Darien Fabricare Cleaners, Darien

While a person might wear clothes ranging from basic tees and pants to slinky cocktail dresses, they can't lump everything together when it comes time to do laundry. That’s why the technicians at Fabricare Cleaners offer laundering services in addition to their three styles of dry cleaning: one for basic items, one for fragile items needing special care, and one using biodegradable, eco-friendly detergents. They have a reciprocal relationship with the Fashion Institute of Technology, in which they teach the school how to service garments and the school teaches them how to understand construction. This training enables them to immediately recognize stains and fabric type, allowing them to accurately protect and clean clothes by using fabric-friendly chemicals and buttons previously worn by secret-service agents.

After more than 30 years in the business, the owners recently upgraded the facilities to incorporate green technology and use less energy during their processes. In their upgraded facility, the staff can efficiently clean clothes, furs, house decor, and shoes, which can be dropped off in one of the 24-hour kiosks and are returned with the shop’s free delivery service. They also provide reusable garment bags, helping cut down on plastic waste and large cat nests found in the closet corner.