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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
FEBRUARY 2020
I like everything to be clean, and I know being clean starts at the source. For example, I’m obsessed with clean water. When drinking water, I can tell right away if it’s clean or not. In fact, I always carry around at least one Nalgene of water that has been through my home filtration system. (I even take it into restaurants.) Maybe it’s because I’m in the cleaning business, or maybe I’m in the cleaning business because I like things pure. But I haven’t always been a water snob. It began when my wife got pregnant with our first child. I started to read about the contaminants that sometimes show up in tap water — heavy metals, pharmaceuticals — and it was the first time I really thought about the water we were drinking. While I couldn’t make being pregnant any easier on my wife, I could make sure the water she and our soon-to-be-born baby drank was clean. I installed a filter, and not just any filter: a five-stage reverse osmosis water filtration system. When I do something, I like to go all the way with it, and I didn’t stop with the water. While my wife was pregnant with our second child, I learned how unfiltered air can be especially harmful to developing lungs. I started by buying the premium filters for the furnace. As time went on, I installed standing HEPA air filters in each bedroom of the house as well. My wife thought I was crazy. At work, we have five industrial washers with a prefilter on each one. Those prefilters catch something coming through the city’s water supply almost every month. We have an industrial water softener, too. It can hold hundreds of pounds of salt, and I can always tell right away when it runs out because the number of “recleans” we have skyrockets. I’m just as serious about health and safety as I am about clean water, and I know taking precautions can impact my family and work. In fact, one of our core values at Janet Davis Cleaners is safety. KEEPING THE WATER AND AIR PURE
In dry cleaning, most things run on steam. We have hundreds of feet of pipe full of steam measuring at temperatures in excess of 300 degrees. I make sure all our pipes have proper covers and insulation (above and beyond what we’re required to have). Some dry cleaners don’t, but we do. It is important to me to make sure my employees are safe — not to mention it’s more efficient and better for the environment. My kids are older now. One by one, the stand-alone air filters I installed have failed — their motors broke, or some other necessary component failed, and I didn’t replace them. I’ve tried to separate the outrageous from the things that are simply prodigious, like the premium whole house air filters we still use and change regularly. In addition, our drinking water will always be filtered at home. You don’t really notice the taste of impure water until you’ve had pure water. Keeping our air and water clean, along with keeping everyone safe, is a small way I show my love and appreciation. What unusual or surprising way do you show your love for those around you?
–Kyle Matthews 1 (248) 543-0340
Science Wants You to Stop and Smell the Roses
PUTTING CUSTOMER CARE FIRST
THE BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE
For 80 -Plus Years
In a 2008 survey conducted by the National Trust in Britain, children were more likely to correctly identify a Dalek from “Doctor Who” than a barn owl. Likewise, a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study of 8–18-year-olds in the U.S. found that the average youth spends more than 53 hours a week engaged with entertainment media. These statistics, coupled with growing concerns that children are spending less time outdoors, are leading to terms like “nature deficit disorder” and global initiatives to get kids outside. Why is contact with the outdoors so important? Researchers are answering this question by studying the benefits of time spent in nature. One benefit is that outdoor time helps kids understand boundaries and learn how to assess risk. As naturalist, author, and broadcaster Stephen Moss puts it, “Falling out of a tree is a very good lesson in risk-reward.” Not to mention, time in nature may help improve focus for hyperactive kids. In one national study of youths by the University of Illinois, participants’ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms were reduced after spending time in a green setting versus a more urban one. This may be due to the fact that natural environments call upon our “soft fascination,” a less exhausting type of focus than what is required by urban environments. Emotional benefits were discovered too, including reduced aggression, increased happiness, and improved self-esteem. Beyond just getting outside, the type of contact we have with nature also matters. Visits to nature centers and watching “Planet Earth” are two ways to experience the outdoors. But research points specifically to the importance of free play in the natural world: unstructured outdoor time when children can explore and engage with their natural surroundings with no curriculum, lesson, or activity to complete. Ever notice how kids are fascinated by the simplest things? A child visits a rose garden, but before they even get to the flowers, they become captivated by a leaf on the ground or an ant crawling on their shoe. Children are born naturalists. These are the moments we need to recapture. Take a page out of that kid’s book, and as the saying goes, stop and smell the roses — or leaves or ants — with no checklist and no plan, just time spent playing outside.
