Why It’s Called “Dry” Cleaning
Dec 31st, 2008 by admin
The term “dry cleaning” is actually a misleading statement. The word originated during the 1600’s in early Greece when the Mycenaean’s would use a dry compound to clean stains out of their garments. Although the technology used by dry cleaners to clean clothes has obviously changed significantly over time the word dry cleaning has stuck as the term used to describe a method of cleaning clothes.
Most dry cleaning machines are very similar to the front side loaders that you find in laundry mats across Austin. In fact the two machines look and behave almost identically in terms of how they fill the drum of both machines and also how they agitate. Most solvents that are used in the dry cleaning process are far superior when cleaning delicates then cleaning the garments using water due to the fact that they have a lower PH balance then water making them lighter substances and therefore easier on fabrics. Dry cleaning is far superior at removing stains that are fat soluble and are also superior when trying to preserve the color, size and texture of a certain garment. Dry cleaning however is not as effective when removing stains that are water soluble.
Dry Cleaning & Laundry Machines Side by Side
Dry Cleaning Machine Laundry Machine
Another reason for the term “dry” in dry cleaning is because solvents that are used in the cleaning process have little to no water mixed with the substance therefore causing a different reaction on fibers than cleaning clothes with water. Dry cleaning aids in keeping your clothes looking as new as possible by preventing color stripping, size reduction and general fabric distortion due to the fact that all dry cleaning solvents are lighter substances than water and therefore less aggressive cleaning agents. Be sure to tune in to our next post when we explore pre-spotting.
Here is A Great Video on How Dry Cleaning Works
