Enjoy the party, but with the festivities spills, splashes, and other party-time mishaps, as well as wear alone, can take their toll on these expensive items.

Many formal wear garments are made of luxurious fabrics, such as taffeta, moire, satin, organza, metallic prints, silk, and velvet. Each of these fabrics require care in both wear and cleaning. Here are some tips to keep that outfit looking great: 

Treat stains immediately to avoid damage.

Blot stains; do not rub. Rubbing a spot on sheer fabrics, such as organza, can cause the yarns to slip, tear the fabric, or chafe the fabric surface.

Shake excess spills from velvets and allow to dry. Do not blot or apply any pressure in damp areas.

Satin (especially smooth satin), taffeta, and metallic fabrics are especially susceptible to abrasion damage and snagging. Take care when wearing jewelry or around rough edges.

Perfume, deodorant, hair spray, and makeup can be damaging to these fabrics. Apply before you dress and make sure everything is completely dry.

After the party, remember to have your formal wear cleaned before storage.

Some sneaky stains can be a real head scratcher for us if we are working with incomplete information. You may not realize it, but some stains can be made up of compound elements beyond just the obvious presumed cause of the problem.

Coffee stains, for example, often contain milk or other additives, making the stain more difficult to remove since the coffee is a tannin stain and the milk leaves a protein- based stain. Both the coffee and the milk in the coffee are water-based stains, but protein stains require more work to get out. Such stains will have to be treated individually, even though the actual staining occurred at the same time.

If you drop off an item with a coffee stain, please inform the customer service representative how you take your coffee (i.e., with cream and sugar, milk and sugar, black, etc.).

This is an example of how Arrow can make an old, damaged, faded or scratched piece of furniture look almost new. ARROW specializes in the restoration of original beauty and condition of leather chairs and couches. All work is done by hand and can be performed in our plant or on location and your home or office. During cleaning natural oils are restored to the leather to prevent the leather from further drying and cracking. Colors are re-tinted for a new appearance. The color finishes that are used allow the leather to breathe and to retain its soft, pliable texture. A clear finish is applied to protect against soiling and to protect the surface dye.

Coming soon to www.ehow.com... In this picture owner, Bruce Gershon, preps for his video shoot with ehow.com. Bruce will be featured in a series of Leather and Fabric care "how to" videos on ehow.com beginning in April of 2012.

Bruce was contacted by ehow.com through one of their producers who had used Arrow's services before. Her husband was going to throw away one of his old leather coats, and she did not want to get rid of it. She did a Google search on leather restoration, and came to the conclusion that Arrow was the best place to send this special coat. She shipped the coat to Arrow through our special online shipping program, and when they received the coat back they were more than thrilled with the results.

Being recognized as one of the premiere leather cleaners in the country ehow.com asked Bruce to do a Leather and Fabric Care “how to” video series. 17 helpful videos were filmed and will be posted on ehow.com starting in April.

This is a sad, sad story. The owner of this classic Prada handbag had used it, used it and USED IT!! Until it was terribly scratched, faded, stained, dirty and misshapen.

But the wise owner knew of a solution!...Arrow Leathercare Services, of course.

The sad story had a happy ending!

As this photo shows, the result was amazing! A cleaned and restored bag that might lead someone to think that it was brand new.
Prada will be proud!

You don't want to allow an inadvertent spill or tear ruin the happy times this holiday season.

So don't worry. If the "bad" happens...it happens! And later Arrow will make it all better.

Every garment is individually assessed upon receipt to determine the best and safest method of cleaning and finishing. Fragile ornamentation is removed for separate handling.Every precaution is taken to make sure that your garment is completed per your wishes and with complete safety.

Arrow will also professionally care for your leather/suede/textile handbags when they get a little dirty or scuffed or stained. Just call us at 816-931-2452 for free pickup and delivery at your home or office.

A picture speaks louder than a 1,000 words...so we won't say much about these two photos except to say that the photos are completely un-retouched. The bag was received in the deplorable condition shown in the photo just below with a massive stain on the bottom.

A short time later, Arrow's leather masters removed the stain, re-colored, re-energized and re-ally impressed the customer who sent her bag without much hope. Arrow is doing this with hundreds of bags every week. If you have a special bag that needs this amazing Arrow Care, send it to us. Click here to get a free UPS shipping label or to get free shipping materials sent to you to send your bag at no charge. Your choice! Just follow the instructions on this web page.

"Thanks so much! You've got a loyal customer (and an enthusiastic recommender) for life."

Trish B., Kansas City


Ed Note: Many thanks Trish...for your business and for your kind and creative testimonial.