashmere items may also be washed in cold water by hand with baby shampoo or Woolite for softness and protection from chemicals.

 

• Never hold up a wet cashmere sweater by the shoulders. This can cause stretching.

 

• Make sure to always clean cashmere items before storing it back for the winter, as moths are attracted to our everyday scents, such as our perfume, deodorant and food.

 

• When cashmere clothes are cleaned and ready to be stored, be sure to fold the sweaters in thirds.  By doing so, you won’t get the line running down the front of the sweater.

Vests & Down Jackets

• At Mr. Timesaver, we strongly recommend our customers to have their down winter jackets professionally cleaned. If for any other reason you choose to clean this at home, never wash it in a top loading machine, instead make sure to use only a front-loading washer.

 

• Don’t add more detergent than necessary. By adding too much detergent, you prevent down items from returning to their previous fluffy state.

 

• To make sure that all detergent is rinsed out, run the down items through an additional wash cycle without detergent.

 

• The drying process of down items is quite slow because high heat can cause unnecessary wear and tear to down items. Dry on low heat or the heatless cycle.

 

• Always toss in a few tennis balls to break up clumps. Even with the tennis balls, you’ll want to pull the down items out of the dryer occasionally and pull apart the clumps with your fingers.

Wool Sweaters & Coats

• It is highly recommended to use a lint or suede brush to remove surface soil and lint.

 

• Do hang your coats/sweaters on a sturdy hanger to prevent stretching in the shoulder area.

 

• Keep in mind that wool coats shouldn’t be hung in a packed closet, since air circulation helps the fabric stay fresh.

 

• Wool coats and sweaters should be dry cleaned at the beginning and at the end of the season. You’re probably asking yourself why? Well, just like cashmere fabric, moths are attracted to everyday human scents such as perfume, deodorant and food.

The Best Dry Cleaning and Laundry Delivery Service In The Netherlands Since 2015!

 

Mr. Timesaver is The Hague’s premium on-demand pickup and delivery service for dry cleaning, laundry, clothing repairs and shoe repair services. Mr. Timesaver’s services are currently offered in The Hague (Wassenaar, Rijswijk, Voorburg, Leidschendam and Voorschoten), Leiden, Rotterdam & Delft. Mr. Timesaver is the only pick-up and delivery service provider that is open 7 days a week. The best part of all is that there aren’t any delivery costs or hidden fees. With Mr. Timesaver’s dry cleaning prices what you see is what you pay. Learn more about our services & how it works!

 

CONTACT

 

 

If you have any questions regarding our services, please feel free to contact us at 0881846300 or email us at info@mrtimesaver.nl  We’re always ready to help.  If you want to take advantage of our convenient dry cleaning and laundry pick-up and delivery services, you can schedule online, by phone, or email.

Learn more

Place order

Other blog posts that might interest you:

Machine Wash or Dry Clean a Comforter? Goodbye Sweat & Dust Mites!

 

The Unknown Dangers of Dirty Curtains

 

7 Reasons You Should Use Mr. Timesaver (Delivery Service) Over Others

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Not surprisingly, when it comes to a household chore there are plenty of opinions on how often it should be done (or even if it’s necessary to get done). We spend a third of our lives on our beds, leaving behind 56 hours a week of sweat, body oils and dead skin cells.

So, How Often Should You Wash Bed Sheets?

At minimum, you should wash your sheets once a week, says Philip Tierno, Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

That’s because the second you crawl into your sheets, you’re infecting them with your constantly-shedding skin (you lose millions of skin cells per day), lotions, makeup, sweat, hair, and anything you’ve picked up during your day, like pollen, pet dander, fungal mold, and dirt particles, says Tierno. All come with unhealthy dose of bacteria. Not washing your bed sheets regularly can contribute to increased suffering from health problems such as asthma and allergies. If you, your partner, your children or someone in the family is sick, if you tend to sleep naked, or if you go to bed without showering after a workout, you might consider cleaning your bed sheets more frequently. Weather is a factor, as well. Depending on your lifestyle, bed linens may go through more wear and tear in the summer months, as we sweat more during the daytime in warm weather.

Here are some of the questions you can ask yourself to estimate the frequency of your washing needs:

• Do you sleep alone?
• Do you sleep naked?
• If you don’t sleep alone, who else sleeps with you?
  • Your spouse/partner?
  • Your children?
  • Pets?
• Do you shower before you go to bed at night?
• Have you been sick recently?
• Do you eat in bed?
• How much do you sweat at night?
• Do you sleep at home every night or are you frequently away?

