What is dry cleaning?
Dry cleaning isn't actually dry. Clothes are cleaned in a liquid solvent instead of water. The solvent dissolves oils and grease the way water dissolves dirt, but it doesn't soak into fibers the way water does. That's why wool doesn't shrink, silk doesn't lose its sheen, and tailored jackets keep their shape.
The machines look like oversized front-loading washers. Clothes tumble in the solvent, the solvent is filtered and reused, and the garments are dried inside the same machine. They come out clean and nearly dry, then go to finishing.
What happens to your clothes at our plant
- Tag and inspectEach garment gets a numbered tag tied to your order. We check pockets, note stains, and look for loose buttons, weak seams and fragile trim.
- Pre-spot stainsStains are treated by type before cleaning. Protein stains like food and sweat, tannin stains like coffee and wine, and oil stains each need a different agent. Telling us what the stain is helps.
- CleanGarments are sorted by color and fabric, then cleaned in solvent or laundered in water, whichever the fabric and care label call for.
- Check and re-spotWe look again after cleaning. Anything that held on gets a second treatment.
- Press and finishShirts go on a shirt press, pants on a pants press, and jackets and dresses on forms and steam tables. Delicate pieces are finished by hand.
- Final inspection and baggingButtons are checked and replaced if needed, the garment is matched to your ticket, bagged, and hung for pickup or delivery.
Dry cleaning or laundry?
Most cotton dress shirts, jeans, polos and linens come out better laundered in water. That's how we clean shirts and starched jeans. Fabrics that react badly to water need dry cleaning: wool, silk, rayon, acetate, structured or lined jackets, and many formal and beaded garments.
- Dry clean: suits, blazers, wool pants, silk blouses, dresses, ties, coats, sweaters.
- Launder: cotton dress shirts, jeans, polos, scrubs, sheets, towels, most comforters.
- Ask us: anything beaded, vintage, leather, suede or fur, or with a missing care label.
Reading the care label
The symbols on the tag tell us how a garment can be cleaned. Here are the ones that matter most for dry cleaning.
| Symbol | Means | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Dry clean | Safe for professional dry cleaning. | |
| Dry clean, any common solvent except trichloroethylene | The most common dry clean symbol. Standard dry cleaning is fine. | |
| Dry clean, petroleum solvent only | Needs a gentler solvent. Point this label out when you drop it off. | |
| Professional wet cleaning | Cleaned in water by a professional, with controlled moisture and finishing. | |
| Do not dry clean | Solvent could damage it. We'll launder or hand-clean it instead. | |
| Machine wash | Can be laundered. Dots inside show the maximum water temperature. | |
| Do not wash | Keep it out of water. Usually means dry clean only. |
Tips for better results
- Bring stains in quickly. Fresh stains come out far more easily than set ones.
- Tell us what the stain is and how long it's been there.
- Don't iron, dry or rub a stain at home. Heat sets most stains permanently.
- Empty your pockets. Pens and lipstick can ruin a whole load.
- Clean matching pieces together, like both halves of a suit, so they wear evenly.
- Store clean clothes out of the plastic bag in a cool, dry closet.