Kyle Matthews is the fifth-generation owner of Janet Davis Cleaners, the family garment-care company founded in Highland Park, Michigan in 1938 and based on Woodward Avenue in Berkley since 1950. He joined the business in 2006 as Director of Sales and Marketing and has been sole owner since January 1, 2023, when his father, Dave Matthews, retired. Kyle is President of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists, the international trade association that sets standards for wedding gown cleaning, preservation and restoration, elected in 2024 and re-elected in 2025 and 2026. In 2023 he and his father received the association's Jack Barth Memorial Award of Excellence for contributions to industry standards in gown care. Under his ownership Janet Davis Cleaners became a certified affiliate of America's Best Cleaners in 2024, one of fewer than 50 cleaners in the United States to hold the certification. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the MI Cleaning Fund, a member-owned workers' compensation program for Michigan's cleaning industry, elected by the membership in 2025. He writes here about garment care, stain removal, wedding gown preservation and what to look for in a cleaner — the questions customers ask at the counter every week. Kyle is a Michigan State University graduate (with honors) and lives in Rochester Hills, MI.
A quick google search yields this definition for dry cleaning, the act of cleaning (fabrics) with a solvent other than water. A good dry cleaner is so much more than that. They are fabric cleaning specialists and will have a number of cleaning options at their disposal to get your garments clean without damage, every time. How Dry Cleaners Work A modern dry cleaning machine… Read More »The Dirt on Dry Cleaning
“A luxury once sampled becomes a necessity.” -Andrew Tobias Does having your dry cleaning picked up from your house and delivered back sound silly? Whether your stop at your local dry cleaners once a month or twice a week, why not save the time and energy by having your dry cleaners come to you? Automating your chores and tasks frees you up to do the… Read More »Is Pick-up & Delivery Dry Cleaning For Me?
How to Keep Your Uniform Clean When You’re Performing Like an Olympian! Whether you’re in the the Olympics in London or you just aspire to be there some day, you know what it’s like to have a smelly, dirty uniform. I’m going to share with you some tips on how to keep that sports uniform (for any uniform that can be washed in water, which… Read More »Gold Medal Cleaning for Your Jersey or Uniform
If you’re like me, you hope your favorite button down dress shirt will last forever. Unfortunately, they are typically made of cotton, not Kevlar, so they do wear out and break down over time. Some of the problems you commonly encounter can be fixed while other symptoms indicate it’s time to retire the shirt and purchase a new one. The International Fabricare Institute expressed that… Read More »Common Problems with Men’s Dress Shirts
There are two main types of boxes you can store your wedding gown after it’s been professionally cleaned. Plastic and paperboard. Plastic boxes are really good at keeping stuff out, but that also means they are really good at keeping stuff in. This is bad for your dress, especially if it was packed on a day with high humidity. The Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute has… Read More »Which Type of Box Should I Store My Gown In? Plastic vs. Paperboard
There is more to life than dry cleaning. I’m sure you are already aware of this, but for me dry cleaning is my life. Today I’m going make a bit of a segue (not the two wheel transportation device but rather a transition between topics) from my normal discourse to a list of top Metro Detroit blogs. The blogs listed below are in no particular order… Read More »Top Blogs in Detroit
The dry cleaning industry has one of the lowest customer satisfaction ratings of any service industry. What I’ve noticed is that there are a few good dry cleaners out there, but unfortunately the number of bad operators outweigh the number of good ones. What is it about dry cleaners that people don’t like? It takes time Gone are the days of one hour dry cleaning.… Read More »Problems with Using a Dry Cleaners
Here at Janet Davis Cleaners we were recently honored to be selected as one of two best dry cleaners in Detroit in the StyleLine Editors Choice Metro Detroit Shopping & Services Guide. The guide had this to say about us, “The details translate to great service. That’s why garments cleaned at Janet Davis are ready-to-wear and without missing buttons. Janet Davis offers a button… Read More »Janet Davis Cleaners Selected for Metro Detroit Editors Choice Award
Shopping for the man in your life can often be a daunting task. As I man I can understand, we’re simple creatures and if there is something we really want, we find a way to buy it. So what do you buy your dad, husband, or brother this year? Something to make him look great, without having to guess this current size or style. Here… Read More »6 Holiday Gifts to Keep the Man in Your Life Looking Great!
Janet Davis Cleaners is proud to announce their involvement with The Brides Project. The Brides Project is a non-profit organization that sells donated wedding gowns to help fund free support services to those who have been touched by cancer. How to Purchase A Gown The Brides Project is a bridal boutique that sells donated new and pre-worn wedding gowns at the retail location in downtown… Read More »The Brides Project
