I have an affinity for beautiful clothes….I blame my grandma and her impeccable sense of style for passing this love down to me.  As I have moved from my 20s and into my 30s I gravitate towards fabrics that both feel amazing and breathe well (shout out to Palm Springs Summers for that) like silk, cashmere, and linen.  With all these beautiful fabrics taking up residence in my closet I have had to find an amazing dry cleaner that I not only trust but that also isn’t going to cost an arm and a leg each time I drop off which is why I love Desert Discount Cleaners in the Heritage Court Shopping Center on the boarder of La Quinta & Indio (they also have locations across the Coachella Valley).

This Mes Demoiselles dress & leather jacket are closet favorites and have to be dry cleaned regularly.

All of my Coachella dresses this year are dry clean only fabrics.

Am I the only one who has dropped off a brand new white blouse or dress only to pick it up from the dry cleaner a new shade of yellowy/beige?  If you are nodding your head “YES” along with me then you know it’s important to trust the dry cleaner you work with.  Desert Cleaners came highly recommended with awards from both Palm Springs Life & The Desert Sun as a “Best of” and for good reason!  Not only is there incredible care taken with my clothes but the price point is so amazing ($6 for a dress and caring for my favorite leather jacket starts at $29!) everyone is super friendly and they are eco friendly which is super important to me. Desert Discount Cleaners also offers affordable alteration services which I love for taking things in, adjusting hemlines, or making a quick change to a sleeve length.

Another favorite that has been well cared for thanks to my dry cleaner!

This Trina Turk dress has delicate details and needs extra careful attention, I would only take this to the cleaner I trust most.

So, obviously I dry clean those special pieces but I also pay extra attention to a few other things…

1. I always hang my dresses/jackets/blouses/skirts on a hanger that isn’t poking the fabric.

2. I NEVER hang my sweaters, the hanger will leave ugly stretch areas at the shoulder that over time will leave holes in delicate fabrics.

3. Moth Balls.  Seriously guys, after losing a favorite Club Monaco cashmere sweater (RIP) I swear by these.

4. Garment Bags.  For really special pieces or those that only get worn once a year I have garment bags in my closet that not only protect from moths but also dust.

5. Always remove clothes from dry cleaning bags right away.  As wonderful as dry cleaning is for delicate fabrics it also uses a harsh chemical that when confined to plastic bags can ruin clothes.

6. Keep your dirty items in a fabric bag until you drop them off for cleaning.  Tossing them on the floor (yikes) or in a paper bag increases the risk of snags or stains.

7. Don’t wait to have items cleaned.  Things like makeup, deodorant, and stains only set with time and waiting too long will increase chances that these won’t come out.

What are some of your tips to care for your wardrobe?

XO, Niki