CRAFT COSTUME PARTY: “We have a staff of long-standing. Some have been here as long as 35 years; others 15 and more. We are a real team. Everyone is ready to help out, and we also have fun together,” says Lorrie Janick-Adelberger, co-owner and managing partner of Craft Cleaners. Costumed as The Mad Hatter, she is third from left. Other staffers, celebrating the “Alice in Wonderland” Halloween theme, are, from left, Robert Scott-VanHorn (The Caterpillar), Rebecca Scott (Queen of Hearts), Linda Ragnoli (White Rabbit), and Traci Skodacek (Cheshire Cat).

By Jean Stratton

For more than 60 years, Craft Cleaners has kept Princeton’s clothes in tip-top condition.

Founded by John Janick in Princeton Junction, it moved to its current 225 Nassau Street location in 1964, where it handles all the cleaning services.

A favorite mainstay of Princeton for many years, Craft continues to be a family business, with John’s son Tom Janick and Lorrie Janick-Adelberger as co-owners. The company is known not only for its high quality cleaning, but also for its focus on customer service.

“We are very customer-oriented,” points out Janick-Adelberger. “We have many customers of long-standing, including Princeton University, corporations, senior facilities, and adult communities, as well as individuals all over the area. They know they can count on us. If there is ever an emergency, we do our best to help out. For example, something may have spilled on a dress, and the owner has a special event that night. We will do our best to help on short notice.”

Free Delivery

“We also have free delivery in Princeton and the surrounding area,” she says. “Our home delivery service grew quite a bit during COVID. We were open as an essential, and we offered delivery as a truly contactless service. Currently, we have 675 on our delivery list and eight delivery routes. Also, our new smaller delivery trucks are more fuel-efficient.”

Cleaning services begin with a careful inspection of all pockets, where over the years, a variety of items including business and Mass cards, coins, jewelry, and more have been found, she explains. “One time, we found a diamond ring, and you can imagine what that meant to the owner!”

Craft cleans a complete range of items, from everyday clothing to upscale suede and leather to unique antique pieces to rugs and carpets. Special items include wedding dresses, christening gowns, prom dresses, graduation caps and gowns, Boy and Girl Scout uniforms, as well as Princeton University band uniforms and costumes for McCarter Theatre. And don’t forget the dog coats and pet beds!

Draperies, curtains, table linens, doilies, blankets, comforters, and quilts are also cleaned, and there is storage service available for wedding dress preservation, down comforters, and winter clothes.

“We also have a special whitening process for older items,” notes Janick-Adelberger. “And we have recently added a Wash ’n’ Fold by the pound service in which items are washed, folded, and returned in a bag. No pressing is involved.”

Men’s Shirts

Men’s shirt laundering is another big part of the business, and in a typical day, Craft receives 513 shirts and 663 pieces of dry cleaning. This can vary seasonally, she reports.

“Whenever the weather changes. In April, people typically bring in winter coats, outerwear, sweaters, etc. Also, we recommend that when people are putting winter garments away in the summer, everything should be cleaned first.”

She adds that lavender sachets may help to ward off moths, as well as the tried and true moth balls, which are not always popular due to their pungent odor.

Sweaters are among the most common items for cleaning, along with jackets, coats, and pants. In addition to looking into pockets, checking each piece for stains starts the process. Food and beverage stains are frequently seen, with mustard stains among the most difficult to remove.

“We incorporate a multi-step inspection/quality control process in which trained personnel check each garment. This is a high-touch clothing care process,” points out Janick-Adelberger.

Safer Solvents

Craft has always been set apart by its awareness of and willingness to adopt new procedures and safety measures.

“The cleaning solvents today are much safer,” she says. “We used to be required to be DEP-inspected every year for safety. Now that is not necessary because of our use of safer products.”

“We were also the first cleaner in the U.S. to offer the Miele wet cleaning, computer-controlled process,” continues Janick-Adelberger. “And we now utilize that for more than 45 percent of what we process. It has been so successful that we have served as a consultant about it with other cleaners across the country.

“Green technology and reduction of our carbon footprint are environmentally-friendly, and automation of our assembly process has allowed us to focus even more on quality and customer service.”

In addition to the cleaning, laundering, and storage services, tailoring and shoe polish and repair are available. Minor repairs, hemming, relining, and new zippers, etc. are offered by the tailors on the premises.

“The college kids and young people are really into recycling old clothing,” notes Janick-Adelberger. “There are consignment stores nearby, and often customers will bring in things they got that need to be altered, mended, etc.”

Craft continues to offer new opportunities, she adds. “We are now exploring a new self-service system, which would be unattended, so people can just drop off, and pick up at their convenience, saving them time.”

Taking Part

She is especially proud of Craft’s employees, whom she considers an essential part of the company’s success.

“We are a team. I don’t see myself as an employer, but as part of the team. We are always ready to help each other. Everyone will step in when needed. We celebrate staff birthdays, have a Christmas party, and dress up for Halloween. We all take part.

“We also have a broad reach in the community, and have always tried to be a real part of it. Our clients are across the board, all ages, and with our services, we can be a part of their events and lives.”

The company’s priority is to continue to offer top-notch cleaning services and to explore new options, she adds. “There have been many new developments, and we belong to organizations that help to keep us up to date. Customer service is at the forefront and always will be.”

Craft Cleaners is competitively priced, and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expanded hours are being considered.

For further information, call (609) 924-3242. Visit the website at craftcleaners.com.