At Mulberrys, we receive a lot of questions about removing stains, repairing clothes, and findings eco-friendly dry cleaning ways to care for your wardrobe. Spring is full of barbecues, outdoor celebrations, and beautiful weather, but it also brings new stains and fabric challenges.

We’ve compiled a laundry and garment care guide to highlight our top ten tips for spring.

1. Cheeseburger stains: Grilling season has arrived, but watch out for those cheeseburgers. The burger, condiments, and toppings make a cheeseburger a combination stain. You need to tackle each food individually. Dab the spot with rubbing alcohol to break down the oils. Pour on some vinegar to break down the plant-based elements. Dab hydrogen peroxide on the spot with a sponge to remove the animal-based elements of the stain. Rub a small amount of detergent on the stain, then wash normally. Consult with your dry cleaner if the fabric is delicate or brightly colored.

2. Cherry juice stains: Yum – fresh cherry pies at the family picnic! Cherry juice stains are plant-based and are best treated with lemon juice or vinegar. Pre-treat with lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. Rinse the stain with water to loosen the stain. Rub the stain with detergent and wash as usual. If all else fails, bring your clothing item to your dry cleaner.

3. Chocolate ice cream stains: A nice spring day calls for ice cream! If your chocolate ice cream cone topples over, pretreat the stain with lemon juice or vinegar and wait five minutes. Rinse with water and flush the underside of the stain with a solution of one tablespoon grease-dissolving dishwashing detergent and three cups of warm water. Wash as usual, but do not place it in the dryer if the stain persists. Drying it could set the stain.

4. Bleeding: Out with the neutral colored winter clothes and in with bright, spring colors! Certain colors will bleed when an item is washed, especially red, causing your other clothes to turn pink. Always wash the bright colored item on its own or with an old white sock for the first few times to test it.

5. Grass stains: Grass stains on your spring wardrobe? Is there anything worse than green stains on your favorite pair of paints? For whites and colors, soak the garment in cold water, and detergent and then wash them in the washer until the stain is removed. Do not place in the dryer if the stain persists. Take your item to your dry cleaner!

6. Lemons as a stain remover for white clothes: We all love a crisp white shirt in the springtime. If you find a stain on your white clothing, use a mixture of lemon juice and salt. Squeeze lemon juice directly onto the stain and sprinkle salt on top of it. Gently rub the mixture into the stain and rinse with water. Wash your shirt in the washer if needed.

7. Bonfire and grilling smells: Even the strongest perfume can’t mask the smell of smoke! After a spring bonfire or grill, air out your clothing items outside. The fresh air will help the smoke particles dissipate. You can also try soaking your clothing item in vinegar and water. Bring your smoke scented clothing item to a dry cleaner if the smoke persists.

8. Poison ivy: Spring hiking is relaxing and enjoyable unless you get attacked by poison ivy. If you find poison ivy on your clothing, wash your contaminated clothes in hot water and detergent by themselves. Be sure to wear gloves when handling your clothes! Place your clothes in the dryer. After your clothes dryer, clean the dryer and washer to avoid poison ivy oils from getting on your other clothes.

9. Spring cleaning household items: Spring cleaning time has arrived! Gently wash all your linens, rugs, curtains, and other household items according to their laundry tags. The easiest way to get rid of winter dust bunnies is to bring your household items to your dry cleaner for a refresh.

10. Update last season’s wardrobe with the help of a tailor: A tailor isn’t just there to fix your clothes. They can also redesign your clothes to fit today’s fashion trends, whether it’s redesigning sleeves on a shirt or shortening a long skirt.

Enjoy spring! Spend less time in the laundry room and more time outside with this spring garment care guide. Visit any of our locations in San Francisco or Minneapolis!

Dress Codes Decoded: What to Wear Where?

In the hopes of taking some of the guesswork out of getting dressed, we recently conducted a study to see what people think the most acceptable attire is for various social events. From first dates to job interviews, we’ve decoded the dress codes in the results below.

