Barker Group Reusable Packaging

At Barker Group we are constantly striving to maintain a good carbon footprint. For several years we have been using reusable packaging for our delivery and collection service. For our larger customers we provide wicker hampers for their laundry which the client keeps and uses to return their laundry to us.

The majority of our other customers have their laundry delivered in black fibre board boxes which are guaranteed to last for up to 10 years. When discarded, these boxes breakdown leaving little surplus. Our remaining customers receive their laundry in handpacked polythene which can be recycled also.

It is our aim to minimise the disposable packaging as far as is reasonably possible for the future.

For more information on Barker's Delivery and Collection service click here

Barker Group Laundry Services

At Barker Group, we offer and extensive range of laundry services, from dry cleaning of clothes, duvets and sleeping bags, to a full laundry service for general clothing and wedding dresses.

Depending on which service you prefer, we can collect and deliver, or offer several high street stores throughout Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire where you can drop off and pick up your laundry items.

To find our stores go here 

See our delivery and collection service here

Matthew Barker - Dry Cleaning in his Blood

Anthony's Son and current Managing Director of Barker Group

"I grew up in Dry Cleaning. Modern machinery and legislation have changed things slightly, but the whiff of Perc.* is one of those smells that takes me back to my childhood. The business is in the blood, and I love it. Many people have said that to work in this industry is not just a career, it's a disease and there are few cures. But when my Parents bought the laundry, I thought they were mad. Life changed overnight. The hours were long and took their toll. They started using swear words when talking about work. There was a new language I didn't understand. The only 'overs' and 'shorts' I'd known were in the cricket pavilion after a match, not as a reference to unsatisfactory laundry production. I could only wonder what 'stiff collars' were!"

Matthew continues "I was appalled by the laundry business, it seemed like a daft way to make a living, and I was having nothing to do with it. That was until, in 1989 when I was operating my own company publishing a discount directory. The first Gulf War occurred and oil prices went through the roof. We were plunged into the worst recession for fifty years, I needed cash badly and Dad needed a driver, and that was my entry into the laundry business."

The Barker Group is Born

 

In the last fifteen years, the Barker Laundry has gone from strength to strength. In 2000 Matthew bought the company from his Father, re-branding to Barker Group in 2002. Barker Group consists of four divisions:

Barker Laundry now services more Dry Cleaners than any other laundry in the country as well as providing the much required weekly door-to-door collection and delivery of a domestic laundry service. Back in 1986 Anthony Barker sold the companies dry cleaning interests to Johnson Cleaners UK but in 1995 Barker Dry Cleaning returned to the High Street and now have an expanding chain of cleaners in the Southern Counties. Barker Workwear supplies many of Dorset's workplaces with uniforms, dust control mats and washroom services on a purchase or rental basis, and Barker Collars is the world's largest manufacturer of collars for formal dress wear supplying Royalty, Admiralty, Judiciary and the general public throughout the world.

So what next for the Barker Group? The final word must go to Matthew Barker "I am a Barker and we don't stand still, all I can say is - keep visiting our website for news!"

Look After Your Curtains

Dry Cleaning versus Washing of Curtains

All processing of curtains provide an element of shrinkage. Washing curtains at home provides the most risk, as the facilities to rectify shrinkage are limited. Most curtain manufacturers will advise that as much as 5% to 8% can be lost from the length through cleaning. Barker Dry Cleaning can minimise that risk with the only 'Sandershade' curtain machine in use in Central Southern England.

Relining Curtains

Curtain linings subjected to the sun can deteriorate rapidly and the fabric can disintegrate during any process. We can advise you on the risk and the most effective form of processing to minimise damage. We can also provide a relining service. 

Cleaning & Alterations to Curtains

Barker Dry Cleaning offer a comprehensive curtain cleaning and alteration service. We offer a free estimating service without obligation, at your home or office, to take down, clean and re-hang your curtains. Alternatively you can bring your curtains to any of our stores. 

Remove Common Stains from Clothing

It doesn't matter what time of year it is, we all take pleasure in entertaining our relatives and friends to dinner. Yet food and drink can play havoc with fabrics such as table linen, upholstery and clothing.

