All You Need to Know About Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaning is a washing method that uses organic chemical solvents ( tetrachloroethylene, petroleum, etc.) to wash clothes to remove oil or stains. Since the water does not directly contact the clothes during the washing process, it is called dry cleaning.

Dry Cleaning Process

• Pretreatment, also known as stain removal. It is an artificial pre-treatment of heavily soiled soils and stains that are insoluble in dry cleaning solvents (such as juice, nail polish, paint, ink, etc.)
• washing. Put the pretreated clothes into the dry cleaning machine, the electric pump draws the dry cleaning agent into the drum, and then the clothes are mixed with the dry cleaning solution in the drum. Due to the principle of similar compatibility, after about 30 minutes, the oil stains and stains on the clothes are dissolved by the dry cleaning agent, and then the clothes are dried. After cleaning, the dry cleaning agent will be discharged into the corresponding oil storage tank, and then pumped into the distillation tank by the electric pump, and turned into a clean dry cleaning agent through distillation, which will be used next time.
• After treatment, the main purpose is to remove the residual dry cleaning solvent and ironing shaping.

In fact, the so-called dry cleaning is relative to the washing method of washing clothes with water. Dry cleaning also requires a solvent, but the solvent is not water, so the clothes will not shrink, deform or fade. Dry cleaning agents have special chemical properties, which are just compatible with the stains on the clothes, so as to achieve the purpose of cleaning.

Advantages of Dry Cleaning

The main feature of dry cleaning is to avoid damage to the fabrics caused by washing, no shrinkage, no deformation, good color protection, not easy to cause fading of clothes, soft to the touch, easy to iron and can thoroughly clean the oil or stains on the clothes. After washing, the clothes also have special effects of disinfection and sterilization, which are not easy to be eaten by insects and are easy to store.

Disadvantages of Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaners typically use a high-chlorinated chemical as an active solvent when they dry-clean clothes. This high chloride is harmful to the human nervous system. Long-term exposure to this chemical can lead to kidney cancer. During the dry cleaning process, this chemical can be absorbed by the fibers of the clothes and released into the air from the clothes when the clothes are dry, thereby affecting human health.

What Is Suitable for Dry Cleaning

From a professional point of view, it is necessary to distinguish according to the fabric of the clothes, clothes suitable for dry cleaning should be dry cleaned, and clothes suitable for washing should be washed with water. So from this point of view, dry cleaners should be called laundromats to be more accurate. Many consumers still have a certain misunderstanding, thinking that dry cleaning is definitely better than water washing, which is not correct. Which method to use for washing, or which method has better washing effect, depends on the fabric of the clothes.

• Linen clothing : Washing can easily damage the texture and feel of linen clothing, and may also cause style distortion or flooding.
• Silk clothing and silk bedding : Due to the thinness of silk fabrics, it is easy to fluff or pompoms on the surface after being rubbed. Long-term washing in the washing machine may deform silk clothes, discolor, and shorten the life of silk.
• Wool and cashmere clothing : Like silk, wool and cashmere are very fragile fibers.

Dry Cleaners vs. Home Laundry

Dry cleaners do laundry more professionally, and it needs to be done by a lot of professional equipment, professional processes, and professional technology.

Take clothes to a dry cleaner for washing. The general process is as follows: inspection, disinfection, pretreatment, washing (dry cleaning or water washing), drying, stain removal (for special stains that were not removed during the washing process), ironing, and packaging. The professional equipment corresponding to these processes includes: disinfection cabinet, dry cleaning machine, washing machine, dryer, ironing table, stain removal table, packaging machine, clothes conveying line, etc. From these processes and equipment, it can be seen that a formal standard laundry is not just as simple as washing with a washing machine at home.