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WHAT IS A
FRENCH LAUNDRY?
Blanc
Plume (White Feather)
Q. What
does a French Laundry do?
A. Blanc Plume, a division
of Arrow Fabricare, is dedicated to cleaning and hand finishing
fine household furnishings. Many of these luxury fabric items
carry French names such as: matelassé, moiré, dupioni,
jacquard, toile, Provençal, passementerie, Pierre Deux,
Valdrome, and Souleiado. These are what inspired the name
"Blanc Plume."
Q. Are those
the French names of processes or products?
A. Both. For example, toile
is a current and extremely popular cotton print. It is usually
considered part of a color-filled, household-decorating scheme
known as French Country. Pierre Deux, Valdrome and Souleiado
are brand names. Matelasse, jacquard, moiré, passementerie
trims and Provencal are descriptors of fabric patterns or processes.
Q. How is
your service different from other laundry services?
A. Each item is individually
inspected for stains and then pretreated with the appropriate
agent before being laundered. Then we re-inspect and hand-finish
each item, giving considerable attention to the pressing method
to ensure a finish "close" or "similar" to
when the item was new.
EXAMPLES OF
ITEMS FOR FRENCH LAUNDRY CARE
Q. What
is considered "luxury linen"?
A. Typically, the retail
pricing is higher dollar, such as:luxury sheets with a high thread
count (250-1020), items made of Egyptian cotton, Merino wool,
pure linen or cashmere. Also considered is anything highly-decorated
(crystals, beading) or made of silk, or silk blends, such as
duvets, bed skirts, pillowcases and shams. Eiderdown-filled comforters
and other down-filled bed coverings require special care. Also
included are expensive table linens (frequently made in Ireland,
Italy, Germany, France or Belgium), plus large-size tapestries
and items carrying exclusive designer labels for the home.
Q. I guess
my Martha Stewart sheets shouldn't come to Blanc Plume?
A. Arrow will take excellent
care of your Martha Stewart sheets and similar linens, but they
may not require the same hand-care processes as some of the very
expensive fabrics listed above.
HOW WE CARE
FOR YOUR ITEMS
Q. How do
you clean down comforters, pillows and featherbeds?
A. We clean down and feather
products using a wet wash system with chemicals that will clean
without stripping the natural moisture from the down and feathers.
Q. My comforter
is flat in some spots. Will cleaning it help fluff it up?
A. Down can shift with normal
use. The cleaning process will redistribute the down in your
comforter. If additional fill is needed, we have both down and
feathers available to add to your bedding.
Q. My pillow
is stained and yellow. Can you replace the "ticking"?
A. We can put your down
into a new pillow shell. We use white shells with a 285 threadcount.
Q. I washed
my matelasse coverlet and it shrank. Can you stretch it back
to its original size?
A. Shrinkage is a natural
part of the laundering process with matelasse. We wet wash the
matelasses and block them while wet. We are usually successful
in regaining approximately 60% to 80% of the width and/or length
that was lost.
Q. How do
you clean heirloom quilts?
A. Hand-stitched, antique
or artisan quilts need to be evaluated for their condition before
we begin their gentle care process. Broken stitching, fading,
stains, minor tears in the fabric and loose (or fancy) trim needs
to be noted and discussed because Arrow can provide repair, though
this will involve extra time and cost. Some people want this
service and others do not, fearing further damage. Arrow
provides an heirlooming process whereby your ancestral quilt
can be preserved against further damage, but still enjoyed as
a family treasure.
Q. How can you ship
my tablecloth back to me without creasing it?
A. Tablecloths are normally
folded and wrapped around a flat cardboard for shipping. At your
request and for an additional charge we can roll your tablecloth
on a cardboard tube for crease-free shipping.
SHIPPING AND
PAYMENT INFORMATION
Q. How do
I send my items to you to be cleaned?
A. Most of our customers
ship their items via our priority courier. You can request an
inbound shipping label
online or call the Blanc Plume office and request one to
be sent by email. We recommend wrapping your items in plastic
for added protection before boxing them for shipping.
Q. How do
I pay for my order?
A. You may use one of several
major credit cards. Simply include your card number with your
return shipping information (your name, address, telephone number)
and we will set up an account for you when we receive your first
order.
Q. Do I
need to call for a shipping label every time I want to send in
an order?
A. When we return your completed
order, we automatically send you a shipping bag, a new price
list/order form an information folder, and a shipping label for
your next order.
When the Web Page
Info isn't Sufficient
Q. I have
a question for which I don't see an answer here. Is there a telephone
number where I could speak with a 'live person'? Or, where can
I send an email?
A. We are happy to oblige.
Our toll-free telephone number is 1-800-307-0229 and our
office hours are 7AM to 5PM Central Time Zone - Monday through
Friday. Or you may send an email to: conniem@blancplume.com
To return to Arrow's Home page, click
here:
Do as
thousand of Arrow customers have done.
Trust your
garments and household items to the loving and protective care
of Arrow Fabricare.
Every day...with every piece...Arrow cares.
FOR ANSWERS
TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (click below):
Arrow
Testimonials
Home - Click here for other Arrow products and
services
Photograph courtesy of Anichini
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