The post I’m Throwing In The Towel written by Churchill appeared first on Churchill Dry Cleaners | FREE pickup | FREE parking.

Studies have shown that laundry is one of the most disliked household tasks.

Fortunately, there is a better option for you and your clothes.

Time really is worth more than money. Let us take the drudgery of doing laundry off your hands and chase the laundry blues away!

Proctor & Gamble released a 2001 survey showing how the average woman spends seven to nine hours a week doing laundry. Given that more Americans own more clothes than ever before, this is understandable. (According to P&G each person piles up 227 kilograms of dirty clothing per year.) But is this the best use of an already-too-busy person’s time?

Feeling Good

More recently, P&G shared the Everyday Effect Theory, stating the feel good benefits of looking good. Actions that may seem ordinary or routine, such as wearing a clean shirt or brushing our teeth, can have a significant positive impact on ourselves and those around us. The negative side of this is immediately noticeable. Consider the discomfort of worrying about whether or not our bodies emit an offensive odour. That worry uses up brain power. We need 100% of our mind’s ability to do our best. Let us free up those resources by helping you look your best.

Time is worth more than money.

Professional cleaning uses equipment that breathes new life into older garments, eliminates wrinkles, removes soils and stains home equipment can’t get out. Not to mention, it makes you look great!

De-stress yourself. Put that ironing board away. Bring your clothes to us for professional cleaning.

Not only will you have more time to do things you enjoy, but your clothes will look better than they would if you spent all that time washing, drying, and ironing.

Professional cleaning gives you more time, brainpower, and keeps your clothes looking great.

What are you waiting for? Choose Churchill for your laundry and remove the drudgery from your life.

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The post Say ‘YES!’ To Exceptional Customer Service written by Churchill appeared first on Churchill Dry Cleaners | FREE pickup | FREE parking.

It’s not simply saying “yes” to every customer request. Instead we’ve noted that even if a company takes care of every request, if its response is lacking in personality, it still may not be perceived as good service.

You see, if the “I’ll take care of you” response is void of personality, in other 

words, zombie-like and mindless (robotic even), you might appreciate that your request was fulfilled but still not be impressed with the customer service.

The point is that customer service is more than just saying “yes.” It’s more than doing what the customer expects. It’s taking care of the customer with some personality. The personality traits of a customer-focused individual include caring, empathy, sincerity, cheerfulness, and more. And 

remember, this isn’t just about the front line – everyone is a customer, whether they are internal or external.

So, how much personality does it take?

Well, the customer needs to get some sense of enthusiasm and caring – even a slight demonstration of the customer-focused traits mentioned above can show the customer that you are not just going through the motions. This empathy and connection with the customer is really what is needed.

Great customer service at Churchill doesn’t mean saying “yes” to every request. It’s a little something more than simply fixing your issue. It’s the personality the Churchill team put into your experience with us.

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The post Survival Guide For Wedding Dresses written by Churchill appeared first on Churchill Dry Cleaners | FREE pickup | FREE parking.

Wedding day stains are fairly common, and almost anything you spill on your wedding dress will show. Here’s a quick-fix guide to help you out if you find yourself in trouble. The most important thing is to have a good time and not worry about your dress—after all, it is your wedding day, and there will be plenty of time to worry about your gown later. After the festivities are over, send your gown to a professional cleaner for cleaning and packaging for storage.

Makeup

Makeup stains can be cleaned with a dry cloth, or a cloth slightly dampened with a small amount of water. These stains are common because everyone is dressed to impress for your special day, and often others can pass makeup onto your dress. These stains are hardly visible, so you can make it through the entire day without too much trouble.

Champagne & Wine

Wine and champagne, regardless of colour, contain considerable amounts of sugar as well as some dye or colouring. You can easily spill champagne on your wedding gown at the reception, or the best man can spill it on you if he’s really nervous during his toast! Use a wet napkin to remove the stain and enjoy the rest of the day. Blot, don’t rub, the stain. Rubbing can abrade the fibres and spread the stain.

Coffee & Tea

It’s still not safe after dinner. The most important thing is to keep hydrated as a bride, so if someone spills coffee and tea on you, blot the stain with soda water and keep on partying.

