A glimpse into dry cleaning history

When the process of dry cleaning was introduced, the clothes were cleaned with various solvents which included gasoline and kerosene. However these solvents were highly flammable which even led to many fires and accidents which incurred heavy loss of property and sometimes life. As a result there were rules and regulations framed for the dry cleaners. Thus after the end of world war I, the dry cleaners started using the solvents that were chlorinated. The chemical that was been used at this time was perchloroethylene known as perc. This solvent was less flammable, provided better cleaning, was gentle to fabrics and did not required big equipments.

The stages of dry cleaning procedure

Tagging of the clothes Before the clothes are sent for dry cleaning they are tagged. This facilitates in identification of the clothes of the particular customer and also they do not get mixed up with other customers clothes. Before taking the clothes the dry cleaner inspects the clothes whether it is already damaged from some place or any missing button is there, etc. The tags could be of different colors which denote the type of washing to be done. It could also contain the date of delivery. It is attached to the cloth with a staple or else safety pin.

Pre-treatment process Before sending the clothes for dry cleaning process, the cleaner checks for the stains on the cloth and treats it before-hand with some solvent as we do at our home. This process makes the final dry cleaning process easy and also stain is also removed more effectively .

Dry cleaning - After the pre-treatment of clothes, they are put into the basket which is perforated in the cleaning machine. The cleaning machine works on motor which could accommodate clothes from 9 to 45 kgs. The basket is made up of stainless steel. When the clothes are in the basket, during washing process there is continuous flow of solvent from the pump. The machine works in a rotating motion. The solvent which is dirty are pumped out continuously out of the filter. The quality control by the cleaner during the cleaning process determines the degree of cleaning, color brightness, the smell and softness of the clothes after the dry cleaning. It depends upon control over the filter, solvent and moisture level.

Post spot treatment If after cleaning the fabric or clothes also some stains remain then they are treated according to the type of stain, if the stain is on the wet side then it is removed water and soap or else wet-side chemicals. If the stain is on dry side it is removed by dry-side chemicals or solvents. This process is done as a part of quality control process. Although maximum stains are removed by dry cleaning, but there are certain stains which cannot be totally cleaned, such as- the original color that is faded, deposition of another color dye on the original fabric, tannin stains and spots created due to bleach.

Finishing - The process of finishing is like icing on the cake. Here the garment is pressed, steamed, make any other repair required, folded and packaged. This procedure of finishing is also done in some places in front of the customers also, as there is nothing secret about the procedure. The garment is re-shaped by quick drying and the steam is removed by vacuum or air. Then folded properly with application of pressure by pressing machine and then packaged.

Innovation in dry cleaning

Nearly all dry cleaners were using perc as main cleaning solvent. But perc had side effects to the cleaner as well as the wearer. Firstly, to the wearer- the dry cleaned clothes with perc continues to emit gas into the air after hours also. Also the cleaners were at the highest risk zone. Exposure to perc for long duration could also result into liver and kidney failure. And short-term exposure could lead to physical problems like fatigue, dizziness, headache and even unconsciousness. Perc could be a possible carcinogen also. Therefore in order to eliminate such side effects more environment friendly procedures are used like- wet cleaning, hydrocarbon solvents, silicone and liquefied carbon dioxide solvents.