Raleigh Laundry | Coin Laundry Raleigh NC

September 3, 2018
by Laundry Expert
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Best Kept Laundry Tips

One of the most dreaded of all household chore is laundry. It is true that it’s bad rep comes from the fact that it is a time-consuming, boring job. Over the next couple of blog posts, we are going to offer up some of the absolute best kept laundry tips we could find. These tips will help turn this much-dreaded chore of laundry in Raleigh NC into one that is a little easier and hopefully more streamlined.

Did you know that all of your clothes can and should be washed in cold water? Cold water is the best way to ensure your clothes do not shrink. Dark colors will not fade when washed in cold water either. If you have clothes that become easily stained washing them in a cold water temperature will keep the stains from setting as well.

Speaking of stains, prevent them from causing you headaches by treating them immediately. Keep a stain treatment close at hand and use it ASAP. You will need to teach all of the family members to either pre-treat stains on their own or point them out to you immediately. This will keep the stains from becoming set and ruining the laundry in Raleigh NC.

If you have loads of laundry that are soiled more heavily than others you might want to invest in a laundry booster. There are many of these available on the market today. These are added in the wash to make your detergent work extra hard to remove dirt from the clothing. You can also try adding white vinegar to the wash. One half to one cup of white vinegar can help remove any stains, take away odors, and soften your clothing as well. This is a more natural alternative to harsher detergent additives.

It is a natural inclination for us to use more detergent when we have dirty laundry. The truth of the matter is that we should never use too much laundry detergent. Using too much can leave a heavy residue on the clothing that will show when the items are dried. Instead always fill the washing machine with your laundry load first. Then look at the instructions on the detergent label. Once you know the size of the load you can more properly determine the amount of detergent needed. This is an important step in your laundry chore that should never be overlooked.

If you have clothing items that need hand washed make sure you have the proper tools needed. A sink, where you can gently wash these items is an important item. A laundry detergent, formulated for gentle washing, is also needed. One item that will make this easier is a salad spinner. This salad spinner will be great for removing the excess water from the items. Once this is removed you can just lay the items flat to dry or hang them.

We have more tips to share in our next post so be sure to come back!

If you find yourself short on time and need some help getting your laundry under control Laundry Express can help! We offer all kinds of laundry services in Raleigh NC to get you and your laundry straightened out. Call or come by today!

August 31, 2018
by Laundry Expert
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The Best Pet Laundry Detergent

There is no denying that we love, love, love our fur-babies. They are an important part of the family and require many things. Blankets, bedding, toys, and for some clothing. These items will begin to smell a little funky over time and get really dirty. This will mean a good washing on a regular basis. The natural oils in their skin and any dirt they bring in from the outside world will cause issues as well. The question many pet owners have is, is it OK to use regular laundry detergent on pets items? This post will address this question and offer tips on how to pick the right pet laundry detergent for your fur-baby. As always, consider our Raleigh laundromat for all types of laundry services, including washing and drying pet accessories and beds.

Raleigh Laundromat Talks Pet Laundry Detergenet!

The first thing to consider when it comes to laundering your pets’ items is to choose a gentle laundry detergent. Just like we humans, our pets may also need a detergent that is fragrance free or even unscented. You may also want to look for one that is dye-free or clear. It is natural for us to not only want our pets’ blankets and bedding to be as clean as possible but we also want them to smell good as well. The problem is many dogs and cats as well or allergic to the chemicals that are found in most detergents. These allergies will manifest as irritated and itchy skin and sometimes these conditions can become chronic.

Common areas where you will see these conditions are on the skin and ears, under the front legs or between the poles, and around your pet’s face. Know that even chewing on toys or having contact with backpacks or clothing even worn by you can also cause these reactions. You will see symptoms that will include face rubbing, obsessive leaking, chronic ear infections, bald patches, skin rashes, head shaking, and possibly blister lesions. Since some skin irritations can also come from the food you will want to check with your vet to see what your fur-baby is allergic to.