Wedding Cake

Wedding cake can get on your dress very easily, since it’s traditional to smear your new spouse at the reception. Fortunately, most cake ingredients are water soluble and can be quickly removed with soda water, or with a quick blot. Some frosting contains dyes. Try to blot with a cloth or baby wipes.

FUN

Fun is one thing that won’t leave a mark on your dress. Don’t sweat the small stuff and let it ruin your big day. Remember not to let this stuff bother you so much that you end up worrying too much to have a good time. This is your wedding day! If you get a stain on your dress, chances are your cleaner can take care of it. Stop stressing! Enjoy yourself! Wedding day stains are fairly common, and almost anything you spill on your wedding dress will show.

Survival Kit

When the drinks are on the bride and groom, there can be problems. Though it will hopefully be unnecessary, it may be a good idea to pack a quick clothing care emergency kit in case disaster happens.

The stains at left are only some of the things that can take the wind from the sails of your wedding day. Snags and snares, disappearing buttons, and unexpected tears can all be quickly mended with a few everyday items, provided you have them with you.

Keep the following items handy so you can treat stains, fix tears, or replace buttons in no time flat.

• A handful of white and clear buttons
• White beads
• A white cloth or handkerchief
• Small spool of white or clear thread
• A needle
• Safety pins or transparent tape
• Small bottle of rubbing alcohol
• Small bottle of seltzer water
• Baby wipes for stain removal

Remember, you can always bring in your wedding dress to Churchill for expert care: repair, refurbishing, preservation and heir-looming.

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The post Environment Matters To Churchill written by Churchill appeared first on Churchill Dry Cleaners | FREE pickup | FREE parking.

The word ‘green’ is everywhere.

In the news, politics, fashion, technology and the obvious subjects are weather and global warming. Every action we take now has and will have an impact on the world and our children’s future environment for many years to come.

Churchill is always looking for ways to help reduce the amount of waste produced as a byproduct of our services.

Our Machines

Our dry cleaning machines filter the perc (perchloroethylene) used in the dry cleaning process. After a cleaning cycle has finished, our machines return the used perc back through a filter for re-use. This process carries on until the left over perc is no longer re-usable due to the presence of too many contaminants from the cleaning process. Unusable perc is collected by a specialist waste disposal company, it does not enter into normal waste and does not pose such a hazard to the environment.

To further reduce waste, we ensure our machines are run with the maximum load possible then share this information with the local council.

Our Plastic Bags

The plastic bags that cover our dry cleaning are made from LLDPE (linear low 

density polyethylene), which is an un-pigmented plastic film that feels slightly tacky to the touch. This plastic can be recycled and has a recycle code of 4. Churchill encourages customers to bring in any unused plastic covering if they are unable to recycle it themselves. We also make a note of the customers who have requested no plastic packaging.

Our duvet bags are made of heavier material and are not readily recyclable. We therefore ensure that customers re-use the duvet bags we’ve previously provided and we use the same bag when returning items to the customer.

Our Metal Hangers

As you may have guessed, Churchill uses a lot of clothes hangers.

Hangers that are made entirely of metal are recyclable, as are hangers made entirely of plastic.

Hangers that are a mix of metal and plastic cannot be recycled easily because the mixed materials cannot be readily separated. Some plastic or metal hangers incorporate an easily removed second material (i.e. paper wrapping on a metal hanger, or metal clips on a plastic hanger).  These can be recycled if the two materials are separated.

Reusing is preferable to recycling and Churchill encourages customers to bring back any of our unused hangers for reuse.

We do the same with safety pins as well.

Life Of Your Clothes

Churchill believes in ensuring clothes are not discarded before they reach the end of their life. Our alteration and repair service helps with this initiative. What’s more, fashion trends always seem to repeat every few years so items not currently being worn might be the hottest style once again. The suite of  ‘clothes moth’ and ‘moisture repellent’ products that we sell in the Churchill Shop help our customers to keep clothes for longer periods.

Every little bit we can do can make a difference to the environment. Churchill is helping by doing what it can.

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The post Does Dry Cleaning Save Me Money? written by Churchill appeared first on Churchill Dry Cleaners | FREE pickup | FREE parking.

