When the weather starts to get warmer, many people seem to become possessed to clean and organize their homes. Spring cleaning in Central Oregon may happen as late as May or June, depending on the weather (not the official calendar date marking the start of spring).

Heavy down quilts are replaced by lighter, fiber-filled versions for more comfortable sleeping. Afghans and throws are stowed. Whether you opt to change out the decor for warmer days or just want to renew and freshen existing items, you may want to send items to the dry cleaner before you box up any home furnishing items for the summer.

If you’re cleaning a matching set of items, like curtains and a bedspread, it’s a good idea to include all pieces of the set at one time. If it turns out there is any color loss, it will be uniform throughout, and the set won’t look mismatched after cleaning.

But, when you drop off that duvet, you may wonder, “What really happens to it at the cleaner’s?”

The answer depends in part on what cleaner you take it to. We took a look at A Greener Cleaner to see what goes on behind the scenes, from dropping an item off to getting it back, and everything in between.

Dropping off

If you’ve stripped the windows, beds and table coverings and you drop those curtains, duvets, pillows and tablecloths off at A Green Cleaner, your first task will be to share details important to the cleaning process. Do the items have stains that the cleaner needs to be aware of? Perhaps it’s a spot of red wine on the tablecloth, or oil from the constant presence of you favorite pet relaxing on the duvet. Point out any stains on any items, so they can be properly tagged and handled at the cleaning facility.

The person taking your items will also look things over for any damage and construction details that might impact the cleaning. Care labels affixed to an item can be a guide as to how it should be cared for, but they often don’t include added trims or embellishments, so the expertise of the cleaner comes into play as to the best way to handle the situation. Sequins on a comforter might be sewn on with a single thread, adding fragility to the item, or there might be a long fringe or tassels that require special care.

You’ll also be asked if the item has been cleaned previously, though if the sewn-in tag is intact, the condition of it is a good indicator. Why is this important? Many household items are made with fabrics that are not preshrunk, so the initial cleaning may result in a change of size or color, depending on the cleaning methods.

Another factor influencing the cleaning results will be the quality of construction. Some inexpensive comforters and pillows are made with very long stitches or even chain stitching that sometimes rips open during the cleaning process.

You may be cautioned about some of the risks involved in cleaning your articles, based on construction, fiber content, care labels, etc. This exchange ensures that you won’t be disappointed when your item is returned and that both you and the cleaner know what to expect. The more information you can supply the cleaner at the time you drop off your items, the better the cleaning experience will be.

The price of cleaning is determined by the size of the item, the fiber content, construction and any special handling required (i.e. stain removal, pressing, etc.). Cleaning some items, like down-filled comforters and pillows, costs more because they have to be fully dried during the process and this requires longer time than for a similar item that might be filled with polyester fiberfill.

Tag, you’re it

If you’ve ever wondered how things are returned to their rightful owner when they seemingly go into giant bags with someone else’s articles, the answer lies in the tagging. At A Greener Cleaner, you are given a unique tag number and all information about your order is put into the computer. The items themselves are tagged using a buttonhole (if one exists), or the tag is affixed to the care label or some other inconspicuous place using a tag gun. If your article has a split seam, that same tag might be used to hold it shut for the cleaning process, so the filling doesn’t come out.

If your item is damaged when you bring it to the cleaners, a “defective before cleaning” tag will be affixed, and it will also be noted on your receipt. If there’s a stain, tape may be applied to the area to highlight it for the cleaner to attempt removal.

Some cleaners do not actually do the cleaning at the drop-off location. Such is the case with A Green Cleaner. While items are sorted and tagged at the drop-off location, the actual cleaning takes place elsewhere for both the Bend and Redmond stores.

Stain smart

If an item is stained, careful attention is paid to that before it moves on to the actual cleaning process. The stain removal process can involve working on a targeted area, using natural cleaners, air and steam on a vacuum suction table, or it can involve soaking the entire item overnight. At A Greener Cleaner, owner Mackey Carlson notes, “We pretreat items and let them ‘marinate’ overnight before we start to clean.” The spot removal process can involve using one or more of a dozen natural cleaning products. If the stain (and odor) is something like blood, urine or sweat, they might use an enzymatic cleaner made from grapefruit and orange; for other things, they might use a soy cream cleanser.

The goal of pretreating is to actually remove the stains from the fabric, not simply push them further into the fibers or, worse yet, into the stuffing inside a pillow or comforter, only to have a lingering odor or have the stain reappear.

Misnomer?

Contrary to popular belief, dry cleaning isn’t really dry. Dry cleaners offer two types of services — wet cleaning and dry cleaning. The choice of methods is up to the cleaning professionals when they see the condition of the item and how it’s made. For example, wet cleaning is used for protein-based stains (blood, meat, etc.), for down-filled articles, and to remove odors (like from pets).

Whichever cleaning process is used, the goal is to minimize the wear and tear on the items being cleaned to avoid excess abrasion and color loss.

Wet cleaning

The wet cleaning process is much like what happens in your home washer, only on a much larger scale and with more powerful machines. The natural cleaners are used in conjunction with water, and then an extracting function gets rid of up to 90 percent of the water from the load before the items are removed. Home decor pieces are then hung on overhead racks to air dry. As they’re hung, they’re blocked to shape and size, as stuffings and fillers often shift during the cleaning process and need to be redistributed. Some inexpensive comforters, for example, offer no stitching across the surface to hold the filler in place, so it’s lumped into a wad in one corner.