Anyone who tells you that they don’t get stressed out before a first date is lying. While we can’t predict the quality of conversation and the number potential awkward silences that will occur on a date, we can give you some clear guidance on what to wear based on our survey results. Men and women agree that when in doubt, you probably can’t go wrong with jeans.

We also gained some interesting insights into what not to wear on a first date. Men and women weighed in the biggest style mistakes they feel that a man and a woman can make. For women, women think clothes that are too small is the biggest no-no and most men prefer that women not pile on the makeup. For men, men and women agree that stained clothes are the biggest style mistake a man can make (they might need to make a pre-date trip to Mulberrys to avoid this faux pas).

It’s a commonly accepted notion that you should wear black to a funeral as black is the color of mourning. This custom dates all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire where funeral attendees work black togas. This custom is changing with the times and more and more people are moving towards more colorful funeral attire, seeing funerals as a celebration of life rather than mourning. Respondents were split here with 50% of men and 54% of women saying colors are acceptable. When in doubt go with a conservative outfit with subdued colors.

With more and more offices shifting towards more relaxed work environments, is it still necessary to wear a suit to a job interview? If you do decide to go with the suit, will a tie make you come across as stuffy? These are the types of questions fogging minds of interviewees during a time that could be spent more productively prepping for the actual interview. In this instance, the majority of both men and women agree that, yes, you should wear a suit to a job interview.

Whether it’s at the interview or the first day on the job, don’t worry too much about staying buttoned up as 61% of respondents think cleavage is acceptable in the workplace. Obviously, use your best judgment here depending on the style of company that you work at.

To round off the results, we asked respondents which dress code is the most confusing and which event is the most confusing to dress for. Men and women agree that semiformal is the most confusing dress code. For specific events, women get most stumped when dressing for an interview while first date outfits are the biggest question mark for men. Hopefully, some of the insights we’ve provided above will take some of the guesswork for all of those men and women out there before their next first date or interview.

The next time you go to get dressed for an important event we hope this guide can help ease your outfit decisions. Do you agree with the results of our study? Is there a dress code that confuses you that we didn’t mention? Let us know below in the comments!

With every new season comes the chore of putting away last season’s clothes. This spring, properly store away your winter wardrobe so it will be ready when the cold weather arrives again.

Keep Bad Smells and Moths Away:

When your winter clothes hibernate for the spring, they’ll spend seven to nine months stored away with little access to fresh air. To avoid a strange-smelling closet transition next winter, wash and dry clean all your clothes before storing them away. Use scented moth repellent, such as lavender or cedar, to keep the moths away and your clothes smelling fresh.

Get Creative With How You Store Your Clothes:

It’s best to store your clothes in a cool, dark place to avoid fading from sunlight or heat damage. But, there are many ways you can store away your clothes in this type of environment. The typical ways are using large plastic bins or garment ways, but extra luggage and travel bags can act as great storage items, too. Whatever you do, do not use plastic bags! Plastic bags allow for no air circulation.

Avoid Color Bleeding:

Did you know your clothes can bleed while in storage? Place a piece of white tissue paper between each piece of clothing to avoiding bleeding. Also, for extra precaution, color code your clothes in storage.

Divide up Delicates and the Not-So Delicates:

Clothes made of fur, leather, and cashmere are more delicate fabrics. Don’t overstuff them into your storage bins. Hang your fur and leather in a garment bag. Keep your cashmere sweaters folded in a separate container by themselves to avoid damage.

Don’t Forget About Your Shoes and Other Winter Accessories:

Put baking soda or lavender oil in your shoes to avoid smells and pack your dress shoes, boots, and gloves with tissue paper to help keep their shape. If you have a large collection of thick scarves, consider rolling them instead of folding to save space in storage.

We’re ready for the spring weather. Check out our deals and promotions to save on your next laundry and dry cleaning order before spring arrives!

Thank you for sharing your reviews with us!