People are often reluctant to dry clean their clothing because it is more expensive than traditional laundry, but a professional cleaning service can be a great investment for your lifestyle and wardrobe that saves you money in the long run. Consider these three cost-effective conveniences the next time you’re headed to the washing machine.

It helps your polished pieces last longer

While there are items that you can take care of at home, certain designer or bespoke pieces such as your silk dress or structured wool blazer are best left in the care of a professional dry cleaner. Pieces that aren’t properly cleaned before being put away can carry undetectable odours that attract insects and moths. These pests can eat certain fabrics, including wool, cashmere, silk and cotton, gradually ruining your favourite items. Sensitive fabrics may also fade in colour or stretch in shape in a washing machine or dryer. By using a professional cleaning service, your pieces will last much longer so you won’t have to replace them as often, ultimately saving you money.

Care tip: Familiarise yourself with different fabrics and the appropriate treatment for each material. For instance, cashmere can often be hand washed with a gentle laundry soap. Before doing so, it’s always good to double check the clothing label to see if hand washing is appropriate. Other fabrics like silk require professional dry cleaning.  Our guide on which pieces can be dry cleaned provides an in-depth breakdown.

It can treat stubborn stains

Besides helping your pieces maintain their colour and shape, dry cleaning can help treat stubborn stains like grass, which you might not be able to remove using traditional laundry means. Churchill’s professional stain removal service might be able to salvage your favourite sweater or slacks so you don’t waste money on different detergents or DIY treatments just to end up with a slightly faded but still visible mark. Furthermore, if you don’t pre-treat stains or if you use the wrong cleaning agent, you might actually cause further damage to your clothing. Either way you can be left having to replace these pieces altogether, and wasting money on your wardrobe.

Care tip: Food stains can affect fabrics differently than sweat residue. In some cases, you might be able to apply a DIY treatment. Know when to treat the stain yourself and when to visit a dry cleaner with our stains guide.

It adds professionalism to your workplace attire

First impressions are extremely important. Being smartly dressed will help you make your mark at a job interview or client meeting which can lead to financial gain down the road. An inexpensive way to elevate your office style is to ensure that your pieces are always freshly pressed. You don’t need to spend a lot to create a chic ensemble: well tailored and maintained pieces create a professional look that will help you get ahead in the workplace. To keep your business attire looking top notch, leave your suit or dress shirt with the dry cleaners. Even if you work in a creative or casual environment, a creased shirt can make you look sloppy. Unsightly wrinkles, stains or smells on worn clothing detract from your professionalism. A trusted service will help you take care of these smaller details so you can focus on the big picture and impress your boss or client.

Care tip: Besides taking care of your basic clothing maintenance needs, Churchill provide a comprehensive alteration and repair service. Take advantage of this to ensure your office outfit is always as impressive as your portfolio.

While you save on short-term costs doing laundry at home, your finest attire requires professional care to keep them looking as fresh as the day you bought them. And that’s a worthwhile investment.

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The post New Churchill Website Has Launched written by Churchill appeared first on Churchill Dry Cleaners | FREE pickup | FREE parking.

It’s alive!

Churchill has had a website for a number of years, but is was extremely dated and limited in its capacity.

One of the highest priority tasks has been to leverage current technology and best practices to bring our website into the modern realm.

So here it is, our new site which has been completely redesigned from the ground up with the following features:

State of the art servers ensure it is always available and quick to access.

Fully responsive so it’s is optimised and adapts itself depending on which device you are using to view it whether it’s a laptop, tablet or mobile phone.

Incorporating our online shop allowing you to purchase any of the items that are available in store from the comfort of your home.

Built in forms and a database allowing you to schedule pickup and delivery services.

Provide feedback on your experiences with us and review our products allowing us to continually improve.

Notification of any special offers and discounts that are currently available.

Answer any questions about our service via our FAQ.

Our ‘Cleaning Blog‘ will have new weekly articles with hints, tips and survival guides for all things fabric cleaning related.

A dynamic website integrating fully with our social media accounts. That way you can be notified of anything new that is happening without any effort. You can simply click on the information that catches your eye and you’ll be brought straight to the right place.

It’s a brave new Churchill world … and you’re part of it..

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