CONCLUSION: There are enough reasons to urge you to change your sheets regularly

Knowing how often to  wash your bedding is as important as how to wash your bed sheets. Deciding how often to wash bed sheets might be a matter of personal preference.  However, there are some good reasons to change and launder your bed sheets on a regular basis. But here’s the best reason we can give you: The feeling of a freshly made bed is like no other. If getting into bed every night is one of life’s fine pleasures, then slipping between fresh clean sheets is like the cherry on top of the cake version of that pleasure. The reward of that fresh sheet feeling more than makes up for the worth of effort it takes to remake the bed.

On-Demand Dry Cleaning, Laundry, Clothing Repair and Shoe Services Delivered to Your Door. Yes, including bed sheets, comforters & more!

If you’re someone who has a busy and demanding lifestyle, you can truly benefit from the professional services provided by Mr. Timesaver. Mr. Timesaver offers on-demand dry cleaning, laundry, clothing repairs and shoe services, delivered right to your door. All you have to do is schedule your own preferred pickup and delivery dates and times and you’re all set. Mr. Timesaver is open 7 days a week starting from 7am until Midnight. Mr. Timesaver offers dry cleaning services in: The Hague (Wassenaar, Voorschoten, Leidschendam, Rijswijk and Zoetermeer), Leiden, Rotterdam, Delft.

Make your life easier with Mr. Timesaver!

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Taking proper care of your garments at home goes beyond just keeping that red sock out of your white load. Our mother may have taught us how to sort colors and load the washing machine, but she may have skipped a few important details. In this article we’ll share 3 essential laundry rules to keep your clothes looking like new and last longer. So, when you decide to empty your hamper again, make sure you keep these 3 tips in mind.

1. Buttons and zippers

Before you throw your clothes in the washer, take a moment to make sure that your buttons are unbuttoned and that your zippers are zipped. Unbuttoning all buttons, especially on shirts allows for a more thorough cleaning and prevents button loosening. Zippers need to be zipped to prevent them from ripping other items in the drum. It is indeed extra work if you have very little time to spend on your laundry, but it will prevent that your garments snag to one another in the load. Also a good tip to keep in mind is metal zippers do not mix well with sheer blouses.

2. Wash inside out

To protect the important part of your garment, turn your clothes inside out before washing. This is essential with denim and dark pants in order to prevent fading. If you have items that include printing or other embroidery, it’s probably a good idea to turn these items inside out as well. Just turn everything inside out to be safe. Got it? Good. If you’re too busy and have very limited time to spend on your laundry but still want the assurance that your clothes are treated with the utmost care, you may consider using a laundry service in The Hague, Leiden, Rotterdam & Delft with free pickup and delivery service.

3. Don’t forget to use a fabric softener. Or do?

I most cases, make sure to include fabric softeners into your laundry routine. Just as you use conditioner after you shampoo to keep your hair looking smooth and shiny, you should use fabric softener with your detergents to keep your clothes looking just as beautiful. Avoid a fabric softener when washing micro fiber towels, athletic sportswear, spandex & nylon garments as it can reduce their ability to manage moisture and breathe. In this case opt for some white vinegar as softener instead.

Expert tip: use ½ cup of white vinegar in your load.

Here are all the benefits
• Brighten and Whiten Whites
• Remove Mildew Odor
• Soften Clothes Naturally
• Reduce Lint
• Fight Arm Pit Odor
• Erase Hem Lines
• Protect Dark Colors
• Remove Cigarette Smoke Odors

______________________________________________________________________________

Laundry Rules: Recap

So, besides separating colors, whites, and darks, you should also:

1. Unbutton all buttons
2. Close all zippers
3. Turn everything inside out.
4. Use softener (Or not! Check #3)
______________________________________________________________________________

BONUS TIP

4. Protect with a pillowcase

If you don’t have a net laundry bag, you can protect small or delicate items using nothing other than a pillowcase. Simply place your delicate items, underwear and hosiery in the pillowcase and then tie it off. This wonderful trick will help prevent wear and tear, and also helps with keeping track of items that may mysteriously disappear, for example sneaky socks. Bonus, you will also have a freshly laundered pillowcase to sleep on.

Do you have any other brilliant laundry tips not mentioned here? Please share them with us in the comments.

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