Dry cleaning

At A Greener Cleaner, dry cleaning is done with a liquid silicone solvent. The dry cleaning machine can hold up to 60 pounds at a time (about 60 garments), but only two to three king-size comforters due to the bulk, which explains the higher cleaning cost for some home decor items. Household textiles can be combined with garments in the same load.

The dry cleaning system is self-contained and the environmentally-friendly solvent is distilled and recycled. The machine is not connected to any drain or to a water supply. According to Carlson, at A Greener Cleaner, only 30-40 gallons of solvent are needed per year to clean about 100,000 pounds of items. The natural solvent, when it eventually leaves the system, breaks down to sand, water and carbon dioxide in about 28 days. The only by-product of this cleaning process is a small amount of lint, though it’s actually about 90 percent less lint than when using conventional cleaning fluids that are harsher on fabrics.

The solvent/detergent mix flushes through the fabrics as they tumble in the machine, and the cycle takes a little more than an hour on average. Like a home washer, there are different cycles for different needs (delicate, heavily soiled, etc.) and the machine has a sensor for dryness.

Because of the moisture involved in both the wet and dry cleaning methods, the weight of damp batting and stuffing inside of not only comforters and duvets, but also pillows, can cause some seam splitting and tears, especially in older items that may also have some sun damage, or which have been conventionally cleaned so many times that the fabric is actually weak.

Green?

A Greener Cleaner tries to utilize environmentally-friendly methods.

Although most cleaning methods are similar to what’s reported here, conventional dry cleaners use either perchlorethylene, known as perc, or another hydrocarbon chemical compound called DF2000. Perc is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a known carcinogen for humans, and not only does it get into the soil, water and air, but it also leaves residue in home decor items. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has found up to 30 times the allowable background limit of the chemical in freshly dry cleaned items, and it can compound as items are repeatedly cleaned.

According to Carlson, conventional cleaning compounds are great at removing grease and oil-based stains and using them often requires less pretreating, but they can also degrade fabrics, fade colors, and of course, they add the notorious chemical smell to anything they’re used on.

Smokin’ clean

If home decor items have been subjected to smoke, either from fire or from being in a smoker’s home, A Green Cleaner will treat them in a specially outfitted room with an ozone machine to help neutralize the odor before they undergo a regular cleaning.

Curtains and drapes

Many curtains and drapes are made from loosely woven fabrics, and most often they’re not constructed from fabrics that have been pretreated for shrinkage. During the cleaning process, the fibers are relaxed and sometimes they shrink, making the curtains or drapes too short when they are rehung at home.

By checking the original size tag and using a special pleater machine, A Green Cleaner can help resize the drapes. The panels are hung on hooks and the hems inserted into slots at each pleat location, then steam is shot through the fabric to add about 30 percent moisture. The pleats are then set and the length adjusted, if possible, and the fabric is allowed to air cool in its new configuration.

Tablecloths and linens

It’s very important to clean table linens before storing them, as any food residue left on the fibers attracts bugs. The pests will start eating the leftovers, and eventually damage the fabric fibers as well.

After cleaning, tablecloths and linens are steam pressed while they’re still damp for optimal wrinkle removal.

In the end

At the end of the cleaning process, items are inspected and checked. If there’s been stain removal done before cleaning, it’s checked again to be sure the stain hasn’t reappeared. And, if it has, it’s retreated.

Should there be a situation where a stain can’t be removed, an “I’m sorry” tag is affixed letting you know that the cleaner did the best it could and tried several ways to remove the stain, but to no avail.

One situation where this might occur is if the item has been damaged during previous dry cleaning or spot removal attempts, or it’s simply sun-faded or water-marked.

Finished items are hung up and specially shaped hangers are available for bulky and oversize home decor items. Items like bedspreads and comforters are folded and placed in ventilated zipped cases, perfect for out-of-season storage. Carlson notes that it’s important to store items with breathable bags or cases, as any humidity or residual moisture in an item can cause mildew and mold to form.

The worst stain?

According to Mackey Carlson, owner of A Green Cleaner, the three toughest stains to remove from both clothing and home decor items are all yellow: mustard, curry and pollen.

Taking care

These suggestions from home decor fabric retailer Calico Corners can prolong the life of your home decor items and save money at the dry cleaner’s:

• Take down cotton draperies and run them in a cool dryer or air cycle to remove dirt and dust. Place them in the dryer with an old towel and fluff for 30 minutes. Remove the drapes and rehang them immediately to prevent wrinkles.

• Spot-clean cotton fabric spills immediately with a clean white cloth. Clean the stain with a mild solvent by blotting, not rubbing. Dry the area with a hair dryer set on low.

• If you’re making your own decorating items, purchase extra fabric just in case you need to re-cover a cushion, ottoman, etc., due to extra wear or accidents.

• Even though cotton fabrics can in theory be washed, it’s better to have them professionally dry cleaned to prevent damage. Washing can cause shrinkage and may cause the dyes to run. Washing can also remove any protective finishes applied to the fabrics, causing them to change appearance.

— Linda Turner Griepentrog

At what price?

Just how much does it cost to get your home decor items cleaned at A Green Cleaner?

According to the company’s service manager, Kimberly Heiney, the answer depends on many variables like the type of fabric, size, weight, construction details and any pretreating needed, but look for these ranges:

Pillows: $6.95-$16.95

Comforters: $24-$32

Curtains: $10.95-$29.95 per panel

Draperies: $2-$3 per pleat

Dust ruffle: $20-$24

Sheets: $14.50-$19.90

— Linda Turner Griepentrog