Many people opt to dry clean at home because they cannot afford to pay others to dry clean their delicate clothes, or because they do not trust others to do it properly. But when you opt to do it at home, you need to understand the process so as to get the best results.
The first step is to always look for the label on the article of clothing to be cleaned, and look for the care instructions emblazoned on the label. You need to find the words "Dry Clean Only" on this label. This means that the clothes cannot be dumped inside a regular washing machine and washed with detergent and water.
Why is it important to dry clean such clothes? Well, if you don't, you may wind up doing irreparable damage to the fabric. Examples of fabrics that require these methods are silk, rayon, and wool blends. The damage these would suffer when cleaned the wrong way are shrinking, bleeding of colors, and warping of their shape.
The process requires the use of a chemical solvent (known to most people as "dry cleaning fluid".) The most common chemical solvent required is perchlorethylene (otherwise known as "perc".) Experience has shown that this solvent is quite effective at removing grease-based and oil-based stains from clothes. However, you have to be cautious when using the solvent because inhaling its fumes can make you very sick. This is also why it is quite important that all the perc be removed from the clothing after cleaning because some people find even trace amounts of perc to be quite irritating to the throat, nose, and eyes.
If you opt for dry cleaning your own clothes, there are some home kits available to the public. These kits do the same job that commercial shops do, but their ingredients may be different from the solvents used by commercial dry cleaners. Generally, the home dry cleaning kits contain a reusable dryer bag, dryer activated cloth, and the stain remover. Others may also include pads that absorb stains.
Before you can dry clean, you need to pre-treat the clothing fabric with the stain remover. The stain remover is often water-based so any stains that are water-based (such as soup) are easily removed. There may be some detergent and/or petroleum ingredients in this stain remover as well. Though it may seem funny to use a water-based solution for pre-treating clothes, there is only a small amount of water so it won't damage your clothes.
Solvent will be necessary if the stains on your clothes cover quite a large area. But apply only a small amount of solvent on a hidden part of your clothing first - this will show whether the fabric is durable enough to withstand the use of solvent. Then you can go about the dry clean process indicated on the box of your home kit. Bear in mind you may need to own a dryer if you opt to dry clean at home.
The first step is to always look for the label on the article of clothing to be cleaned, and look for the care instructions emblazoned on the label. You need to find the words "Dry Clean Only" on this label. This means that the clothes cannot be dumped inside a regular washing machine and washed with detergent and water.
Why is it important to dry clean such clothes? Well, if you don't, you may wind up doing irreparable damage to the fabric. Examples of fabrics that require these methods are silk, rayon, and wool blends. The damage these would suffer when cleaned the wrong way are shrinking, bleeding of colors, and warping of their shape.
The process requires the use of a chemical solvent (known to most people as "dry cleaning fluid".) The most common chemical solvent required is perchlorethylene (otherwise known as "perc".) Experience has shown that this solvent is quite effective at removing grease-based and oil-based stains from clothes. However, you have to be cautious when using the solvent because inhaling its fumes can make you very sick. This is also why it is quite important that all the perc be removed from the clothing after cleaning because some people find even trace amounts of perc to be quite irritating to the throat, nose, and eyes.
If you opt for dry cleaning your own clothes, there are some home kits available to the public. These kits do the same job that commercial shops do, but their ingredients may be different from the solvents used by commercial dry cleaners. Generally, the home dry cleaning kits contain a reusable dryer bag, dryer activated cloth, and the stain remover. Others may also include pads that absorb stains.
Before you can dry clean, you need to pre-treat the clothing fabric with the stain remover. The stain remover is often water-based so any stains that are water-based (such as soup) are easily removed. There may be some detergent and/or petroleum ingredients in this stain remover as well. Though it may seem funny to use a water-based solution for pre-treating clothes, there is only a small amount of water so it won't damage your clothes.
Solvent will be necessary if the stains on your clothes cover quite a large area. But apply only a small amount of solvent on a hidden part of your clothing first - this will show whether the fabric is durable enough to withstand the use of solvent. Then you can go about the dry clean process indicated on the box of your home kit. Bear in mind you may need to own a dryer if you opt to dry clean at home.
What if you just don't have enough money to get your clothes professionally dry cleaned? I know how hard it can be to come up with the extra money to do it, but luckily there are dry clean at home options out there that will prevent you from having to spend a fortune on dry cleaning. Don't give up hope on having professional looking clothes, it's NOT impossible. Or if you'd rather not tackle it yourself and would rather have a professional do it, learn more about how to find the best dry cleaners by clicking the link. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Lindsey |
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