Usually in the event of spillage of food or drink substances, stains can be prevented if items are washed immediately, but be sure to always follow the instructions on the fabric care labels and if unsure, contact Barker Group for professional laundry and fabric care services as soon as possible.

Enjoy a stain-free way of life by taking note of some simple advice, courtesy of the Barker Group;

1. Remove chocolate by firstly placing it in the fridge within a plastic bag to allow it to go hard. Once you have removed as much as possible, the stain can be sponged with warm soapy water, rinsed with cold water and then washed in a biological powder.
2. Treat red wine stains by absorbing as much of the liquid as possible, then rinsing overnight in lukewarm water with a well diluted mixture of washing powder. NB, This is not advisable for silk materials.
3. Lipstick stains can usually be removed from fabrics through the use of a suitable stain remover, although check the fabric care label first.
4. Coffee and tea can usually be removed if washed immediately with biological powder, before the drink has the opportunity to dry.
5. To remove grease and animal fat stains on fabrics that can be laundered, remove as much as possible and then wash in warm water. For fabrics that cannot be laundered, use a stain removal product.
6. Beer stains are easy to remove if treated with a biological powder as soon as possible.
7. Candle wax must be left to go hard, and then removed by sandwiching the fabric between several layers of kitchen roll or brown paper and then pressing a warm dry iron to melt out the remaining wax. A stain remover can be used to wash out the last traces, and then the item should be washed normally.
8. Curry stains are particularly difficult to be removed, and should only be attempted by a specialist laundry company.
9. Finally, if anyone should fall ill through over-indulgence or otherwise, remove vomit from fabrics by running the area under the cold tap, then treat by immersing it in a solution of biological detergent, then wash normally.

Have you got a BarkerCard?

For many years we have consistently provided our dry cleaning and laundry customers with a prompt, reliable and professional service which focuses on value for money and customer satisfaction. We have also realised the need for local branches and have opened new shops in many new areas. Now we want to offer you even more via our BarkerCard Discount Scheme for only £10 a year.

Benefits of a BarkerCard:
A half-price dry cleaning voucher on dry cleaning orders up to the value of £20
10% off the price of your Dry Cleaning
10% off the price of your Laundry (bed linen & table linen)
Monthly and seasonal offers on the services you use most often
Gives you a FREE £10 Barker Dry Cleaning Gift Voucher when you refer a friend or colleague to the BarkerCard Scheme
£10 off the cost of cleaning a Wedding Dress

Apply today by clicking here and we will send you an application form in the post.

Once you are a BarkerCard Member why not refer a friend or colleague and receive a £10 Barker Dry Cleaning Voucher FREE.

We will then send you an application form in the post. Simply enter your BarkerCard Membership Number in the appropriate box and pass the application to your friend or colleague for completion. On receipt of the completed application we will send you £10 worth of dry cleaning vouchers absolutely FREE.

View BarkerCard Terms and Conditions here

About Barker Group

Barker Group is a locally based, independent laundry & dry cleaning company in Dorset, offering a wide variety of products under one roof throughout the South of England. From domestic dry cleaning and laundry services to uniform and health and safety solutions to businesses of all sizes, we believe our professional and customer orientated approach offers great value.

Barker Group consists of 4 divisions:

Barker Dry Cleaning is the largest independent Dry Cleaning company in Dorset.

Barker Laundry is one of only a handful of laundries in the UK dedicated to the provision of a weekly, fully finished laundry service to the general public. Our collection and delivery of laundry only serves to enhance this service.

Barker Workwear is a one stop shop for the purchase or rental of work apparel, dust control mats and washroom facilities for businesses throughout Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and surrounding counties.

Barker Collars is the only international supplier of a detachable starched stiff collar laundry service.

For more information on any of our services please email or telephone us, or why not visit one of our branches at:
• Bournemouth town centre
• Charminster
• Lower Parkstone
• Boscombe
• Ferndown
• Andover
• Sherborne

To find our branch locations click here