Drop off the dry cleaning là gì
Dry cleaning is a process typically used on clothes and fabrics that cannot withstand the rigors of a standard home washer and dryer. But how does dry cleaning work and what does it really do to your clothing? Read on to learn more about the process and follow a garment's journey from start to finish. Show
What Is Dry Cleaning?Dry cleaning launders and cleans clothes and fabrics using a chemical solvent containing little or no water. Dry cleaning still uses liquid in its solvents, it just does not use water that you use in your traditional at-home wash cycles. A dry cleaning solvent cleans the surface of materials but does not penetrate the fiber as water does in a washing machine. It also prevents stretching and shrinking. Some clothes can't be washed in water. For example, non-washable wools will shrink or lose their shape in water. Water temperature and agitation can damage or fade delicate fibers or embellished items, or cause colors to bleed. To protect your garments during the commercial dry-cleaning process, your items will be inspected and pre-treated before going through the actual "washing" process using water-free chemical solvents. The Commercial Dry Cleaning ProcessThe commercial dry cleaning process is safer than it has ever been. Dry cleaning isn't better or worse than washing your clothing, but it depends on the garment's fabric and if it needs a dry cleaning to preserve its look and shape. It begins in your local dry cleaning storefront when you drop off your dirty clothes. Today, most dry cleaners do not have very large and expensive cleaning equipment on-site; many will transport your laundry to a central cleaning facility. This is more cost-efficient than having machines at every drop-off location. Dry Cleaning SolventsDry cleaning has been around since Roman times when ammonia was used to clean woolen togas to prevent any shrinking that happens when wool is exposed to hot water. Next, cleaners moved to petroleum-based solvents like gasoline and kerosene which proved to be highly flammable and dangerous to use. By the 1930s cleaners began using perchloroethylene, commonly called "perc." Perc has a distinctive chemical odor and is classified as carcinogenic to humans. In the 1990s the United States Environmental Protection Agency began to regulate dry cleaning chemicals and encourage commercial cleaners to use safer, more environmentally friendly solvents though the switchover has been slow. There are several steps for each item cleaned during the commercial dry-cleaning process:
How to Get the Best Results From Your Dry Cleaner
Environmentally-Friendly Dry Cleaning OptionsIf you want to bypass traditional dry cleaning chemicals, look for a green dry cleaner who can offer you one of the following services, but make sure you feel comfortable with any of these processes:
TipConsider using a dry cleaning kit at home. The chemicals in the kit are not as harsh or toxic as traditional solvents used by a commercial cleaner, but they aren't squeaky green, either. These kits can work well on lightly soiled items, but the less potent chemicals won't do as good a job as your neighborhood dry cleaners can. The Spruce / Michele Lee FAQ
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Abney SE, Ijaz MK, McKinney J, Gerba CP. Laundry hygiene and odor control: state of the science. Elkins CA, ed. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021;87(14):e03002-20. |