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“HOT OFF THE PRESS” Dry Cleaning News
(248) 543-0340 | www.janetdaviscleaners.com 27607Woodward Ave., Berkley, MI 48072 | 3645 Maple Rd., Bloomfield, MI 48301
JANUARY 2020
BEHIND THE SCENES
An Insider’s View of the Shenanigans at Janet Davis Cleaners
Being a dry cleaner isn’t always easy. Mastering the proper pressing, cleaning, and drying techniques to ensure our customers’ materials are cleaned properly is a feat that takes skilled training to accomplish.
My dad taught me and continues to exemplify the value of working hard and having fun. You spend the bulk of your day with the people you work with. Why wouldn’t you want to have a little fun? As the boss, I enjoy seeing respectful, light-hearted relationships between my employees. It makes the complexities of their day-to- day work easier, and it ensures they are giving our clients a great experience. They stay on the same page and get the job done while having fun doing it!
But no one makes this quite as fun as my dad.
My dad, Dave Matthews — not that Dave Matthews — purchased Janet Davis Cleaners from his cousin in the late 90s. At the time, it was a standard dry-cleaning business, but one of the first goals my dad had was make Janet Davis Cleaners a fun place to work. His dedication to fun has had profound impacts on this business.
If you happen to pop into our dry-cleaning plant on any given day, you may hear us saying phrases like “Crispy Critters” (the client ordered extra starch on their materials) or “Who wants to get high?” (code for “Who wants to go up on the ladder?”) We never say anything malicious or inappropriate, but these are just fun little ways we communicate. We try to have a little fun during the holidays, too! One December day each year, my dad and I will man the counters at both Janet Davis Cleaners locations. In turn, our
Like the celebrity musician he shares a name with, my dad creates songs while working. He transformed “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly into “I Believe I Can Spot and Press.” I still know the lyrics to this day!
I believe I can spot…
employees enjoy a completely-paid lunch together, swapping war stories from out on the floor and laughing about daily mishaps or joys. It’s always an exciting time of the year, and I’m honored to offer this opportunity to the employees who make our business great. Working at a dry cleaner may not seem too glamorous, but at Janet Davis Cleaners, we know it can be fun. I’m proud to say we have had second- and third-generation employees join our fun mix! Whether we’re singing a song my dad invented or sharing a Holiday lunch together, every day is an opportunity to share a little laughter and fun while starching the Crispy Critters.
I believe I can spot and press.
I can do it every night and day…
Good luck getting that one out of your head!
Of course, “I Believe I Can Spot and Press” wasn’t the only hit my dad wrote. He turned a famous Whitney Houston song into a dry-cleaning diddy. The lyrics elude me right now, but long-time customers and employees of Janet Davis Cleaners may know exactly what I’m talking about.
–Kyle Matthews 1 (248) 543-0340
Meet the World’s First Airport Therapy Pig
DEBUNKED!
Common Dry-Cleaning Myths That Shouldn’t Exist
HOW LILOU AND ANIMALS LIKE HER CALM STRESSED-OUT TRAVELERS
While myths have given us entertaining tales about toilet water spinning in opposite directions in the Southern Hemisphere and lightning never striking the same spot twice, they are more legend than fact. Below are three common dry-cleaning myths you can add to your list of legends. MYTH: DRY CLEANING IS TOO EXPENSIVE Reality: Think about how long the laundry takes you. First, you have to sort out the clothes. Then you cycle each load through the washer and dryer, selecting the preferences for each load to avoid damage. Then fold and put the clothes away. By the end of it all, you’ve wasted half a day — at least! And that doesn’t even include specialty items like your blankets or the dress you wore to that big event. When you boil it down, shelling out extra money for dry cleaning upfront saves you time, money, and energy. MYTH: JUST A LITTLE CLUB SODA IS ALL YOU NEED! Reality: Between wool, leather, cotton, and silk, a multitude of fibers can comprise your linens and clothes! The truth is, club soda can sometimes do the trick, but it could actually make your stain worse. Be sure to do your research on the materials your fabrics are made of and choose the safest cleaning method. When in doubt, look to us for help! MYTH: TOO MUCH DRY CLEANING RUINS YOUR CLOTHES Reality: Again, every fabric is unique. What works for your church slacks may not be the solution we use on the guest bed linens. We have a multitude of products, soaps, solutions, and procedures that can buff out stains and press your pants to perfection. At home, relying on intense detergents week in and week out can actually damage your clothing. Dry cleaning can be the best thing for your fabrics! It can be difficult to leave behind popular myths, but insisting on the truth will ensure the facts trump false practices and beliefs. Here at Janet Davis Cleaners, we believe our results speak for themselves. If you are satisfied with our work, don’t be afraid to refer us to someone you know! After all, your fabrics may be the proof they need.