A good laundry detergent to use on your pets items would be one that has been formulated for babies. These detergents are often the most gentle and have fewer chemicals than other detergents. Never use a laundry detergent that is concentrated or that is made to deep clean laundry. You may also choose to make your own laundry detergent there are many great recipes out there for putting your own together. Add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle to soften without using a chemically laden softener. Essential oils on a dryer ball or cloth in the dryer will add a great smell without those chemicals as well.

Of course, we want to do what is right for our pets so taking the time to find the right detergent and then keeping them and their items as clean as possible will help. If you are being run ragged, just attempting to keep up with all your extra laundry. Give Laundry Express a try! We offer state of the art machine for washing and drying your clothes. We also offer laundry services that include dry cleaning, wash-dry-fold, and stain removal! Don’t get behind on your family’s laundry. We are here to help! Visit our Raleigh laundromat soon!

August 25, 2018
by Laundry Expert
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More Pet Laundry Tips

Last post we brought you some tips on a unique laundry issue. Pet laundry can be one of the toughest laundry problems we have. Dealing with pet hair and other things can be easy if you know a few tricks. The following are some more tips for removing pet hair from your home from the best laundromat in Raleigh NC.

Pet Laundry Tips | Laundromat Raleigh NC

If you have pets particularly in your home, then you already know that dogs and cats shed a lot. It seems that at various times that pet hair is all over the home on your sheets your clothes and on every rug in the house. You will also see there for balls all over your wooden floors and under your furniture. Sometimes it seems that even after laundering everything fabric you still have tons of hair that just simply will not disappear.

One of the best tips that we can offer up is to prevent your pet’s hair from ever getting into your washing machine and dryer. We certainly are not able to keep our pets from shedding but if we take the time to daily do some tasks we can certainly reduce the amount of hair that accumulates.

The first thing you will want to do is to give your pet a grooming each day. This can be a quick brush or comb once a day for just a couple of minutes. You will be surprised how much this will help. You will also want to take the time to do a proper vacuum of your entire home each week or dust mop and sweep. Make sure you include all of the furniture as you vacuum. This will keep the hair from accumulating and transferring onto your clothes or every other surface of the home. If we have pets, then we also know they are worth the trouble it causes us in extra maintenance.

As noted in our previous blog you will want to wash your pet’s bedding as often as each week. This will help to keep the accumulated hair down as well. Another important thing to note is to be certain to clean your washer properly after you have washed the pet bedding. This will ensure there will be no hair left to be transferred onto your normal laundry. Keep the dryer lint trap cleaned as well.

When it comes to the hair on your clothing and furniture sticky lint rollers will be your best friend. Keep one handy in every room of your home and in your car. Keeping one in the car or at the office means you can give your clothing a good swipe to remove hair and look professional at all times. Giving the furniture a swipe daily will also keep hair off of you better.

We all love our pets and keeping their hair managed will make our laundry chores much easier. It just takes a routine and some diligence to keep things as hair-free as possible.

If you find yourself behind on a mountain of laundry, check out our laundromat in Raliegh NC. Laundry Express offers state of the art machines for washing and drying. We also offer laundry services that include dry cleaning, wash, dry, fold services, and stain removal. Don’t get behind when we can help! Visit us soon!

August 21, 2018
by Laundry Expert
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Pet Laundry Tips

One laundry problem that we all have that is different from the regular laundry chore is our pet laundry in Raleigh NC. If you own a pet or two there is a good chance you have pet related items that need to be laundered on a regular basis. Pet laundry is certainly different than doing our own laundry. Over the next two blog posts we will look at doing pet laundry and see what the best way is to take care of this unique kind of laundry.

In the late spring and on into the summer months dogs and some cats will shed their winter coats. This is going to mean a lot of pet hair on your clothing and their bedding. This can be a big job not only for you but for your washing machine. It is certainly a challenge when we attempt to get the hair off of almost all fabrics. Adding water only complicates the matter further. When water and pet hair mixed together you will find that it will stick to fabric and it will stick to your washer drum. This can result in clogged drains and make the cleanup even harder. The following are some steps you can take to get your pet’s bedding is clean and hair free as possible.

