While a lot of people try to make a point to do things themselves, having a professional dry cleaning service is miles away from home remedies. Professional dry cleaners know how to do their job, from the chemicals they use to the way they clean your favorite outfits.
But many are still left confused— can professional dry cleaning services actually extend the life of your outfits? Simply put, yes; let’s take a look at how this works.
What Is Dry Cleaning
Despite what the name implies, dry cleaning actually does make use of various liquids to clean clothes without actually using water. That’s because water can actually damage fabrics like wool and silk and the machine wash can damage the structure of the actual clothes.
This means that dry cleaning aims to clean your clothes as thoroughly as possible whilst making sure to minimize the damage caused by simpler cleaning techniques.
Chemicals Used in Dry Cleaning
It might come as a surprise to a lot of us that early dry cleaning mixtures included gasoline, kerosene, turpentine, and petroleum. These were obviously very dangerous and, as soon as replacements were available, were replaced immediately.
Nowadays, dry cleaners will most likely be using perchloroethylene (PCE) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (also known as Green Earth). These aren’t flammable like the previously used chemicals and are relatively easy to manufacture.
Detergents can be added to further aid the removal of soils and other detritus. They can help by:
- Acting as a spotting agent to help cleaning solvents penetrate fabrics
- Suspending soil and dirt, preventing them from being reintroduced to the fabric
- Softening water-soluble spoilage by carrying moisture.
How Dry Cleaning Works
Generally, you can expect the following equipment in a professional dry cleaning business:
- A holding tank
- A pump
- Filters for soil, dirt, and other detritus removed from the fabric
- Rotating drum or wheel
The dry cleaning process will begin with the cleaners placing the dirty clothes into the rotating drum. The cleaning solvents in the holding tank will then be pumped through the drum, being filtered each time it circulates.
After the cleaners deem the clothes to be clean enough, the cleaning solvent is pumped out of the drum and back to the holding tank. The machine will then go into an extraction cycle where it will rotate rapidly, much like a home washing machine. Once this step is done, the clothes can be dried. This can happen within the machine if it is a closed system or instead transferred to a dedicated drier.
Advantages of Dry Cleaning
Now that we’ve talked about how dry cleaning works, let’s take a look at the different advantages it offers over traditional cleaning techniques.
Gentler on Fabrics
The dry cleaning process uses as little force as possible when cleaning your clothes. This means that even complicated fabrics can sustain frequent cleaning through dry cleaning.
Preserves Delicate Materials
Similarly, this process has the advantage of maintaining and cleaning your clothes to such a degree that it can help prolong the life of your favorite outfits.
Can Remove Stubborn Dirt
The chemicals used in dry cleaning are incredibly effective at removing dirt particles and even stubborn stains from fabrics despite being gentle on the material itself.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it’s all about how you make the most out of what you have. Clothes might not be the most expensive of your belongings but they should still be taken care of. With the right kind of research, you’re sure to be able to find the best way to make your favorite outfit last forever.
Are you looking for dry cleaners in Little Rock, AR? We here at Moose Cleaners offer the best value to our customers by providing quality, professional dry-cleaning services while maintaining our low prices. We are grateful to all our customers who have made our business thrive in this community and many of whom have been with us for over a decade.
Recent Comments