Why You Should Care About Care Labels

Here’s a doozy. Have you seen this on a clothing care label? “Do not dry clean. Do not hand wash. Professional spot clean only.” Gary Casassa, owner of Marin Cleaners, Inc., a Diamond Certified company, usually sees these types of labels on high-end items such as evening dresses with beads and sequins. Customers don’t like hearing that even a professional dry cleaner can’t do a thorough cleaning on these items. Some garments become unwearable as a result.

The problem with professional spot cleaning is that it requires water in order to rinse out the spot remover. Also, spot cleaning can leave a small circle and/or a watermark. Mr. Casassa suggests that you look closely at those care labels before you spend a lot of money on a garment. Avoid those with an “X” through BOTH the dry cleaning and washing symbols.