We ship throughout North America (USA & Canada), Western Europe (from Andorra to United Kingdom), Gulf States (from Bahrain to United Arab Emirates), Far East (from Hong Kong to Taiwan) and Australasia (Australia & New Zealand).
With our Nationwide Clean By Mail service (USA & Canada) and Worldwide Clean By Mail service (all other countries), we’re as close as your front door.
At RAVE FabriCARE, we understand the delicate nature of vintage garments. We respect their value to you. And we’ll do our very best to safeguard them.
Cleaning a vintage garment is a skillful process that involves great thought and care at every stage of the cleaning and finishing process.
The guiding principle should always be “Do No Harm”.
At RAVE FabriCARE, our strength is our personalized advisory service. When you bring in or send in a vintage garment to us, a knowledgeable Fabricare Consultant will:
Specifically, we will discuss the problems and/or conditions of use, storage or manufacture that may limit whether such items can be safely cleaned and yield satisfactory results.
At the very least, the following potential problems and/or conditions require careful examination:
May peel, separate, dissolve, lose color, fall off due to loose, broken or rotted threads. If glued on, the glue may dissolve in either an aqueous solution or in dry cleaning fluid.
May be discolored, stained, or deteriorated due to age. If glued on, the color may change. If the item is a garment trimmed with lace, the lace may have to be separated from the garment, independently cleaned, and then reattached after the rest of the garment has been cleaned.
May be badly soiled, scuffed, frayed, torn or glued. Soil removal may be limited.
May be discolored, worn, frayed, torn, or stained.
May be stained from food or beverage, perspiration (can be invisible and turn yellow or brown in processing), dye bleed, or rust from metal components (buttons, hooks, zippers, etc.).
Bows, buttons, buckles, flowers, appliques, rhinestones and other ornamental attachments may separate or discolor. If trim is glued on, the glue may dissolve. Trims might have to be removed and then reattached after the rest of the garment has been cleaned.
Scuffing, pulls and snags; yarn slippage; crushed nap; yellowing due to age, exposure to light (natural and artificial) or improper storage in appropriate climate conditions and/or acidic storage materials; stained and soiled; worn necklines, cuffs and hems; insect damage; dry rot and tears. Weakened or rotted fabric may tear. Unstable dyes may bleed.
The catchword on any vintage garment is test, test and test again before proceeding with any cleaning process.
To view this slide show on a full screen, hit the X button with the arrow tips.
Cleaning a vintage garment is a skillful process that involves great thought and care at every stage of the cleaning and finishing process. It also involves potential risk. So it’s important to understand the potential risks involved before proceeding.
Especially if your vintage garments have been contaminated by fire, smoke, soot, water, mold, mildew and/or humidity as a result of a fire or flood.
When you’ve been entrusted with maintaining and preserving the integrity of a precious and valuable textile, you can trust the experts at RAVE FabriCARE for an informed consultation and care at every stage of the cleaning and finishing process should you decide to proceed.
“The clothes come out looking like new and, in some cases, better than new. Antique Italian silk dresses are beautifully cleaned and renewed. Worth every penny spent here! Handbag repair is excellent also.”google.com
“I have 2 words for you: OMG and WOW! There is no wonder why you are the best in the US. What you did with my blue silk vintage coat is beyond gorgeous -- astonishing and miraculous is more like it. Can you do the same with people? Again, thank you, thank you.”blog post comment
“I took my Aunt's 1943 wedding dress to RAVE FabriCARE to be restored. My Aunt had had her wedding dress cleaned and boxed before I inherited it so I didn't think that there would be much improvement to the overall look of the garment with an additional cleaning. I was simply astonished at the difference in appearance of the garment when I went to pick it up. The white satin was brilliantly white, when before it had been a creamy white. All of the tiny covered buttons down the back of the dress and at the sleeves were just as white as the dress. Other than style, this dress could be used today by a bride and no one would guess it's age of 68 years.”yelp.com
“RAVE is the best dry cleaners ever! I started using RAVE when I lived in Scottsdale in the 1990s and I was amazed. I've never met anyone as knowledgeable and passionate about cleaning clothes as Stu is. I left the area in 2000 but to this day, whenever I have a worrisome stain on an expensive item, I send it down to RAVE and they work miracles. Most recently, I sent down an old men's cardigan sweater – one of those with a suede front panel – that my husband had inherited from his dad. Not only was the sweater stained, but it had numerous moth holes. We received it back this week and it is stunning! The reweaving is perfect and the stains are gone. It truly looks like a new sweater. I recommend (RAVE) to everyone who has a significant investment in their clothing.”yelp.com
“RAVE was recommended several years ago while we were visiting Scottsdale by a fashion industry professional. My wife and I enjoy collecting fashion items and found that RAVE can restore vintage designer pieces with great success. Stu's knowledge of fabric manufacture and cleaning techniques allow him to evaluate the best method of restoring a garment. They remove buttons prior to cleaning, which is worth the cost when the buttons are irreplaceable. We have been sending dress shirts, suits and dresses to RAVE several times a year. They are not your neighborhood cleaners and they are not priced as such. For clothing that matters they are the only place I would recommend.”yelp.com
“Thank you very much....I was very pleased with how my vintage tablecloth turned out, didn't expect the stains to come out. Thank you again for your great customer service!”
“I received my mom's Coast Guard Uniform and caps back. They are beautifully boxed, all traces of the musty smell gone, and the color restored. Thanks for doing a great job!”
“I have a heavy wool morning coat from sometime around the turn of the last century. It's an amazing bespoke item, and if I didn't know how old it was I'd never guess – apart from a little loose stitching around the lining of one sleeve it looks like it could have come from the tailor's just yesterday. I only recently acquired it, and I'd like to have it cleaned before I wear it or put it in my closet. I'm extremely wary of hand washing, so I've been trying to find a cleaner that can take care of it. All the dry cleaners I've visited have said the same thing: they don't know what will happen and I'll need to sign a waiver. So in the end I think I've settled on sending it to a vintage clothing specialist, RAVE FabriCARE. I don't want to risk it being damaged in any way and I can't deal with it not being cleaned, so while it's more expensive than I'd like, I'm almost certainly never going to have it done again. So I think I can spring for it this once.”forums.vintagefashionguild.org
“Stu at RAVE is an old school artisan who understands stains and cloth. His business is quality hand cleaning of garments, not tubs of shirts at $2.49 on a hanger. I priced out Jeeves in NYC for some Hermes scarves that needed help. Stu did a better job at half the price. I do not live in Arizona so our transaction took place completely thru email and UPS. The scarves were returned on a tissue covered board - a real presentation. Just perfect. He saved one I thought was lost and brightened the color a good bit. I can only imagine how dresses come out. I am about to try an ochre silk covered with breading from the 40s. If you have good clothing this is a way to help them last longer. If you have an ugly spot, he can probably find something to remove it and not hurt the cloth. A fine place all round.”yelp.com