We read all your berry kind words on a daily basis. They make us smile and help us to continue to provide you with the best customer service. We gathered some of our favorite reviews below. Thanks for all the love. Don’t forget to leave your review on our Facebook page!

Love,

The Mulberrys Team

“I am impressed and pleased with the service and the unique style that Mulberrys offers. I never imagined that I would have such specialized white glove treatment. Everything from the encounter in the shop to each and every interaction I am genuinely pleased.”

– Shawn

Customer service at every point of the experience is important to us. We always strive to improve our offerings. Thanks for the berry kind words, Shawn!

“I normally don’t write reviews… but I can’t stop raving about Mulberrys. It’s like walking into a spa. I’m not kidding. and then to see the freshly laundered shirts on WOODEN hangers with collar stays…”

– Holly

Thanks for the berry kind words!

First, we’ve never been compared to a spa before!  Second, we’re glad we could help! We use wooden hangers because they help keep your clothes in shape. Thanks for the review, Holly!

“I’m a wedding photographer so I am wearing my suits outside on the hottest summer days. I get “ring around the collar” on the shirts and grass stains on my pants. I had been struggling to find a cleaner who could take care of a guy, that uses his suits the way a grounds keeper uses his uniform. Thankfully I came across Mulberrys. Not only do my close come back looking brand new Mulberrys uses environmentally safe cleaning system.”
– Jeff

Some stains are hard to get out, especially grass stains. Our team gets extensive training to treat all your stains with eco-friendly solutions. Thanks for using Mulberrys, Jeff!

“They are extremely interested in doing the best for the client. If something is wrong. .they fix it immediately! Great service and LOVE the new hangers!”

-Candice

That’s what we call the Mulberrys Difference, Candace!  We believe dry cleaning and laundry is a craft, not a commodity. Your clothes are important to us! Thank you for the berry kind words.

Thanks for the berry kind words!

“The bridesmaid dresses were so wrinkled and only days before the wedding! So grateful I found Mulberrys! The dresses were done on-time and were perfectly pressed! Great email notifications, so I could relax and know the dresses would be done on time.”

-Cindy

Weddings are stressful.  And there’s no time for wrinkled dresses just days before the wedding! We’re glad we could help, Cindy!   Thanks for the review!

“Mulberry’s does a great job at always getting my clothes done on time and with very high quality. The staff is very courteous and attentive and the facilities are very clean.”

-John

Thanks for the berry kind words!

We use a lot of technology to make sure your order is ready on time. We scan in each item before we send it off to cleaning. Thanks for the review, John!

“I always take my good clothes here for cleaning. I also use the tailor regularly. Even the hangers are nice.”

-Mary

Our tailors are specially trained to mend many different types of clothing and fabrics.  They transform and fix all types of styles. Thanks for being a loyal customer, Mary!

Have you experienced the Mulberrys Difference?  Have you left us a review?  Tell us about your experience at Mulberrys!  Visit your local store’s Yelp page or leave a review on our Facebook page. We want to hear from you! We’re always looking for ways to improve the Mulberrys experience. Customer service is our top priority. Let us know your thoughts!

Food & Wine asked five experts about ketchup vs. mustard stains. Which one is worse?

No two condiments are alike and each stain requires a different type of treatment. Dan Miller, Mulberrys CEO, shared his thoughts on the ketchup stains vs. mustard stains debate.

“Definitely mustard stains.”

“Mustard is what we call a combination stain so it requires multiple steps to remove. Ketchup is relatively straightforward, ” Dan explained.  A combination stain includes multiple elements that each need to be treated.  A ketchup stain is a plant-based stain.

Mustard contains dye from the tumeric. Tumeric is bright yellow powder obtains from a plant in the ginger family. To treat the mustard stains, gently blot the stain with a dry towel. Place a small amount of laundry detergent or enzyme-based stain remover on the stain to break down the base of the stain. Finally to remove the dye, use a color-safe bleach such as hydrogen peroxide. Let this sit for 10 minutes and then wash as usual.