Before washing take the time to properly remove as much of your pet’s hair from the bedding as possible. You can use a lint roller or some sticky tape that will cause the hair to stick to it or an ordinary rubber glove dampened with water can help you also remove as much hair as possible.
Also, before washing place your bedding or clothing into the dryer and run a 10-minute cycle with no heat. This can help to loosen any remaining pet hair and deposit it into the lint trap. A dryer sheet tallest in will also take away static buildup and this will keep the hair away from the fabric. Once this cycle is complete, remove the items and shake them to remove any other pet hair that might remain in the end they are ready for the washer.
Next place the items into the washer. You will then want to add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. This is also a good way to loosen pet hair. Wash the bedding on a regular cycle.
After the cycle has completed you will then want to clean your washer. This will involve running a normal wash cycle with no laundry inside and then wipe down the tub when the cycle is complete. This should remove any remaining hair from your washer. If there is hair remaining allow the washer to dry and then use a vacuum to help remove it.
You should then dry the bedding in the dryer if it will fit properly. Be sure to check and empty the lint trap halfway through the cycle. You may also line dry of the bedding is too large.

Laundry Express knows your time at home with family is valuable. Doing the laundry in Raleigh NC can be time-consuming. We can help you with all things laundry. Come by and check out our state of the are laundry facility here in the Triangle area. We can help you get caught up as quickly as possible and get you back to doing things that are much more fun! Call us today!

August 15, 2018
by Laundry Expert
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What Is Dry Cleaning?

Dropping off our clothing at a dry cleaner store is pretty routine for most of us. We take our garments in, get a ticket, go back out to our car and drive off to more errands, We return within the week to retrieve our cleaned items and take them home. Easy-Peasy right? Have you ever wondered about what it is that happens in the middle? What was the process of cleaning your clothes and how did it all begin? This post will offer up some interesting history about dry cleaning.

Dry Cleaning Information | Coin Laundry Raleigh NC

It is thought that dry cleaning goes back to the beginning of textile clothing. In the ruins of Pompeii, there is evidence of a developed trade called “fullers” which were tradesmen who cleaned others clothing. The name comes from the clay that was used called “filler’s earth” that was combined with ammonia and lye. This combination could then be used to remove the grease and soil from the clothing which was deemed too fragile for washing. Although it is referred to as dry cleaning, garments are actually soaked in a solvent but not water.

There is also the idea that dry cleaning was accidentally discovered when a petroleum-based fluid was spilled by accident on a greasy stain. It was found that the fluid evaporated and the stains were gone. Jolly-Berlin was a company in Paris that is credited with being the first dry cleaning service in the 1840s.

The fluids used to dry clean were highly flammable in the early days. It made this a hazardous business. Today’s dry cleaners use newer solvents that are much safer. There are also dry cleaning machines used that hold the solvent and soak the items. Most of these machines clean the item and then dry it as well. Your clothing is examined for stains and heaviness of soil. The time needed for a cleaning cycle is then set.

Most cycles can be between 8-15 minutes long. The distilled solvent is used to rinse the garment. The solvents used do not discolor the items either. The solvent that is extracted during the rinse cycle is reused. There is an amazing 99.9% recovery in today’s modern machines. Some of the solvents used are Hydrocarbons, Perchloroethylene, Trichloroethylene, and Supercritical CO2.

Dry cleaning your clothing will help it last longer. It is also a great way to have your business attire looking as good as possible. Many will drop business shirts off to be dry cleaned and pressed using a degree of starch to keep them looking good all day long. The dry cleaner is a good way to get your larger, bulky items cleaned as well. Coats, comforters, and expensive evening wear are all items you want to take special care off. Many home washing machines and dryers cannot handle these items. Pricing is usually by the item and same day, next day service is usually available upon request.

Laundry Express | Coin Laundry Raleigh NC

We hope that when you drop off your clothes for a cleaning you will now have a knowledge of just what goes into getting your clothes clean as can be. If you need laundry done and a good place to do it try our state of the art laundromat service. Laundry Express also offers coin laundry in Raleigh NC, a dry cleaning service as well as a wash, dry, fold service. Call us or come by today!