Drycleaning Garments
Drycleaning is termed so because water is not the primary liquid used in the process. Garments are, however, fully submerged in a solvent that contains little or no water.
Drycleaning solvents remove soil and stains from fabrics without penetrating the fibers as water does. Solvents are not harmful to most fabrics and compared to water, cause less shrinkage, color fading and other problems that can occur during the cleaning process. Overall, solvents provide better cleaning potential than water.
Detergents are utilized in drycleaning solvents for enhanced cleaning capability. Sizing is also added to restore garment shape, body and texture.
Solvents long utilized in drycleaning include perchloroethylene and petroleum-based solvents. In addition, the recent development of C02 as a drycleaning solvent has introduced yet another potentially effective solvent.
Not all garments require drycleaning and can be laundered with water. Manufacturer labeling that is required on all garments indicate which type of cleaning is best for the garment.