What is Dry Cleaning?
What is Dry Cleaning? Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. This method is used to clean delicate dry cleaning fabrics that cannot withstand the rough and tumble of a washing machine and clothes dryer while also eliminating labor-intensive hand washing. It is the most effective way to remove many types of stains and spillage onto clothing without causing damage or physical wear to the garment.
Modern dry cleaning washing machines recover approximately 99.99% of the solvent employed during the spin cycle. During the drying cycle, the garments are tumbled in a stream of warm air that circulates through the clothes, evaporating any traces of solvent left after the spin cycle. The air temperature is controlled to prevent heat damage to the garments. Modern dry cleaning machines use a closed-loop system in which the chilled air is reheated and recirculated. This results in high solvent recovery rates and reduced air pollution.
Please note -not all stains can be removed simply by dry cleaning. Some need to be treated with spotting solvents—sometimes by steam jet or by soaking in special stain-remover liquids—before garments are washed or dry cleaned. Also, garments stored in soiled condition for a long time are difficult to bring back to their original color and texture. Natural fibers such as wool, cotton, and silk of lighter colors should not be left in dirty or soiled condition for long amounts of time as they absorb dirt in their texture and are unlikely to be restored to their original color and finish.