Do You Check Your Dry Cleaning?

I used to be very lazy when it came to dry cleaning.  I would pick up my dry cleaning and then leave my clothes in the plastic bags for weeks.  It seemed like such a PITA to remove the plastic bags, rubberbands/twisty ties, and the occasional paper stuffing unless I was actually going to wear the item.

You would think after my first incident with the dry cleaners - they shrunk my DVF dress - I would learn my lesson.  I didn't realize that shrinkage had occurred until I was on a cruise dressing for "formal night" and my bottom was barely covered by the back of the dress.  Luckily, I had packed black pants and ended up wearing the dress as a fancy one-shoulder tunic.  It was improvise or eat alone in the suite.

But no (sometimes I'm slow on the uptake)...I didn't learn until the second time around when the dry cleaners (a different one from the first) shrunk my one-month old White + Warren cashmere duster.  I didn't find out about the shrinkage until two weeks later, when I wanted to wear it while I was away on a 2-week vacation.  It was a challenge to explain to the dry cleaners one month after I picked up the duster why it took me so long to realize that shrinkage had occurred.  (Basically they were telling me, "It's been a month.  Are you sure it was us?  Don't you check your clothes when you get home?")   Their attempts to stretch out the duster were completely futile.   Once something gets shrunk, it's NEVER the same.  :(

Now when I get home with my dry cleaning, I immediately check for shrinkage.

Note:  It's also bad to "suffocate" you clothes in the plastic bags.  You should let you clothes air out.  It'll help disperse the chemical smell and moisture from your clothes.