Ever wonder why dry cleaning is in fact called dry cleaning? The reason is simple: its entire process doesn't require water. Instead of the typical water and soap solution used in regular laundry machines, dry cleaning uses a solvent called perc, short for perchloroethylene.
Today's dry-cleaning process is pretty straightforward to customers, and surprisingly enough, dry cleaning is also quite environmentally friendly.
Most machines used in the industry today rotate garments in a perforated stainless steel basket, where solvents are pumped in and filtered out. Clothes are not immersed; instead, the machine gently drops a small quantity of solvent into the rotating cylinder. This solvent absorbs whatever soil it can while gushing through the clothing's fibers. Garments are then pumped out, filtered and recirculated once they're clean.
When the batch of clothing is properly cleaned, it goes through a high-speed cycle, which essentially drains the solvent out of your garments. This cycle is quickly followed by another one in which the machine gradually distributes hot air into the cylinder, which helps dry any remaining excess moisture.
This basic description of the actual dry-cleaning process should provide you with a decent understanding of what your clothes go through when they're stuffed in those huge cleaning devices.
Now let's venture backward in the dry-cleaning experience to determine what happens to your clothes once they're left in a dry cleaner's care.
The first step usually consists of tagging and inspecting the clothes. Most dry cleaners will attach small paper tags to your clothing's labels in order to avoid mix-ups, and separate garments by type to systematize their cleaning process.
At this stage, they'll also check your garments for slits, broken buttons or zippers, and any other irregularities. At this point, I strongly suggest that you be proactive by pointing out all defects from the get-go. This will assure that both parties are on the same page before the actual cleaning is done.
Once your clothes are properly tagged and inspected, professional dry cleaners will then treat all major stains independently before the garment is loaded into the machine. This step will facilitate elimination of all major stains during the actual cleaning process.
