Answers
What is the benefit of having my clothes professionally dry cleaned or laundered?
By having your garments professionally Dry Cleaned or Laundered, you ensure the integrity and longevity of your garments. Through professional cleaning, your garments will return to you in a neutral bright state after multiple cleanings. In contrast, residential detergents and cleaning often lead to color fade, fabric degradation, and setting of stains. Professional cleaning also provides you with the convenience of professionally pressed garments with every cleaning, providing the possibility of wearing a garment for more than one outing, if desired.
How are garments cleaned?
There is no one method that will safely clean every garment. Each garment is evaluated for the best results and wish of the customer. With over 65 years experience and attention to continuous updates from DLI, Bahlman Cleaners stays informed of the best garment care for today’s trends and fabrics.
We use a dry cleaning process that immerses garments in a petroleum-based solvent instead of water. This method is generally used for delicate fabrics prone to shrinkage or color fade when cleaned in water. The Dry Clean process also employs a gentle pressing process that uses steam and light pressure to gently release any wrinkles present in the delicate garments and fibers. Dry cleaning is the appropriate cleaning method for most fabrics, especially rayon, silk, and wool garments and fibers.
Wet Clean is a process designed to care for most garments, similar to the Dry Clean process. Wet Clean garments are cleaned in water using specialized detergents, conditioners, and rigidly controlled temperatures to more gently clean garments than residential laundry. This method also uses a gentle pressing method to remove any wrinkles from the garment without the risk of damage. Fabric permitting, wet cleaning more effectively cleans garments of odors and particular stains. Polo style shirts, khakis, polyester fibers, jackets, hand wash garments, and household items are all appropriate candidates for Wet Clean. Although advancing technology allows more fabrics to be wet cleaned, wet cleaning is not the same process as home laundering.
Similar to washing your clothes at home, Laundry is cleaning garments in water. Instead of using a single detergent, Bahlman Cleaners uses computer-generated chemical formulas determined by the fabric type, color and care label requirements to provide the best care. Each formula has been chosen to ensure the integrity and longevity of your garments through a lifetime of wearing and cleanings. Laundered garments are pressed on “hot head” presses, drying the garment as it is pressed. This wet-to-dry process establishes rigid fibers, firm creases, and adheres any starch applied to the garments. Laundry is most often used to clean and press cotton or cotton-blended shirts and garments, linen, and denim. Some types of trim and color combinations may not be appropriate for laundry.
Should I treat a stain before letting you care for the garment?
No, we ask that you not pre-treat garments or stains before bringing them to us. Pre-treatment may cause the stain to become permanent, may adversely react with the professional products we use, or cause the dye in the garment to become unstable. Instead of pre-treating, inform our Customer Service Team member of the stain and provide any pertinent related information.
What is Spot Clean?
Specialty garments often have care labels stating “Spot Clean Only”, a method in which the garment is not immersed in a solution. Instead, a combination of chemicals and steam are used on a targeted area of the garment. The Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute and Bahlman Cleaners do not recognize Spot Clean as an accepted form of garment care, as this process may leave a water- or chemical-ring around the original area processed or cause slight changes in color. If a garment does indicate Spot Clean as the preferred cleaning process, we review the fibers, materials and construction of the garment and ask for your approval to care for the garment in the manner we recommend.
Can I make special requests for the care of garments?
Yes! Bahlman Cleaners takes great pride in caring for its customers and their cleaning preferences; after all it is part of what makes us unique. If you have a special request as to how a garment is cleaned, pressed, packaged, or cared for in any manner, please feel free to discuss your preference with our Customer Service Team member. If your request cannot be safely executed, we will contact you and inform you of the adjustment of service and reason for change determined to protect the integrity of the garment or its fibers.
What household items do you clean?
We offer cleaning services for blankets, spreads, comforters, shams, bed skirts, table linens, drapes, and curtains. We recommend you use an upholstery-cleaning specialist for other household cleaning needs such as chair and sofa cushion covers and small rugs.
Do you offer alterations/tailoring service?
Yes, we do offer alterations and minor tailoring services such as waists, hems, sleeve-lengths, zipper-replacement and buttons. Please feel free to discuss your alteration need with a Customer Service Team member or call our Alteration Department at (325) 653-6112 with your questions.
When will my clothes be ready?
Garments dropped-off by 9:00 am at our San Angelo locations Mon-Fri are ready for pick up after 5:00 pm the same day. Garments dropped off after 9:00 am will be ready after 5:00 pm the following day. For our Sonora and Ozona locations, garments dropped-off by 9:00 am are ready for pick up after 3:00 pm the next day.
Some exclusions apply to specialty items and their rate of production. Household items, formal dresses, leather, and alterations follow different production schedules. Our Customer Service Team members can inform you of the item’s projected ready date at drop-off. Customers who provide a correct email address and/or cell number will receive an email or text when the item is ready for pick-up.
Do you operate on Saturday or Sunday?
Currently, our production team works Monday through Friday, and enjoys family time on Saturdays and Sundays. Our retail department and customer service team members are present Monday through Friday for full days, and mornings on Saturdays at our San Angelo locations. For more information on our business hours, visit our locations page.
On what holidays are you closed?
We are closed New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. We typically close early on Christmas Eve. For any holiday that occurs over the weekend, we will be closed the following Monday. For any other closures related to holidays, you will be notified at our five locations and via email if you have provided us a valid email address.
Why do you ask for my contact information?
