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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
I thought I'd post about something that has saved me some cash. Good dry cleaners are getting hard to find. I even fired one after only giving them one try, because the jacket ended up with with foul smells coming from it after sweating. Those smells didn't come from me. I began spraying the inside of the jacket with white vinegar, and letting it air out, between wearings. I've cut my expenditures on cleaning my jacket by 75%. I still need to press my jacket, but I've cut those costs by steaming it when necessary.
Any other ways to cut costs when it comes to stage wear? |
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Darkwing Inner circle Nashville Tn 1850 Posts |
Al,
I had the same experience. I had my tux and shirts cleaned for a stage show for a corporate client this last weekend and my shirt had this god awful smell when I took off my jacket after the show. I actually smelled me after taking the shirt off to see if it was coming from me; nope it was the shirt. I went ahead and threw the shirt away. Great tip. |
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
I don't take shirts or slacks to the dry cleaners. I can take care of that myself, although the ironing takes a while.
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Nak New user 68 Posts |
Not that it's a "replacement" for a real cleaning, but in theater they'll often spray the costumes with a cheap vodka between performances to keep them fresh.
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
The vodka sounds like it would work, although it would have to air out in order to work properly. I stick a light wire coat hanger inside the jacket, behind the lapels, in order to help the jacket air out. It opens the jacket a little, so that air can circulate, freely.
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
I take my shirts and pants to the cleaners every Monday morning, and there is no way I could get my clothes to look as good as a professional cleaner makes them look. When my jackets starts to smell like deodorant I get them cleaned. I charge a lot of money to do a job, and looking good is expected.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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Stevethomas Inner circle Southern U.S.A. 3728 Posts |
My wife (a Certified Professional Drycleaner...and has the certifications to prove it) says that the post drycleaning odors are probably the cause of improperly filtered drycleaning fluid. ALSO...depending upon how colorfast the jacket material is (I'm a hazmat guy/dangerous goods specialist), vinegar can bleach fabrics, so be careful with that. So can alcohol. Those storebought home cleaning systems (EX: Dryel) will do a fair job tumbling in a no-heat dryer setting. In a pinch, Febreeze works wonders, just use the regular scent and not some floral thing.
Steve |
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Ekuth Inner circle Floating above my 1538 Posts |
I use Febreeze (or the generic equivalent) to freshen my vests and jackets after each performance, it definately cuts down on drycleaning costs. I haven't tried the "DIY" drycleaning kits though... not sure I'd trust my tails to that.
If I've got a stubborn smell (say after taking out of winter storage) I'll Febreeze and close up the item in a ziplock/space bag for about 3 hours. Does the trick nicely. Just don't forget and leave it sealed in there! Any spots I just hit with a damp washcloth and air dry.
"All you need is in Fitzkee."
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
I've actually had problems with bleached armpits, from taking jackets to the cleaners. The vinegar causes no such problem and I allow the stuff to evaporate off, sometimes turning the jacket inside-out to speed-up the process.
I used to use Febreeze, but I found that it didn't work nearly as well as white vinegar. |
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Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
I find the smell of Fabreeze noxiously strong. The vinegar smell goes away but the Fabreeze lingers.
-Mary Mowder |
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Zombie Magic Inner circle I went out for a beer and now have 8733 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-06-22 02:36, Mary Mowder wrote: Mary, that's interesting. I thought the vinegar would have lingered. |
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
Vinegar evaporates nicely. It kills bacteria, eliminating odors. Fabreeze doesn't seem to eliminate odors, much - mostly covers them up.
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ronnyman New user Indiana 56 Posts |
I've lived by Febreeze but end up smelling too feminine for my liking. Thanks for the tips on vodka and vinegar. Should work out nicely because, like you said Alan, good dry cleaners-or just any dry cleaners, are harder to come by.
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thatmatt New user 51 Posts |
Vodka for keeping the costumes fresh? I have never heard about this method so far. It seems pretty clear why grandpa reeked of vodka during his final years. And all this time, we thought he was an alcoholic... )
Seriously now, I think that Fabreeze is the best product for freshening my costumes. I have tried vinegar, and wasn't satisfied with the smell. I may have a bit of an allergy to it. Thanks for all the great tips though. |
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bigcheese New user Sacramento, CA 56 Posts |
Great tips here, thanks to all for adding their ideas to a very useful thread. On a related note I have to share the terrible moment I discovered my mother had added moth balls to the closet without telling me. It was many years ago but the memory is burned onto my brain. The smell too!
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
To use Fabreeze in place of a professional dry cleaner is a sure sign of a $50 a show magician. I take a bag of dirty clothes to the professional dry cleaners every Monday morning because in my business looking good is an important part of the job, and shame on you cheapo magicians.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
Count yourself fortunate. The good dry cleaners, in my area, are retiring at an alarming rate.
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Wizzard Veteran user 322 Posts |
It's never the wand, it's always the magician
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SleepNow New user 57 Posts |
Dry cleaners typically send shirts, socks, underwear etc. that people bring in, out to a laundry, or they wash them in a washing machine. Shirts are not dry cleaned. Pressed, starched and steamed yes, dry cleaned no. Steaming clothing does a lot to restore the just cleaned look and smell of clothes. Vinegar should be used in a spray bottle and diluted with water. For shirts, turn them inside out and rinse them with laundry soap (arm pits) then throw them in the washing machine with a few ounces of white vinegar added to the water, (according to Heloise). Not sure what Dear Abby would have to say about this. No animals were harmed in testing.
I would think straight vinegar would make you smell like a pickle once your body starts to heat up and reactivate the vinegar? |
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
SleepNow
I don't know about you, but when I get home from doing a job I peel my shirt off, and I am not about to spray, steam, perfume, and iron the old shirt to get ready for my next show. On a decent weekend I do 4 shows, and I always carry a fresh shirt. My wife would laugh at me for charging big bucks to do a shows, and doing it looking like a slob. There are about six Korean dry cleaners within 5 miles of my house that charge under $2 for a washed, unstarched, ironed shirt on a hanger. What planet do you guys live on?????
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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