If you tend to stint your clothes, you should be familiar with the term “dry cleaning.” The dry cleaning method removes the stain while also cleaning your clothes. It’s similar to ordinary home laundering, except that a liquid solvent is used to clean your garments instead of soap and water, which helps remove even the toughest stains. It is usually done by dry cleaners who specialise in dry cleaning and have all the necessary equipment.
Dry cleaners employ quite huge and technologically complex machines. Various at-home methods can be used as a substitute for dry cleaning. We will learn more about dry-cleaning in this article, the step-by-step dry cleaning process used by professional dry cleaners, and several alternatives to dry cleaning methods.
History
The first and most crucial step in comprehending the dry cleaning process is understanding what dry cleaning is. Dry cleaning is a method of cleaning garments, bed linens, and other fabrics without water. It was invented in 1820 by New York tailor “Thomas Jennings,” who was looking for a better way to clean his customers’ clothes without damaging the fabric. Over time, several tailors discovered effective chemicals for use in the dry cleaning method to clean clothes without destroying the fabric. Thus, dry cleaners came into the picture, becoming experts in cleaning specific materials. Many factors influence whether a dry cleaning process is appropriate for a specific item. These include:
- Types of soil
- Type of fabric
- Fabric dye
- Nature of linings
Professional dry cleaning process guide
Professional dry cleaners typically perform the dry cleaning process and follow a step-by-step guide. The entire procedure ensures that the clothing is dry and cleanable and that the stain is eliminated. The approach to dry clean your clothes is listed below.
1. Check garment tags
When you give your clothes to the dry cleaner, each item is tagged a unique number to help you identify it. This assists busy dry cleaners in keeping track of their customers’ clothing and ensures the delivery of correct garments to a customer. The fabric type and dry cleaning methods that must be employed are indicated on the garment tags.
2. Pre-treatment of stains
All garments are visually examined, and the stains, if any, are pre-treated. Special chemicals designed for certain types of stains and materials are used in the pretreatment process. Any decorations or buttons are also protected from damage during the dry cleaning process by covering them with a soft cloth. As an added precaution, some dry cleaners may choose to remove embellishments and buttons. The pretreatment helps to lighten the stain colour, making dry cleaning even easier.
3. Dry cleaning machine
The clothes are placed in a dry cleaning machine. While the clothes are gently agitated, the organic solvent or liquid of choice is injected into the dry cleaning machine. These machines are substantially larger than our household washers, and help counter even darker stains. According to the fabric needs, dry cleaners adjust the dry cleaning machines to spin significantly slower and have more temperature control.
4. Another inspection
After completing the dry cleaning process, the items are inspected to ensure that all stains have been removed. All buttons, embellishments, and seams are also checked to ensure they are still in good condition. If any decorations or buttons were removed during the initial inspection, they will be reattached at this point.
5. Final touches
The dry cleaner will now iron, press, or steam each clothing to remove wrinkles, depending on the type of fabric. For this phase, many dry cleaners use a form finisher that irons a garment in its worn position using steam or air. It gives the dry-washed clothing a smoother, more flawless finish. All garments are finally checked once after the whole dry cleaning method, before returning to their owner.
Alternatives to dry cleaning process
While dry cleaning is required to remove large and dark stains from textiles, other dry cleaning methods can be used to eliminate common food stains. Dry cleaning can be an expensive household expense. However, there are methods to save money on professional dry cleaning by washing dry clean garments at home by hand or machine. Hand or standard machine washing may harm the fabric; thus, these methods should only be used when absolutely required.
1. Hand washing clothes
Look for the label with care instructions on the inner side of your garment. You should take it to the dry cleaners if the label says ‘Dry Clean Only’. You can probably wash anything at home if it simply says ‘Dry Clean’. Test the hand washing procedure by putting soap on a small part of clothing; if the method works for the spot, then clean the garment thoroughly. If that doesn’t work, take your clothes to a dry cleaner. To properly remove stains from garments, each fabric should be washed at a certain water temperature.
- Silk: Stains on silk items should be removed with cold water, detergent, and soap. Silk is more difficult to clean at home. If you decide to clean it yourself, a silk detergent is recommended.
- Linens: Hand-wash your linens in a bucket of cold water with a light detergent. Then, using an air dryer, dry your linens. You should press the linens immediately after hand washing. If you don’t press them immediately, they may get wrinkled.
2. Soda water cleaning
Soda water is an effective stain remover, particularly for small stains on linen and silk clothes. It won’t work on darker stains, but it will help you clear up normal food stains. To erase any stains, use a little microfibre dipped in soda water. This should be applied as soon as the stain appears, as it may not be effective if the stain becomes dry.
3. Washing machine
When it comes to normal clothing cleaning, a washing machine is extremely effective, but it may not be able to remove dried stains. Unless professional dry cleaning is the only option to remove stains, you should use the washing machine to remove them as soon as possible. Furthermore, when compared to the cost of a dry cleaning service, the cost of a washing machine is high, and the outcomes may not be particularly effective. In the case of linen, silk, and wool items, use cold water and the shortest wash cycle to eliminate stains. You can adjust the settings depending on the cloth and stain condition.
Tips to choose the best dry cleaning service provider
Use the following tips to find the best dry cleaning service provider in the market:
- Look for reviews on the Internet.
- View all services offered as part of the dry cleaning process, such as ironing, steaming, and proper cloth cover.
- Compare the cost of dry cleaning services with those offered by competing companies.
- Check to see if the provider offers a discount for purchasing a large quantity of clothing.
- See if the dry cleaning business offers free pick-up and delivery, as this will save you a lot of time.
Conclusion
Dry cleaning is the most effective method for removing stains from your favourite garments. Alternatives can be used in some circumstances, although they can sometimes damage the cloth. As a result, seek a professional dry cleaner to assist you with the dry cleaning process. MyGate Home Services is an all-in-one service provider that provides a wide range of dry cleaning services at a low cost. To remove stains from textiles, it employs cutting-edge technology and equipment, as well as dry cleaning experts. The best part about MyGate Home Services is that you can order a dry cleaning service directly from the app, which will provide you the contact information for the clothes pick-up agent and other information so that you can keep a track of everything.
The clothing is brought to your doorstep neatly wrapped in plastic after the dry cleaning process is completed. What are you waiting for? Book the service and have your favourite clothing dry cleaned.
About MyGate
MyGate is India’s largest apartment management system, benefiting thousands of housing societies, developers, society facility managers, and millions of homeowners in every Indian city.
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