Episode 286 of Shirt Show bridges the gap between printing and preserving. Zachary Pozniak, a fourth-generation dry cleaner and co-owner of Jeeves New York, joins Dylan to talk about what really happens to garments after they leave your shop. From TikTok laundry fame to authoring The Laundry Book, Zach is on a mission to educate wearers and makers alike on how to make clothes last.
From Engineering to Dry Cleaning Stardom
Zach didn’t set out to become a dry cleaner. With a background in mechanical engineering, he found himself helping his father modernize the family business during the 2020 pandemic. Fast-forward to today and Jeeves is the go-to for high-end care, viral stain hacks, and industry-leading garment preservation. Zach’s perspective offers a rare view into the next stage of a shirt’s life cycle.
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The Disconnect Between Print, Care, and Longevity
Garments go through a lot before they get to the end user. Zach and Dylan talk about how printers do all the right things during production but lose control once the shirt is worn, washed, and mistreated. There’s a clear opportunity: better education on care and more collaboration between manufacturers, printers, and cleaners.
- Why “wash cold and hang dry” doesn’t cut it
- How care instructions can empower customers
- Why fabric choices upstream affect the print and lifespan
Education, Not Just Decoration
What if you could send every customer home with the knowledge to protect their new favorite tee? Zach thinks you should. Whether it’s QR codes, printed inserts, or brand-backed laundry videos, there are ways printers can help customers avoid the biggest laundry mistakes that shorten the life of a garment or wreck a print.
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The Laundry Industry’s Take on Print Problems
In this episode, you’ll also hear Zach's perspective on:
- Dye migration and color bleed from a cleaner’s lens
- Why garment tags often tell you “don’t” instead of how
- How fast fashion’s speed hurts long-term wear
- Dry cleaning myths and what really happens in the machine
Key Takeaways
- Print shops need to start the aftercare conversation
- “Cold” wash isn’t actually cold—know the difference
- Education builds trust, customer loyalty, and longevity
- Some fabrics and trims are doomed from the design stage