Customer contact information allows us to provide better service to you. Customer contact information allows us to communicate to you that your order is ready for pickup. We also contact you if a change in cleaning method is recommended or if a question arises regarding the care of your garment. The information is only used for notification or inquiry purposes, and is not used to spam or influence you. The contact information on file is stored on our computers and is neither shared nor sold to third parties. Valid emails are our preferred method to contact customers, as emails are convenient and a non-invasive form of communication.
Do you offer charge accounts?
Card on File – Card on file is an option for “Cash Customers”. Do you ever get annoyed with constantly pulling out your wallet to make a payment? As a “Card on File” customer, you have the option to keep your debit or credit card on file with us and inform our Customer Service Team member to place the transaction on your “Card on File”. As a result, the transaction is immediately placed on your card and you are free to continue onto your next errand or stop.
Do you offer special coupons or rebates?
As a part of our community support efforts, we offer discounts to large groups. If you are interested in special coupons or rebates for your organization, community or school group, please contact us.
Do you offer gift cards or gift certificates?
Yes! We are pleased to announce that we have a newly developed Gift Card system. Our newly integrated system allows you to easily use a Bahlman Cleaners’ gift card between any of our five locations. Simply ask our Customer Service Team members for a gift card, and they will assist you in obtaining the gift card of choice for up to $250.
How long do you keep my orders?
Garments remain in inventory for up to one year from their original drop-off dates. This extended inventory maintenance provides you the opportunity to claim your garments from season-to-season if you incidentally leave your garments with us. We send occasional emails and texts to remind you of your orders hanging in our inventory, and to let you know when we are preparing to release your garments. All garments not claimed one year from their original drop-off date are removed from our inventory and donated to Rust Street Ministries.
How should I store my garments?
For best results, we recommend storing garments in a dark, cool closet. Fur garments, or those containing fur, should be stored in a breathable bag, such as our eco-friendly Green Garmento bags. If your house or storage place is not exterminated on a regular basis, anything with wool should be stored in mothproof bags or cedar-lined closets. The plastic bags in which items are returned to you are designed to temporarily keep dust off your garments and protect them while stored in our inventory. We recommend you remove the plastic from garments when you hang them in your closet. This excludes the blue Green Garmento bags.
Do you offer pick-up/delivery service?
We do not currently offer regular pick-up/delivery service to any particular residential area or business.
Do you offer Wash and Fold?
Generally, we are asked this question by someone looking for a service that will clean, dry, and fold their clothes before returning the garments. Bahlman Cleaners is a professional Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Our standard is to care for professional and executive clothing in which we clean, press, and hang garments before returning them to the customer. As such, we do not offer services for undergarments or a general wash and fold of garments. If you are looking to have your clothes washed and folded, a Customer Service Team member will direct you to the service provider we recommend.
How are sweaters returned to customers?
The variety of fabrics and methods used in sweater construction require a unique level of care necessary upon returning the sweater to you. We often use a fold-and-hang method that allows us to avoid dimples and stretching, and to also prevent creases in the sweater.
Why do buttons break?
The leading components of broken buttons are time, heat, and pressure. While these are the same elements necessary to make diamonds, only two of them are present and controllable factors in the cleaning process. Pressing a shirt in Laundry can lead to weakened and broken buttons due to heat and pressure. Pearl snap buttons are most susceptible to heat and pressure damage. Many types of buttons and trim cannot withstand the dry cleaning process. We remove and replace these to avoid damage to either the trim or the garment.
Why do stains show up after a garment is cleaned?
Often referred to as “invisible stains”, stains sometime appear on a garment after it has been cleaned. These stains are often the result of the garment coming in contact with an oily or greasy substance such as food oils, sugar-based stains that caramelize during the cleaning process, or with alcohol products. These stains are absorbed by the garment and are not noticeable until the garment has been cleaned. Whenever possible, we will treat the garment to remove the stain and re-clean the garment before returning it to you.
What about care labels?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires manufacturers to attach a permanent label providing at least one safe method of care. The rule applies to all of the garment components, including buttons and trim. If you request a method not listed on the care label, we may ask you to sign a Release of Obligation form to do so. In our many years of experience, we have seen incorrect care labels recommending a course of care that actually damages the garment/item. (Ex: hot water washing recommended on a red suede-trimmed, white linen jacket results in a pink jacket). In cases where care labels cause concern, we will discuss appropriate cleaning methods with you before proceeding. If a problem occurs when the care label has been followed, the manufacturer of the garment/item is responsible.
I am hypersensitive to certain soaps and cleaning solutions. Do I need to make you aware of this when dropping off my garments?
Please let us know of any allergens you may have. Each load of cleaning uses a unique combination of solutions to clean and return the garments to a neutral chemical state. We rarely experience customers having an adverse skin reaction to the chemicals.
Do you offer services outside of the five locations listed on this webpage?
Bahlman Cleaners serves clients in the five locations listed on the locations page. However, services outside of these five locations are performed on a contractual and/or commissioned basis. Please contact us for desired services if you are outside the listed locations.
Do you allow other businesses to establish a commercial account?
Yes, we allow other businesses to establish commercial accounts to better serve their own employees or clientele. These accounts are established on a special request basis. If your business is interested in a commercial account please contact us.
Who is the most experienced Dry Cleaner is San Angelo?
Established in 1947, the Bahlman family has provided more years of continuous service in West Texas than any other owner/operator in San Angelo.