Ever notice those three letters on almost every zipper? Turns out, they stand for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha, the Japanese company that makes 90% of the world’s zippers in 206 factories in 52 countries. They even make the machines that make the zippers. Their largest factory, in Georgia, makes over 7 million zippers every day. Their goal of making the best zippers quickly made them the world leader, following the founder’s philosophy  “No one prospers unless he renders benefit to others.”  Come to think of it, we follow the same rule in our business. We are, however, a lot smaller.

The coming fall is a good time to clean out the jumble. Living Well Spending Less has a great article based on a 40-hanger closet. It starts with splurging on 40 new matching hangers. Then the purging, editing and organizing begins. You end up with the quality pieces you love, wear often and are stylish and flattering. Every time you add a piece, you have to remove an old one, so you end up buying smarter, and less often. Read more at http://goo.gl/AehAb4

We’ll be closed on Monday to celebrate the holiday with our families. It’s a time to remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The reward of a thing well done is to have done it right.” Come to think of it, every day is a good time to remember the value of doing things right. It’s why our customers keep coming back for more cleaning and laundry “done right.”

Real Simple has great tips for laundry in their August issue. For ketchup, they recommend using Shout, then lightly scrubbing with a clean toothbrush dipped in white vinegar. For mustard, saturate with white vinegar, then apply dish-soapy water. Spille...

The experts at Elle magazine, http://goo.gl/54gUrG,  believe in keeping your white jeans as clean and bright as they were the first day. They recommend spraying new whites with Scotchguard to protect against stains. Avoid yellowing in the wash by using white vinegar instead of chlorine bleach, and be sure to rinse thoroughly to get all the detergent out. Always dry on low heat, or better yet, air dry. Of course, we’re experts at keeping your jeans, and everything else, clean, crisp and bright.

After each use, rinse swimwear in cool tap water to remove sunscreen, sand, sweat and chlorine. To wash after every few wearings, turn the swimsuit inside out and hand wash in the sink, using a few drops liquid detergent in warm water. Gently squeeze the suds through the garment, don’t wring or twist. Rinse well and lay flat to dry. At the end of the season, put your swimwear in a mesh lingerie bag and run through a gentle wash cycle with a mild detergent before storing for next year.

Yellow mustard is one of the hardest stains to remove, so act fast if it squirts on you. We can help, first thing Monday morning after the big game. We’ll work that yellow spot out of your outfit – and we never charge more for routine stain removal – like some of the other guys. We make going to the cleaners a fast, easy and affordable time so you can enjoy what matters, like another hotdog with the works.

Summertime cleaning will be fast and easy with these tips from Real Simple. Grind vinegar ice cubes to freshen a musky garbage disposal. Use wadded up aluminum foil and a drop of detergent to scour off baked-on food. When pet hair is a problem, grab a ...

We quote Erma Bombeck, popular newspaper humorist and author.  “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” Today we’re with our families, celebrating our nation’s freedom, liberty and blessings. Happy Birthday America!

Displaying our national symbol is actually mandated by an official Flag Code. For instance, the flag should not be flown in the dark or inclement weather. It should not be used as decoration – that’s a job for bunting, streamers and decorative materials. Always display the blue part on top. When the flag is lowered, it should never touch the ground or any other objects, it should be gathered by waiting hands and arms, respectfully and ceremoniously folded (ask a veteran how). Flags should be mended and cleaned when needed – we clean American flags at no charge as a courtesy year round.  Show your pride and fly the flag to celebrate Independence Day.