Dry Cleaning Explained

Dry cleaning is the process of machine washing clothing with dry cleaning solvent. Dry cleaning solvents are clear liquids that look like water but have very different properties since most are hydrocarbons.

Maybe this will help clear things up: WATER = WET and DRY CLEANING SOLVENT = DRY

However DRYCLEANERS use more than just dry cleaning to ensure your garments are cleaned.

The first, and my favorite, are spotting boards which are used to work on specific stains that require additional love and care. Every spotting board has a few vacuum heads, a workspace, and a steam and air gun to ‘blow out’ stains (thats what we call it in the biz).

We also use lots and lots of wet, or water based, cleaning methods. If it were up to me we’d only use wet cleaning. For example almost all household garments and laundered shirts are only cleaned with water. This is where dry cleaning gets its name since water is wet and dry cleaning solvent is dry.

Dry cleaning is also commonly thought to be some kind of cleaning with powders, I guess cause they’re actually ‘dry’? However that is not the case. Most powders are used to restore and whiten garments.

Hope this helps! Happy cleaning -Z

[saxoeeee]

I had zero questions about dry cleaning and now I have a TON of questions about dry cleaning

[_EyeOfTheTiger]

Dry cleaning is one of those things in life you never ask how it’s done you just expect it to be done

[AlexeiArntzen]

I'm even more confused about dry cleaning now

[Joze]

This just raises further questions! Can we get a video series describing each machine and how it differs from what i have in my utility room?

[ScottBaietti]

I worked at a dry cleaner all throughout HS. I think knowing how it works has been one of my most frequent ice breakers.

[lovelylola]

This fulfilled a question I always wondered that I forgot I had.

[rainz]

worked in dry cleaning over 20 years, and this is a nice concise explanation of what it is. what most people are unaware of is at most dry cleaners, most of the clothing is washed and dried just like you would at home, unless it says dry clean only or has to be treated with chemicals to remove stains. Seriously, the care label is there for a reason.

[OngoGablogian]

I went from knowing what dry cleaning is, to not knowing.

[rk]

I like this guy. He seems really jazzed about his profession that most of us know nothing about.

[FionaApplewright]

Kudos to you! I'm sure there's been great advances in the machines and solvents, but my mother in law worked in a dry cleaners most of her life and I saw what it did to her hands-- all the pressing, steaming and whatnot. The few times I'd visit it was brutally hot in there with everything running, I couldn't imagine working all day in that heat and humidity. Learned some great diy hacks from her, though.

[spelldaddy]

When I was a kid, the dry cleaner that my parents used had a big rack that spun around, and I got the impression that it was some sort of conveyor belt that went through spraying or a heat treatment or something. Despite not seeing that same mechanism in smaller dry cleaners that I've used as an adult, I think that image has always stuck in my mind. Thank you for showing me the truth after all these years

[that_pan_chick]

I have more questions now than I ever did before 😂

[TheRealMrJester]

I have never left a video even more confused

[caycef]

This. This is why the internet is amazing. Thank you.

[AkumakoCross]

The only people who have ever tried to tell me what goes into dry cleaning are people who have no idea what happens past the counter and literally never have anything dry-cleaned. I knew the gist was "chemicals are applied that make the stains disappear, " but nobody had been able to actually tell me what and how. Given that I like to make clothes using silks and wools which tend to call for dry-cleaning, I appreciate the brief glimpse into and explanation of the process.

[EliasExists]

I work in a dry cleaners, his facility is a lot more clean and organized it seems than my own place of work. Something to mention is that button up shirts in some places don’t go through the same steps as things like jackets or pants. At my place we have specific machines for shirts to be pressed and cleaned manually for things that require specific care requirements. Most cotton shirts are just treated normally while shirts with other things like rayon, polyester, linen, silk, etc are treated differently depending on dry cleaner to dry cleaner

[willd.]

I always assumed that the tumbling motion was why some clothes are dry-clean only, like, the tumbling would damage the clothes or mess with the lining. But it looks like most of the clothes are tumbled so that must not be the case

[ladychelseatheundead]

As a 36 year old woman who hasn't been dry cleaning for ... ever, I appreciate this. When my mom got things dry cleaned when I was younger, I thought they just blasted air at everything and I have a blow dryer at home. hahaha.

[spray_cheese]

To those who may still be lost:

In chemistry, when a mixture has water in it. It’s considered “wet” And when it’s being removed it’s considered “drying” I assume they took the terminology from chemistry, As this is a sort of chemical process(using the solvent rather than water. I believe they just also provide a general washing service with those other machines). hope that helps!

[txgrizzlyvet]

Your central premise is absolutely correct. I AM too old not to have understood this! Guess even us old dogs can learn new tricks. Education much appreciated, Sir!