Ketchup stains, although tough to get out, are removed with acids such as lemon juice or vinegar. To treat, blot the stain with a towel or dishcloth, then pour vinegar on the stain and let it sit for five minutes. Rinse with cold water and pre-treat with an enzyme-based stain remover and wash it in your washer.

Both condiments can cause some pretty intense stains on your clothing.  Be sure to treat them on the spot! Learn more about how to treat the four types of stains. If you are unsuccessful at removing your stains, our team can use both wet cleaning and dry cleaning eco-friendly methods to treat them. Schedule a pickup or delivery or stop into one of our many locations in San Francisco and Minneapolis.

Read the full article on Food & Wine. 

Your fall laundry guide has arrived! Keep your leather, suede, and jeans looking fresh and treat any fall stains on the spot.

Don’t fall behind on treating your clothes this fall. Your leather, suede, and jeans require extra special care. And don’t worry if your pumpkin spice latte ends up on your shirt. It happens to the best of us! We have tips for the most common fall stains, too. Our Fall Laundry Guide has you covered.

Treat Common Fall Stains:

Pumpkin Stains: It’s pumpkin season! Pumpkins can get messy and end up on your clothing. Scrape off as much as the pumpkin as possible. Soak in cold water with liquid detergent for about 30 minutes. Launder as usual. If the stain persists, take it to a professional. The Mulberrys team is trained to remove all types of stains, like pumpkin stains.

Caramel Stains: Caramel apples anyone? For caramel stains, scrape off as much as the caramel as possible. Don’t rub! Combine 1/2 tsp of detergent, 1 tbsp of vinegar, and warm water. Soak the fabric in the mixture for 30 minutes to remove the stickiness. When finished, blot the stain with a dry cloth to remove the extra grease. Launder as usual or take it to a stain professional.

Pumpkin Spice Latte: We know many of you love pumpkin spice beverages a “latte”. Blot the stain to remove the excess coffee. Mix eco-friendly dish detergent, vinegar, and water and soak the garment in the mixture. Rinse in warm water. Repeat if needed or wash as usual.

Chocolate Stains: Halloween is a great excuse to indulge in chocolate, but chocolate stains can be difficult to treat! Pretreat the stain with lemon juice or vinegar to break down the stain then rinse with water. Machine wash as usual but do not put in the dryer unless the stain is completely removed. If the stain remains, treat it with an enzyme-based stain remover and allow it to work for 15 minutes, then wash as usual or take it to a professional dry cleaner.

Caring for Fall Fashion:

Leather: Leather is best cared for by a leather professional. Mulberrys experts are trained to care for your leather items. Always spray your leather items with a water repellent solution and if you happen to get your leather items wet, let them air dry. When storing your leather items, make sure to store them in a dry area away from moisture.

Suede: Suede is a delicate fabric. It’s best to take your suede items to a professional, like Mulberrys, to avoid permanent damage. Always spray your suede with water-repellent spray before wearing it. Store your suede items in a cool, dry, dark place. A wet environment can cause mildew and light can fade the fabric.

Jeans: Jeans are the most common piece of clothing. However, many people don’t wash them correctly. To help your jeans keep their color, wash them inside out. Use an eco-friendly detergent made specifically for dark colored fabrics. Washing your jeans with a half-cup of vinegar, no detergent, will help remove any foul odors. We know a large percentage of you don’t do your laundry very often.

Do you have other fall stains you’d like to see featured in our Fall Laundry Guide? Remember, if you ever find yourself in a laundry rut, send us a tweet using #JustAskMulberrys. We’ll tweet you tips on the spot!

Everyday household items act as stain removers and treat your stains on the spot!

Milk. Bread. Toothbrushes.  Items in your bathroom and kitchen or stain removers? Perhaps both!  As an eco-friendly, innovative dry cleaner, we enjoy discovering natural and interesting ways to remove stains from your clothing.

Here at Mulberrys, we used Caldrea products to clean your clothes, but if you happen to find yourself in a bind throughout the day, try one of these tips using everyday items in your home. If the stain persists, bring it to our stain remover experts.  Mulberrys Cleaners is always ready to tackle any stain.