Imagine you’re navigating a vast airport on a busy Saturday, shouldering your way through crowds and struggling to hear the PA system over the clatter of 1,000 wheeled suitcases. Suddenly, you see a pig wearing a hot pink sweater waddling toward you on a leash. Do you stop in your tracks? Does your stress level drop? Do you laugh out loud when you see its pink nail polish? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then you can sympathize with the passengers, pilots, flight attendants, and staff at the San Francisco International Airport. They get to enjoy visits from Lilou, the world’s first airport therapy pig, on a regular basis! As part of the Wag Brigade, the airport’s cadre of (mostly canine) therapy animals, Lilou wanders the airport with her humans, bringing joy, peace, and calm to everyone she meets. Lilou may be the only pig of her kind, but airport therapy animals have been a growing trend for the last few years. According to NPR, as of 2017, more than 30 airports across the U.S. employed therapy dogs, and these days, estimates land closer to 60. The San Jose and Denver airports have therapy cats, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport even offers passengers the chance to play with miniature horses before boarding their flights. Therapy dogs started appearing in U.S. airports after the 9/11 terror attacks, which changed American attitudes about flying. They did so well at helping passengers calm down that airports began implementing permanent programs. Some have pets on hand 24/7 to assist passengers, while others host animal visits every few weeks or months. These days, regular travelers have fallen hard for their local therapy animals, many of whom even have their own Instagram accounts and hashtags. So, the next time you’re traveling, keep an eye out for a friendly pup, cat, pig, or horse to pet. A bit of love from an animal just might improve your trip!
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WHAT’S LIVING IN YOUR LINENS?
2019 has come and gone, and as we move into 2020, consider making a habit of keeping your bed linens clean. Not only will you keep your duvets, pillowcases, and sheets healthy, but clean linens might also keep you healthy. According to the folks who developed Tide laundry detergent, 70% of soil on bed sheets is invisible. That makes sense. A lot of icky stuff happens in our bed linens at night, most of it invisible. We sweat, drool, secrete natural body oils, and shed lots of dead skin cells while we sleep. Then fungal spores, insect parts, mold, dust, lint, and pollen gather on our sheets from the air around us, and all of this stuff — ours and the stuff from the air — can attract a host of problems. Dust mites, for example, are attracted to dead skin cells. They are inflammatory to asthmatics and to people with dust allergies. Worse, staph bacteria, which is normally harmless, can live on bedding and, in rare cases, cause fatal infections. The longer you go without cleaning your linens, the more likely it is you’ll make contact with staph — in an inflamed follicle or in a cut, for example. From there, staph can enter the bloodstream and become a serious infection very quickly. At Janet Davis Cleaners, we use professional products that get rid of all those unwanted microorganisms. Most importantly, this
protects your health, but professional cleaning also protects the health and longevity of your linens. The same microorganisms that present risk to you — dust mites, bacteria — also threaten the vibrancy and longevity of your linens. What’s more, dry cleaning can prevent color bleeding, button loss, shrinkage, and fading that usually comes with home washing. We take pride in helping you keep your home healthy and clean. Don’t let another year begin without starting the regular habit of bringing your bedding in for professional cleaning. Your health and your linens will thank you. Call Janet Davis Cleaners today at (248) 543-0340 to learn more!
SUDOKU
Simple PANCAKES FROM SCRATCH
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups all-purpose flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar, optional
• 2 eggs • 1 3/4 cups milk • Unsalted butter or canola oil, to grease skillet
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a griddle or skillet to medium-low.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (including sugar if you like a sweeter pancake). In a separate bowl, beat eggs into milk. Gently stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ones. Mix only until flour is moistened. Clumps are fine. 3. Add some butter or oil to the skillet. If the butter foams or oil shimmers, the temperature is correct. Pour in a pancake of any size, cooking until bubbles form, about 2–4 minutes.
4. Flip and cook other side for 2–4 minutes. Serve warm.
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(248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE
27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072
1 Having Fun at Work? We Encourage It!
2 Meet the World’s First Airport Therapy Pig
Debunking Common Dry-Cleaning Myths
3 Say Goodbye to 2019’s Dirty Laundry
Simple Pancakes From Scratch
4 Real Winter Wonderlands
Snow is magical and gorgeous — unless you have to commute in it. If you want to enjoy all the wonder that winter has to offer without the hassle, why not turn it into a vacation? Here are a few breathtaking, snow-covered destinations that any winter lover can enjoy. BULGUKSA TEMPLE, SOUTH KOREA Above the city of Gyeongju, this ancient Buddhist temple has stood on the slopes of Tohamsan Mountain since the eighth century. Bulguksa, or “Temple of the Buddha Land,” is South Korea’s No. 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it a popular attraction for domestic and international tourism. The crowds and school tours die down during the winter, however, which also happens to be when Bulguksa is at its most pristine. The iced-over lotus ponds and snow-dusted pagodas add to the sense of tranquility this site naturally exudes. THE DOLOMITES, SOUTH TYROL, ITALY If you want the feel of a ski trip to the Alps without the packed slopes and ritzy resorts, the Dolomites are just for you. Located in northeastern Italy, this stunning mountain range is home to some of the best skiing in Europe, as well as many historical Escape to a Winter Wonderland CHILL OUT IN THESE FROSTY DESTINATIONS
sites. The secluded villages that dot the mountain valleys are an attraction in their own right, especially for the rustic cuisine you’ll find there. Don’t expect pasta though. This region is a melting pot of flavors from Austria, northern Italy, and the local Ladin people. Ricotta and sauerkraut pancakes, anyone? THE ANTARCTIC This is the one entry on this list that is best enjoyed during the summer months, which is December–February in the Southern Hemisphere, because that’s when the freezing temperatures of the southernmost continent are at their most hospitable. The Antarctic has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, with cruises taking adventure seekers through the vast, untouched beauty of this far-flung destination. Some tourists even enjoy kayaking or cross-country skiing through this icy paradise.
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