Storage Tips for Out of Season Garments

Cooler weather is approaching, and that means it is time to start transitioning your closet.  If you plan to store your out of season garments at home, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Be sure to clean everything before placing it in storage.  Even if it looks clean body oils, perspiration, and invisible stains are there and will attract moths and other insects.
• Sew buttons, fix hems, and make repairs on all your garments before placing them in storage.
• Never hang knit items.  This will cause them to stretch, leaving them out of shape for next season.  Place folded garments in large plastic containers with air-tight lids.

• Hang suits and coats on cedar hangers and store them in garment bags.  Use hangers with wider bars to prevent creases at the knees.
• Adding cedar chips or lavender sachets will keep your garments smelling fresh.
• Don’t use our poly bags for long-term storage.  They are designed for short-term protection only.  Long-term use will suffocate your clothes and possibly cause staining or mildew issues.
• Be sure to store your clothing in a cool, dry, clean place.  Avoid storing clothes in a cold basement or hot attic.  The extreme temperatures could damage your garments.

If you are short on space, you could always store your garments at Shores.  Here’s how it works:

• Count your garments, make an inventory list, and determine a value for each item.
• Note decorative trims, particularly suede and leather, as these can dry out and crack if not cold vault stored. Other trims may not be dry cleanable and cannot be stored until properly cleaned.
• When you drop off your clothes, give us a copy of your list and point out any stains.
• We will also make an inventory list and then inspect, spot, clean, and lightly finish each garment.
• After your clothes are clean, we will either fold or hang your items as needed.
• They will then be placed in a specially sealed, UV light proof bag infused with cedar oil until you are ready for them.

• Both storage and insurance are free. You only pay the regular cleaning charges at pick up.
• Call us a week before you are ready to pick up your clothes.  We will take the clothes out of storage and refinish, inspect, and package them like a regular dry cleaning order.

The only thing left to do is to enjoy that extra closet space.  Please contact us if you have any questions about storing garments.  We are here to help.

Jessica's Wedding Proposal

Today's post is totally unique and features one of our employees, Jessica, who had an incredible engagement story that we just had to share.  It involved scuba diving, going viral on YouTube, and being featured on Good Morning America.  Below is Part 1 of Jessica's journey to "I DO".

Tell us about your surprise underwater engagement!

My fiance had been planning this engagement for 6 months and took me totally by surprise!  Our one year dating anniversary was coming up as was my birthday, so Joey decided to plan a cruise to the Cayman Islands for us to celebrate.  He also invited along his best friend Wes and Wes' girlfriend Lauren.  It turns out that they were all in on the fact that Joey was going to propose to me on this trip, but he wanted to do it in a spectacular, unique and unforgettable way.

 
None of us had ever been scuba diving before, so this was something we were planning on doing while on Grand Cayman island.  Unbeknownst to me, Joey had been in touch with the diving company for 5 months (yup, 5 MONTHS!) to plan for the underwater engagement.  So the morning of our dive, Joey and Wes went to "workout", but really headed to the dive shop to give our instructor a custom treasure map and treasure chest to place underwater.  He then placed the ring in his pocket, which he securely tied with dental floss to ensure it wouldn't float away.  Luckily, we were able to get our dive on camera, which consisted of checking out a staged shipwreck, a welded statue of a diver and other underwater sights.
 
Before the end of our dive we came upon the treasure chest, which I figured was just part of the entertainment factor of the dive.  But suddenly, Joey and our dive instructor kept pointing at the chest.  Since we were underwater, I had no idea that they wanted me to open it!

So even though Joey dove down to open it and got down on one knee (or the best he could while underwater), I still didn't know what was going on.  It wasn't until he pulled out the treasure map and I saw the word "marry" that it finally sunk in!  I screamed (obviously it was muffled) in excitement, he pulled out the ring and placed it on my finger.  It was the most exhilarating and romantic moment of my entire life and to this day I am still in awe of this thoughtful, creative, dedicated and loving man that I was lucky enough to meet and marry.
 
Check out the video to see a clip of the proposal!

Jessica and Joey got married on August 9th in Bedford, Virginia.  We will post Part 2 of this blog soon, which will featured details and photos from her wedding and of course her experience with getting her wedding gown cleaned at Shore's Fine Dry Cleaning.