Problem: At the last minute, you decide you need your dress back, clean or unclean — but the cleaner doesn’t have it on-site.

Solution: Ask an employee if the cleaning is done on-site. If there is a chance you could want your clothes the same day, steer clear of storefront “dry stores,” which don’t have cleaning machines on the premises, says cleaning expert Steve Boorstein.

Problem: You waited a few days to bring in a jacket with a stain, and now the cleaner can’t remove it.

Solution: Improve your chances next time by taking stained items to the cleaner within 48 hours. Then, tell all: what the stain is (even if it’s blood, sweat, or urine) and exactly what you did to it. “If you know the composition of a stain — whether it’s earth-based, protein-based, or oil-based — we can use the right method to remove it from the start,” says Charles Ickes, manager of the New York City–based Madame Paulette.