Young people today have had little experience with dry cleaning, and some actually do not have any idea what it is and what the process entails. Because of this fact, younger people many times will have almost no idea about the types of items that need to be dry cleaned, and how to accomplish this task. Before we begin, lets define what dry cleaning is so that it is not confused with other types of laundering, and to give us some perspective into why it needs to be done on items that are not clothing. Dry cleaning is the process of using other chemical blends that are not water in order to remove dirt and stains from fabrics, as well as odors. The reason dry cleaning is necessary and was developed was due to the fact that most fine clothes are made of fabric blends that do not hold up well to being soaked in water, let alone the agitation and movements of a home washing machine. If exposed to water in this way, these types of fabrics will become damaged at the thread level, making them look old and worn far faster than tougher fabrics like denims and cottons. The reason these delicate fabrics are used is because they will have a far sharper and crisper look when used in the construction of the item, and will have bolder and richer colors. With a more expensive and delicate fabric comes more responsibility if you are going to keep it looking the way it was designed to look. Dry cleaning uses a chemical bath to remove the odors and loose soil, and the dry cleaner personnel will use specialized techniques to remove more set in staining. After the chemical bath the articles are dried through the liquids being extruded from them via a specialized machine. They are pressed using an industrial iron, and hung inside plastic bags to keep them fresh. This process is necessary with regularity to keep fine fabrics looking good.
So what other types of items other than clothing needs to be dry cleaned regularly? The most obvious items are large pieces of fabric that cannot be washed in a washing machine, even if the fabrics were not something that would be damaged by the water. Most washing machines are simply not large enough to be able to wash things like comforters or drapery panels, so these types of items should be taken to a dry cleaner. Comforters get dirty faster than even your clothing does, as your skin is in contact with them for many hours every night, as well as being exposed to dirt and dust in the air every day. Drapes are the same way as far as ongoing exposure to the dust and dirt that is floating around in your house. Smokers and vapers will find that their rapes will get smelly and dirty looking even faster as particles in the air settle on them. These types of items need dry cleaned regularly to keep your home from smelling, and to keep them looking new. They are quite expensive, so it is necessary to keep them clean in order to extend their life spans.
