Just when we think we've seen it all, another type of stain shows up in a load of dry cleaning! Don't despair. Stains are a normal work issue for DELIA'S Cleaners. Even so, some may a bit harder to remove -" and more unusual -" than others. Here are a few of the worst stains we've ever heard of and the stories behind them.

• White shirt -�dyed-� red. A customer was dining out when a waiter going by lost her balance and spilled glasses of red wine all over his white shirt. The shirt that was literally covered in red wine. It took two full stain treatments and cleanings to get the entire stain out. The sales associate at the customer's store proactively checked each time to ensure not a trace was left.
• Chocolate hand prints. A toddler had been eating a chocolate bar that had melted in his hands. Without thinking, he wiped them on his mom's skirt! The mom had tried to wipe the chocolate off, which only pushed it deeper into the fibers. She pre-treated it with detergent, which made the stain harder to remove, but fortunately, it all come out.
• Coffee to go. One woman had spilled a latte on her dress. While seemingly straightforward, cleaning the stain would have been impossible if we hadn't known what was in the coffee, e.g., milk, flavorings, sugars, chocolate, etc.
• Wax on, wax off. Cleaning up after a family holiday dinner, a mom white table cloth that had been stained by the blue dye used in the candles that lit her table. The wax had melted, flowed around the base of the candle holders and seeped deep into the fabric. While she got most of the surface wax off, the dye was another story. Fortunately, she had not pre-treated the stain at home and the table cloth was fully restored.
• It was only a little kiss. A little lipstick on a collar turned into a bright pink mess after it was treated at home with seltzer water. Most lipstick has a petroleum and wax base with added dyes for color. Rubbing the stain spread the stain and embedded the dyes and discoloration deep into the fibers of the shirt. It took some extra work, but the shirt was restored.

Every stain needs to be treated uniquely based on what the cause was. Different foods, cosmetics and environmental stains have varying chemical make-ups. These determine which removal process and solutions will be most effective in removing the impairment. At DELIA'S Cleaners, our plant is staffed with specialists who can recognize stains quickly and treat each one properly.

For best results, don't treat stains at home or the office. Bring your clothes to the closest DELIA'S Cleaners as soon as possible. Point out the stains to the store associates, tell them the cause and let them know how long the stain has been on the clothes. We'll take it from there!