Dry cleaning is one of the most popular and widely used methods to get stains out. The method is usually considered the last resort and can remove stains that may not be removed using any other method. When everything fails, dry cleaning comes for help.
People often say that if your clothes have stains that leave a mark behind, even if you clean them with every new cleaning method available, you should go to dry cleaning, and all of your problems will be resolved.
Well, the main question that arises at this point is, does dry cleaning get stains out? Do keep this fact in mind that not every stain requires dry cleaning as you can remove them using simple methods.
This article will go through almost all minor to significant aspects of dry cleaning and guide you about when and where to use it.
Can dry cleaning get stains out
Dry cleaning is washing or removing stains from clothes using different kinds of solvents and solutions instead of just water and detergents. Dry cleaning can remove stains of almost all kinds.
Some stains are hard to remove, while some can be taken out quickly. Although liquid materials are used in the process, water is not included at any point in the dry cleaning. Below is the list of some frequently asked questions regarding different kinds of stains and clothes.
Does dry cleaning get oil stains out
Dry cleaning can get oil stains out of the cloth as it can remove grease debris. One thing should be taken into consideration that dry cleaners should not use water while dealing with oil stains as it can cause cloth or garment to lose color, brightness, or shine. PCE is probably the best solvent to get stains out using dry cleaning.
Does dry cleaning get stains out of silk
Silk is one of the softest fabrics in the clothing industry. Removing stains from this fabric is often considered difficult because of its texture and composition. Dry cleaning is simply the best option for getting stains out of silk. You can remove stains at your home as well, but this may end up damaging your clothes.
Does dry cleaning get grease stains out
Dry cleaning got popular because this method could remove the toughest stains, and grease is one of them.
Dry cleaning solvents can take each grease residue from the fabric. This clearly means that getting grease stains out of the clothes is 100% possible using dry cleaning methods. Saying this shouldn’t be wrong that dry cleaning is probably the only method to remove grease stains from clothes.
Does dry cleaning get sweat stains out
Sweat stains are neither removed using detergent, nor a new dry cleaner can tackle them. Sweat stains are probably one of the toughest stains and can only be taken out of the clothes by professional dry cleaners who have years of experience in the process. If you are going to an inexperienced dry cleaner, it is recommended to ask them if they can get the job done or not.
Does dry cleaning get ink stains out
If you have gotten some ink stains on your cloth, it is highly recommended not to wash them at your home using traditional methods. Ink stains require dry cleaners because of their tough ingredients and composition.
You may think that ink stains can be removed at home, but there is something to know. Ink is usually composed of water-based or oil-based material. You can only remove water-based ink stains at home, not oil-based ones.
Does dry cleaning get coffee stains out
Coffee stains can be removed using the dry cleaning method from all kinds of clothes and fabrics. Whether it is cotton, silk, or any other garment, dry cleaning is considered the best and safest method to remove coffee stains efficiently.
Can dry cleaning remove yellow stains
Yellow stains are usually caused because of human sweat as it contains minerals that cause yellowish marks on clothes. These yellow stains can only be treated using the dry cleaning method, and nothing can get these stains out even if you use the best and most popular detergent in the world. Using traditional methods will decrease the stains at maximum but may not remove them altogether.
What do dry cleaners use to remove stains
The process of dry cleaning was first introduced in 1821 by an American tailor, Thomas L. Jennings. As said earlier, dry cleaners use various kinds of solvents and solutions to remove stains. This is also the basic reason behind the efficiency and effectiveness of this cleaning method.
Some of the most effective and widely used solvents in the dry cleaning process include the following:
- Perchloroethylene
- Hydrocarbons
- Trichloroethylene
- Supercritical CO2
Perchloroethylene:
It is best and commonly considered as the standard of dry cleaning. It is mainly used because of its effectiveness and efficiency in terms of removing stains. Dry cleaners opt to choose this solvent because of its less toxicity, thermal stability, and recyclability.
Do keep this fact in mind that this solvent can cause some issues, especially at higher temperatures. This issue may damage the colors, buttons, beads, or trims of some clothes.
The solvent is safest as compared to many other solvents. Although the solvent can be used to remove any stains, it is probably the best solvent to remove oily stains on any clothes.
Hydrocarbons:
Hydrocarbons are completely composed of petroleum-based ingredients. This factor makes it less effective as compared to Perchloroethylene but is less dangerous or harmful as well.
Do keep this fact in mind that hydrocarbons can catch fire, but the chances of catching fire decrease dramatically if you properly use them. Talking about dry cleaning, almost 10 to 12% of the dry cleaners use hydrocarbon solvents for the cleaning process.
Trichloroethylene:
This solvent is a highly aggressive solvent to be used in dry cleaning. This factor makes it perfect for removing any kinds of stains from the clothes but is not used by most dry cleaners.
One of the primary reasons behind its minimum use is because an American organization has claimed that Trichloroethylene can cause some severe issues in humans, such as cancer.
Supercritical CO2:
Supercritical CO2 is as good as Perchloroethylene and usually considered as an alternative to the latter. They are not so dangerous for humans and can bring perfect results when it comes to removing stains from clothes.
Talking about the greenhouse gas potential, supercritical CO2 has extremely fewer levels of it as compared to many or almost all other organic solvents or solutions.
How do dry cleaners remove stains
There is no rocket science in removing stains from clothes using dry cleaning methods. You are required to go through various steps to get the job done efficiently. Below is the step-by-step procedure that will help you dry, clean your clothes and remove the stains altogether.
- The first step is to identify each stain that is currently available on the cloth. This will allow you to clean the whole cloth and will prevent you from leaving a stain after the dry cleaning process.
- Now cloth or garment should be inspected not only to remove stuff from it but to see the type of the cloth. Different types of cloth need different solvents or solutions during the dry cleaning. This step is necessary to prevent damaging your garment by using extremely aggressive solvents.
- Once you have inspected the stain, now it’s time to choose the best suitable solvent for it. Choosing the right solvent, using the right method, and an appropriate amount is essential for better results.
- Put your solvent in a drum machine and let your cloth agitate in it for some time. This will allow dust and debris from the stain to get loose or sometimes completely removed as well.
- After a few cycles, the stains will be totally removed from the cloth. Recheck your garment thoroughly to see if there are some marks left behind or the cloth is as clean as you wanted it to be.
- Now let it soak or dry so that it can get ready to be worn.
How to remove tough stains from dry cleaners
Tough stains such as coffee, ink, colors, blood, and many other things cannot be removed using simple detergent and water. You need to visit a dry cleaner for this purpose. One of the simple and most straightforward answers to your question is that dry cleaners use an appropriate aggressive solvent according to the type of stain.
The solvent can react with the staining ingredient and get it out of the cloth. Dry cleaners have plenty of solvents and solutions that can remove varying stains such as grease, vegetables, oils, grease, etc.
