INTRODUCTION
Dry cleaning is very similar to regular home laundering, but a liquid solvent is
used to clean your clothes instead of water and detergent. The solvent contains
little or no water, hence the term "dry cleaning".
Q1.
The Dry Cleaning Process
Step 1: Identification and Inspection
When you leave garments for cleaning they are inspected and identified with a
tag which stays with the garment until it is returned to you.
Step 2: Spotting and stain removal
Your trained drycleaner skill fully removes spots and stains in conjunction with
a number of specialized solutions.
Step 3: Sorting
Garments are sorted for cleaning by category and colour with consideration
being given to the manufacturers recommended care label instructions.
Step 4: Drycleaning
Garments are then drycleaned using a special internationally standard clear
solution which removes dirt and grease safely from the most delicate and
sensitive fabrics.
Step 5: Drying
Garments are dried using temperatures appropriate to the type of garment and in
conjunction with any recommendation from the manufacturer's care label
instructions.
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Step 6: Pressing and Finishing
Garments are pressed to give those crisp clear pleats and creases that signify a
drycleaned garment. Garments are steam formed to restore body and shape and
remove wrinkles.
Step 7: Final inspection and packaging
Garments are given a final inspection and prepared for collection.
Q2.
A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface,
material, or medium it is found upon. They are caused by the chemical or
physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Accidental staining may
make materials appear used, degraded or permanently unclean. Intentional
staining is used in biochemical research and for artistic effect, such as wood
staining, rust staining and stained glass.
Identification of Lingering Stains
Three criteria for identifying and classifying the most commonly known types
of stains are type of edge, feel and colour.
Type of Edge
We distinguish between strong, clearly defined edges of the stains and less
clearly defined stains area, which merge with the fabric. The type of edge is
typical in case of the following stains:
Blood stains, Starch stains, White of egg stains, Varnish, Oil paints and Glue
All stains cannot be recognized by the appearance of the edge.
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Feel
Here we distinguish between hard and soft stains.
Hard stains are caused by Varnish, oil paints and glues.
Stains, which are less hard but can be described as stiff, are stains containing
albumin. When the stain containing albumin is rubbed against a hard object
(finger nails) it pulverises and thereby becomes lighter and sometimes vanishes
altogether.
Colour
Yellow/brown stains: rust, coffee, tea, tannin, tobacco, juice, banana, sugar,
suntan emulsion, urine, perfume, burns and scorches, blood.
Blue Stains: water colour, ink, ball point pens ink, dyes.
Green stains: grass, water colours, ink, ballpoint ink, dyes.
Red stains: water colour, ink, lipsticks, nail varnish, hair dyes.
Finishing Steps
The finishing steps are among the main reasons that many people opt to use dry
cleaning in the first place. The look of a garment once it has been through this
process is generally represented in the crisp, pressed look that happens during
the finishing steps.
Q3.
Dry Cleaning Process
The process of dry cleaning a garment involves using a perchloroethylene
(PERC), which is a solvent that is standard for the entire industry. PERC has
been specially formulated to clean with minimal need for water and no need for
a standard washing machine. The solvent uses chemical components that
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remove dirt from even the most delicate fabrics without compromising their
integrity.
PERC is also petroleum-based, which makes the cleansing process more
effective. After cleaning the garment, the dry cleaner uses an extractor to
remove any excess solvent and reuse it as needed.
After dry cleaning a garment and ensuring it is fully dry, the dry cleaner then
engages in a finishing process that makes the garment smell good and look
crisp. In some instances, this might mean using steam to restore the shape of the
item. The purpose of the steam is to kill bacteria, prepare the garment to be
pressed and relaxes wrinkles. The steam also removes any leftover chemicals
that might be water soluble.
Then, the pressing process can begin. While some garment don't require
pressing, those that do end up looking much crisper once pressing is complete.
Pressing requires skill and experience to get the right look and garners a much
better result than what you can get from your home iron.
This is also the point at which the dry cleaner may make any necessary repairs,
hems or alterations (if you have requested them) to the garment. These
alterations generally need to be requested when dropping off the garment to be
cleaned; the dry cleaner won't assume you want changes even if the garment is
obviously in need of repair.
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REFERENCES
1. Jump up to:a b Tirsell, David C. (2000). "Dry Cleaning". Ullmann's
Encyclopedia of Industrial
Chemistry. doi:10.1002/14356007.a09_049. ISBN 3527306730.
2. Hunter, Jennifer (22 May 2019). "Dry Cleaning Your Wool Sweaters? Don't
Bother". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
3. Johnson, Shontavia. "America's always had black inventors – even when the
patent system explicitly excluded them". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-
06-19.
