What is and what is dry cleaning?

Dry cleaning is also called dry cleaning. It is a method in which the stain cleaning process takes place without the use of water and ordinary detergents in the form of powders, liquids or washing capsules. What is dry cleaning and what is it about? How does dry cleaning work? Find out the answers.

How does dry cleaning work?

In professional dry cleaners, the process of cleaning fabrics is possible thanks to the use of modern technologies and specialized industrial washing machines. These washing machines are called chemical aggregates by professionals. These are devices in which dirty clothes, fabrics, textiles and other materials are subjected to a several-stage stain removal process. Depending on the model, washing machines can have different programs and functions. The cleaning process may therefore take several or several dozen minutes, depending on the nature of the dirt.

What is the dry cleaning process?

Dry cleaning in laundries using aggregates runs smoothly and quickly. Soiled clothes go to the drum of the washing machine, where the material is subjected to the intensive action of solvents. Dry cleaning of clothes can be divided into several basic phases:

1. the laundry worker sorts the fabrics and selects the appropriate program on the control panel of the unit,
2. dirty items go to the drum of the washing machine, where they are pre-cleaned in a solvent environment,
3. during cleaning, washing machine filters continuously capture dirt from fabrics, at the same time special solvents constantly affect dirt particles,
4. when the washing process of clothes ends, the solvent is sucked out of the drum (filtered, clean solvent is reused in subsequent washes),
5. in the drum of the washing machine, the process of drying and cooling the load begins.

After cleaning, modern dry cleaners additionally offer ironing of clothes, removal of unpleasant odors or other maintenance and care activities.

What chemicals should I use when dry cleaning?

Of course, dry cleaning of clothes and textiles would not be possible without special solvents. These are substances that effectively remove dirt, dust, grease and even discoloration of fabrics. What solvents should be used for dry cleaning? Professional dry cleaners use, among others:

• tetrachlorethylene,
• perchlorethylene,
• hydrocarbon solvents,
• ecological solvents.

Currently, dry cleaners are at a crossroads and have to choose a course of action: whether to stay with aggressive, highly poisonous solvents (tetrachlorethylene) or focus on innovation and ecology. There is no doubt that in the near future the functioning of dry cleaners may depend on the quality of the cleaning methods used. The more harmful they are to the natural environment, the less they will retain their raison d'être. It is also worth noting that the services of dry cleaners are increasingly used by demanding, conscious consumers, for whom the issue of ecology is of great importance.

What are the benefits of dry cleaning?

Both private individuals and companies use dry cleaning services more and more often. Dry cleaning is an excellent alternative to traditional water washing - why? The reason is simple: in a closed chemical aggregate, there is no need to use even a milliliter of water in the chemical cleaning process. By focusing on this technology, we as humanity limit the consumption and pollution of life-giving waters.

What else can you gain from dry cleaning?

• fabrics retain the softness, color and shape of fibers (a significant part of clothes made of synthetic materials requires dry cleaning),
• the cleaning process takes place quickly, without the need for soaking, spinning and rinsing the materials multiple times,
• chemical cleaning is economical and energy-saving,
• the temperature of dry cleaning is low, so there is no risk that the fabrics will shrink or be damaged,
• the chemical cleaning process is very efficient because the purified solvents are used in subsequent cycles.

Can dry cleaning be eco-friendly?

The slogan: dry cleaning immediately brings to mind technology that has nothing to do with ecology. Nothing more wrong! Modern methods of dry cleaning are focused on saving resources and energy. In the most modern dry cleaners, the use of poisonous tetrachlorethylene and hydrocarbons is abandoned. Instead, laundromat owners are increasingly relying on innovative ecological agents containing silicones or silicas, thanks to which less chemical waste is generated.

Dry cleaning of clothes also takes much less time than water washing, so the laundry needs less electricity. The whole process is also carried out with the use of energy-saving washing machines that clean clothes at an express pace, with minimal electricity consumption.