To save on your next dry cleaning and laundry order, check out our current promo codes. Sign-in to your Mulberrys Cleaners account and enter the promo code under Promotions. While these household items treat the stain on the spot, delicate fabrics and stains that don’t disappear after being washed need to be brought to a professional cleaner.

At Mulberrys, we use both dry cleaning and wet cleaning methods to clean your clothes.  Our dry cleaning methods are toxic-free.  We use new, gentle washing methods and biodegradable soaps and conditioners for clothing items that do not need to be dry cleaned. Above all, quality and customer service are our top concerns. You can expect the best when you bring your clothes t0 Mulberrys Cleaners!

Resources:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a32321/new-uses-bread/

http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning-organizing/8-weird-things-that-can-remove-stains/amp/

Experience the Mulberrys Difference with one of our many deals.

You may see many promotions floating around our site, posted on our social media pages, and highlighted in our monthly emails. Don’t miss out on any of our promotions! Sign-in to your account, place your order and enter the promo code under Promotions. For deals not directly associated with our app or online ordering system, bring in the promo-code to one of our stores and show it to one of our team members when you check out.

April E-Pickup Promotion:

Life is too short to waste time in lines. This April, get 10% off your order when you use our E-Pickup services. Let us know when you’re on your way and we’ll have your order ready to go. Download our app and use the promo code springpickup.

*Expires 4/30/18. Excludes leathers, shoes, and wedding gowns. One coupon per customer per lifetime. Cannot be used with other offers. 

Home Delivery and Pickup:

Sign up for our home delivery services and get 10% off your order.  We’ll come to your house, pick up your clothes, and deliver them back to you fresh and clean.  Use promo code signup10.

*Excludes wedding gowns.  Valid through 12/31/17. One voucher per customer per lifetime.

Try our free home pickup and delivery services and get 50% off your order. Schedule your pickup and use promo code delivery5o.

*Excludes wedding gowns.  Valid through 12/31/17.  One voucher per customer per lifetime.

Store Visit:

Visit one of our stores and get 20% off your first visit.  Enjoy an eco-friendly clean, hot coffee, and fresh flowers.  Our friendly staff will answer any of your questions. Use the promo code welcome for your next visit.

*Excludes wedding gowns.  Valid through 12/31/17. One voucher per customer per lifetime.

Dry Cleaning and Laundry:

Get $50 worth of dry cleaning for $35. Experience our eco-friendly cleaning methods, biodegradable packaging, wood hangers, and complimentary collar stays, collar supports, and button replacement. Add this deal to your cart.

*One voucher per customer per lifetime. Voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other Mulberrys coupons or offers.

Wedding Dress Cleaning:

Are you getting married this year?  Get $25 off your wedding dress cleaning or wedding dress preservation.  Use promo code Wedding25 at any of our Minnesota locations.

*One voucher per customer per lifetime. Only available at our Minnesota locations. Offer only valid for wedding gown cleaning and/or preservation. 

Shoe Shine and Repair:

Let our cobblers fix up your shoes for the upcoming season.  Our team is trained to replace heels, fill soles, repair straps, and so much more.  Get 20% off your first shoe shine and repair order with promo code Shoes20.

*One voucher per customer per lifetime. 

Tailoring and Alterations:

Our talented seamstresses are experts in repairing and updating clothes, from replacing zippers to attaching reattaching hems. See our full list of services here. Get 20% off your first tailoring and alterations order with promo code Alterations20.

*One voucher per customer per lifetime. 

Leather Cleaning:

Our team is experts are cleaning leather items, from clothes to bags.  Get 20% off your leather cleaning order with promo code Leather20. We’ll help your leather items look as good as new.

*One voucher per customer per lifetime. 

Don’t miss out on our deals.  Don’t forget to watch out for our monthly emails for more deals and promo codes.  Each month we feature a new promotion.  We hope to see you soon!