Dry cleaning is a cleaning process for clothes and textiles that uses a solvent instead of water to remove dirt and stains. Here's how it works in detail:
How Dry Cleaning Works
- Solvent Use Instead of Water: Unlike traditional washing that uses water and detergent, dry cleaning uses a special organic solvent-often petroleum-based or perchloroethylene ("perc")-to clean garments. These solvents dissolve oils and grease without saturating or damaging delicate fabrics like silk, wool, or velvet
- Cleaning Mechanism: The solvent selectively dissolves oily and greasy stains on the fabric surface without penetrating or swelling the fibers as water would. This helps preserve the fabric’s shape and texture, preventing shrinkage and distortion common with water washing
- Machine Operation: Garments are placed in a large dry cleaning machine with a rotating drum similar to a washing machine. The machine fills partially with solvent, which agitates and tumbles the clothes to remove dirt and oils. The solvent is continuously filtered and recycled within a closed-loop system to minimize waste and pollution
- Extraction and Drying: After cleaning, the solvent is extracted through spinning, and the clothes are dried by tumbling in warm air that evaporates residual solvent. The solvent vapors are condensed and recovered for reuse. This drying step ensures the clothes come out completely dry and ready for finishing
- Pre- and Post-Treatment: Before cleaning, visible stains are pre-treated with specialized chemicals tailored to the stain type. After cleaning, any remaining stains may be treated again. Finally, garments are pressed, steamed, or ironed to restore their original appearance and remove wrinkles
- Inspection and Tagging: At the start, each garment is inspected for stains, damage, and special care needs, and tagged for tracking. After cleaning and finishing, a final quality check is performed before the clothes are returned to the customer
Summary of the Dry Cleaning Process Steps
- Inspection and tagging of garments.
- Pre-treatment of stains.
- Cleaning in a machine using solvent instead of water.
- Extraction of solvent and drying with warm air.
- Post-treatment if needed, pressing, and final inspection.
This process gently and effectively cleans delicate fabrics while protecting their shape and texture, making dry cleaning ideal for items that water washing could damage
