Six dry cleaning tips and tricks from the professionals

6/8/2020

At Pride Dry Cleaning we are often asked, what are your cleaning tips for my garments when I’m at home? It’s always important to know how to keep your garments in the best condition possible.

Dry cleaning is a great way to save time and ensure your garments are completely cleaned. You don’t have to worry about colours mixing, threads pulling or damaging delicate items. But it’s also important to know some dry cleaning tips for home to keep your garments in perfect condition.

We’ve listed some of our professional dry cleaning tips to make you a laundry legend and a cleaning convert.

Dry cleaning tip #1: Let your clothes breath

Our ultimate dry cleaning tip - let your clothes breathe! If you have a garment at home that you store in a garment bag, try to use a breathable bag.

Garment bags protect your clothes against dirt, dust, and insects. But clothes stored in bags that let in minimal oxygen can cause mould to grow. It can also leave your garments with a strange smell which can be difficult to wash out.

Breathable bags are a better storage option for your garments. You can get in touch with our team to get your hands on breathable garment bags to use at home.

Dry cleaning tip #2: Know what you can and can’t dry clean

The question our customers ask the most is ‘what can I get dry cleaned?’

While the list is endless, a key dry cleaning tip is to understand that not everything can be dry cleaned. However, our services suit a range of materials and care label instructions.

To read more cleaning tips on what you can and can’t dry clean, read our blog here.

**Dry Cleaning Tip #3: If it says dry clean only, it means dry clean only**

Everybody has garments at home that has a label stating, “DON’T MACHINE WASH. DRY CLEAN ONLY.”

We promise these labels are not a mere suggested cleaning tip. Dry cleaning is gentler than machine washing and offers a better, more thorough clean.

So, always follow the instructions on your clothing labels to keep your garments in the best condition.

Dry Cleaning Tip #4: Understand what your clothing label symbols mean

If you have ever turned to the underside of the tag on your clothes, you’ve likely seen some confusing symbols.
One of our tips is to ask our friendly staff what these symbols mean. They can help you determine the best way to care for your clothes.

There are various processes that we can use to clean clothes. The basics are hand washing, machine washing, and dry cleaning.

Hand Washing involves soaking the item in water and detergent to gently remove soils from the fabric. This method is very restrictive, and has very little or no agitation.
Machine Washing garments are cleaned in a machine with water and detergent. Bleach and/or other laundry additives may be used. The garments are subjected to mechanical action by an agitator. Although there are several different cycles available on most washing machines, they are not as gentle as hand washing.
Wet cleaning is the professional process of removing soils from garments and other textile items through the use of water in specialized equipment. This equipment allows the precise control of additives (such as detergents) water level, temperature and rotation speed. Careful control of these factors is necessary to prevent shrinkage, loss of colour, and fabric distortion.
Dry cleaning uses fluids to remove soils and stains from fabric. The term “dry cleaning” is misleading; it is called dry cleaning because the fluid contains little or no water and does not penetrate the fibres like water. Common solvents currently used for dry cleaning include perchloroethylene (“perc” for short), GreenEarth, Solvon K4 and petroleum or other hydrocarbon-based solvents. In most cases, garments are cleaned and dried in the same machine — they go in dry and come out dry. This process is followed by finishing procedures using special equipment, such as presses and puff irons.

Dry Cleaning Tip #5: Not all stains vanish with the same type of remover

Red wine. Ink. Mud. These are three of the most common stains on clothing we see from customers who come
into our store.

One of our key dry cleaning tips is to know these stains won’t always be removed with the same product. Every stain is different and requires specific chemicals and processes.

When it comes to stains, you are best to leave it to the professionals. Products such as baking soda, water and vinegar can make it more difficult to remove stains.

To understand what the best solution for your stain is, leave it, and get in touch with our team.

Dry Cleaning Tip #6: Suede and leather can’t be cleaned the same way as other fabrics

Suede and leather have to be dry cleaned differently. As the texture of suede and leather differs from most fabrics, special procedures and additives are used. This helps suede and leather products to maintain their colour and texture.

Our team have an array of dry cleaning tips and are always happy to answer any questions you have.

Whether you’re new to the service, or a regular dry-cleaner, Pride Dry Cleaning is here to help. If you’re looking for a sustainable dry cleaner in the Hunter region, contact us today.

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