How Dry Cleaning Works

Dry cleaning

It's a process that cleans clothes without water. The cleaning fluid that is used is a liquid, and all garments are immersed and cleaned in a liquid solvent -- the fact that there is no water is why the process is called "dry."

The Process
Most dry cleaners go through the same steps with each piece of clothing. When you drop your clothes off at the cleaners, the employees follow a pattern that holds true at just about any dry-cleaning operation running today.

Your clothes go through the following steps:
1.Tagging and inspection -

Some method, whether it is small paper tags or little labels written on a shirt collar, is used to identify your clothes so they don't get mixed up with everyone else's. Clothes are also examined for missing buttons, tears, etc. that the dry cleaner might get blamed for otherwise.

2.Pre-treatment -

The cleaner looks for stains on your clothes and treats them to make removal easier and more complete.

3.Dry cleaning -

The clothes are put in a machine and cleaned with a solvent.

4.Post-spotting -

Any lingering stains are removed.

5.Finishing -

This includes pressing, folding, packaging and other finishing touches.

MORE DRY CLEANING AND LAUNDRY TIPS

Handwash In Cold Water

You're window shopping, and you see the perfect sweater on sale. The care label says, "Hand wash in cold water," and you think to yourself, "Hey, I'll just throw it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle and that should be fine."
WRONG! Don't throw this type of garment in the washer because you'll be VERY unhappy with the results. Hand washing involves no agitation, wringing or twisting of the fabric. Any machine wash cycle (yes, even gentle) involves agitation, which could damage the material.
If you really love that sweater and simply must have it, be sure to follow the instructions. Simply soak the item in cold water for five to ten minutes, rinse and squeeze gently, then lay flat to dry.Or your dry cleaner could do it for you professionally

Dye Is Not The Answer

Here's a quick tip: If you spilled red wine on a white shirt recently and decided to just dye it, please reconsider. Before you dye any clothing item, you must remove the stain. If you don't, the dye will color the stained area differently from the rest of the fabric and you'll still see the spot! Try these helpful stain removal ideas:
Club soda
Baking soda and white vinegar
Send it to your dry cleaner immediately.ie Sparkleen laundy

TIES
While many men pick ties that make a fashion statement, ties damaged by excessive wear, repeated cleaning, or dye migration are never the statement you want to make.
If you've got a tie that looks rippled or puckered, it's probably because of the way the tie was made. Tie fabric is cut on a bias and is susceptible to stretching from tension and stress of tying and untying. Oftentimes, the materials used in ties can shrink during cleaning.
If your tie's pattern suddenly starts to 'bleed' and migrate onto other shades, the likely cause is dye that runs when in contact with water.
How can you protect your ties? First, buy quality ties made from quality fabrics and dyes. Ties are a true 'you get what you pay for' item.