How Dry Cleaning Works

January 17, 2015
Lyndsee Onstott

We all know what goes into doing laundry: mainly water and detergent and if we’re feeling especially ambitious, perhaps a little bleach or liquid fabric softener.

When you arrive at the dry cleaner’s, the clerk counts your items and documents each piece (shirt, slacks, blouse, etc). He/she should then ask if you know of any areas requiring special attention due to stains, tears, missing buttons, etc. The clerk then attaches a small tag to each piece of clothing, in order to identify it as yours. Items that need special attention will also receive a special colored tag. These tags will remain on your clothing throughout the entire cleaning process. An invoice showing the drop off and pick-up dates will be generated; one copy stays with the cleaner and the other is given to you.

The process of pre-treating stains at the dry cleaner’s isn’t much different than how you do it at home. The goal is to get rid of the stain prior to cleaning the garment or to at least make it easier to do so during the dry cleaning process. Keep in mind that you are more likely to have a favorable outcome if you take time to pre-treat stains as soon as they happen.

Once the pre-treament is completed, the clothes are ready to be dry cleaned. The cleaning and drying process takes place in one machine. The clothes are placed into a large perforated basket, which rotates as it is sprayed and submerged by constant flows of cleaning solvent. The solvent most commonly used is perchloroethylene or “perc”. Because the process does not use any water, it is referred to as “dry” cleaning. The clothes are gently dropped and pounded against baffles in the basket, which is the equivalent of the agitation of your washing machine.

A good dry cleaning company will do “post-spotting” after cleaning your clothes. This process uses special equipment and chemicals, along with steam, water, air and vacuum in order to remove stubborn stains from your clothes. A majority of soil and stains are removed by this procedure, but stains that were set by heat and time may be around to stay. This is why it is so important to attempt to remove a stain as soon as it makes contact with your clothing.

The last phase of the dry-cleaning process is called “finishing.” This is the process by which your clothes are steamed, pressed, ironed and repaired. Once your items are finished, they will be folded and placed in wrapping or hung in plastic to ensure they remain safe and clean during the ride home.

Laundry Care wash and fold laundry service is available to residential and business clientele in over 50 locations across the country including: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland Laundry Service, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lexington, Louisville, Madison, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, Seattle, Tampa, Tucson, Washington DC –and more. Visit our locations page to locate Laundry Care laundry service near me!

Ready to be “Laundry-Free”? Let us do your laundry EXACTLY as you like!

Lyndsee Onstott

Lyndsee Onstott is the Marketing Manager at Laundry Care, with a deep-rooted history as one of the company’s original care providers. Her journey from hands-on laundry care to strategic marketing gives her unique insights into the service and its customers. Lyndsee's commitment to delivering convenience and quality has helped Laundry Care become a trusted service for busy professionals and families nationwide. Today, she combines her firsthand experience with a passion for customer-focused marketing, ensuring that Laundry Care meets the evolving needs of its clients.

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