At Janet Davis Cleaners, we are dedicated to service. Ever since my family opened this business in 1938, we have operated off the same guiding principles. We love serving our community, and we work hard to meet the high standards set by previous generations of my family. For us, customer care is about more than just keeping your business. It’s also about upholding the Janet Davis standard that has been long established in this community. Delivering great customer service can mean removing a tough stain, delivering a quick turnaround, or having patience with our customers. Regardless of the situation, though, great customer care always means keeping our customers’ needs front and center. “Angela at Janet Davis Cleaners saved the day! I brought my daughter’s wedding dress in to have steamed less than two weeks before the wedding. Angela was very accommodating and assured me everything would be taken care of. Not only did they do an amazing job, but it was also finished two days early. Angela made me feel like my daughter’s dress was the only one that mattered! I would definitely recommend.” –Dawn P. “I had a midday flight scheduled and dropped off my favorite dress that same morning. They had it ready for me by noon. Very nice facility and professional staff. I will definitely be coming back.” –Nensi S. “My wedding dress was a mess, but it’s good as new now! Reasonably priced and the staff is great. I’m always toting a 4-year-old and an infant around with me, and they were very patient with us.” –Emily H. Whether you need a quick turnaround or a free at-home pick-up and delivery, we are ready to serve your cleaning needs in the Berkley and Bloomfield areas. Give us a call at (248) 543-0340 or visit JanetDavisCleaners.com to learn more! We want to thank our team for providing great customer service. Here are a few of the great things our customers are saying.
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February is smack-dab in the middle of the wedding-dress buying season. It might still feel distant, but the 2020 wedding season will be here before we know it. To ensure there’s ample time for their dress to arrive and their tailor to make alterations, brides-to-be need to say yes to their dress sooner rather than later. If they’re still on the fence, here’s a quick overview of some common wedding dress fabrics to share with the bride in your life. SATIN Contrary to popular belief, satin isn’t a type of fiber; it’s a finish. Satin is popular for its durability, body, and smooth surface. Satin dresses are made of pure silk, all polyester, or a blend of the two fibers. Generally, the greater the percentage of natural fiber in a satin dress, the more the fabric will breathe. The drawback of natural fibers, though, is that they are more fragile. TAFFETA Taffeta creates clean and dramatic volume — think Disney princess gown. This fabric is popular in A-lines and ballgowns and is most often used to produce statement skirts. Like satin, taffeta can be made of real silk or synthetics, which means it is essential to read the label and wash according to instructions. LACE Lace is a classic wedding dress fabric. It preserves and travels well, so if you plan to watch your daughter walk down the SAY YES TO YOUR DRESS
aisle in your dress someday, or if you plan to have a destination wedding, lace should be your go-to. However, due to its open weave, be aware that lace is susceptible to snags. CREPE Crepe is often used to make sheath silhouettes — think modern, clean, and chic gowns. Crepe is lightweight and hugs the body without being too clingy. This fabric lends itself especially well to alteration and is like the “little black dress” of wedding gown fabrics: It’s easy to personalize. For more tips for the bride in your life and to learn more about our MuseumCare gown preservation service, check out JanetDavisCleaners.com or give us a call at (248) 543-0340.
SUDOKU
Vegan BANANA PANCAKES
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 cups flour • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt • 2 extra ripe bananas, mashed • 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted • 1 tsp vanilla extract • Cooking spray
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk bananas, soy milk, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla together. 3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir. Don’t overmix. Lumps are okay. 4. Spray a heated pancake griddle with cooking spray, and scoop 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the griddle. Repeat until the griddle is filled. 5. After 3 minutes or when bubbles appear, flip each pancake. 6. After each pancake has risen to double its initial height, remove from griddle. Repeat as necessary until batter is gone. 7. Serve with your favorite toppings!
3 (248) 543-0340
Inspired by My Darling Vegan
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
Monday–Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE
27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072
1 We Care About Your Health 2 Stop and Smell the Roses
8 Decades of Great Customer Care
3 Say Yes to Your Dress:
A Wedding Dress Fabric Guide
Vegan Banana Pancakes
4 Learn All About Leap Year
FACTS ABOUT THE LEAP YEAR LEAP INTO 2020
Like the Olympics and presidential elections, leap years only occur once every four years, which is why many people look forward to Feb. 29. But there’s a lot that you might not know about this quirk on the calendar. WHY To keep the calendar in sync with Earth’s orbit around the sun, an extra day is added to it every four years. Earth takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to orbit the sun. Those extra hours add up over time, so another calendar day becomes necessary. But a leap year doesn’t occur every four years. Adding that extra day still doesn’t quite keep Earth on track, so the calendar skips leap years that occur during century years not divisible by 400. For example, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 won’t be. WHO The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are 1 in 1,461. That means that of the roughly seven billion people in the world, only about five million of them are “leaplings.” The number of leaplings currently living in the U.S. is roughly 187,000. Some famous leaplings include motivational speaker Tony Robbins, rapper Ja
Rule, and singer Mark Foster of Foster the People. However, the most famous leapling is probably Superman. When you invent a super-being, you might as well give him a super-birthday. WHERE Anthony, Texas/New Mexico (a single town that straddles the two states’ borders), claims the title “Leap Year Capital of the World.” The city throws one massive birthday party for all leaplings but invites everyone to join the celebration. Two leapling neighbors from Anthony began the tradition in 1988, and it’s blossomed into a festival with thousands of participants every four years. It includes banquets, hot air balloons, a carnival, concerts, parades, and more. When you have four years to plan in between each shindig, there’s time to go big. Celebrate this leap year by doing something unusual or new. It’s a special day that doesn’t occur often, so make the most of it by doing something you’ll talk about for another four years.
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