Q: What is dry cleaning and do I have to dry clean?

A: Dry cleaning is a process that cleans garments with solvents, usually petroleum-based ones. It is different from wet cleaning, which uses water and detergents. Dry cleaning is suitable for fabrics that are delicate, such as silk or wool, or that may shrink, stretch, or lose their shape when wet. Dry cleaning also preserves the color, texture, and appearance of the garments better than wet cleaning. Therefore, if you have garments that are labeled as “dry clean only”, you should follow the instructions and dry clean them.

Q: What is hand-pressed and machine pressed?

A: Hand-pressed and machine pressed are two methods of ironing garments after they are cleaned. Hand-pressed means that the garment is ironed by hand with a soft shoe attached to the iron. The soft shoe prevents the garment from touching the metal surface of the iron, which may cause damage or marks. Machine pressed means that the garment is ironed by a machine with a bare metal surface. This creates a sharp crease and a starched look on the garment without applying any starch. Hand-pressed is more common for dry cleaning garments, while machine pressed is more common for shirts.

Q: How often should I clean my suits?

A: You don’t need to clean your suits every day. That will wear them out quickly. You should clean your suits when they are exposed to moisture or stains. Moisture can cause mold or mildew to grow on your suits, while stains can set in and become permanent if left untreated. However, more important than how often you clean your suits is how you store them. You should store your suits in a well-ventilated area with moisture control. There are many products that can help you with this, such as closet dehumidifiers. You can search for “closet dehumidifier” on your favorite shopping website for more options.

Q: What are dry cleaning plants? What are agencies?

A: Dry cleaning plants are factories that have four fundamental features: high pressure steam, air compressor and pneumatically powered machines, closed circuit refrigerated cooling, and evaporative cooling. These features enable the plants to perform all the steps of dry cleaning, from washing to drying to pressing. Your local dry cleaners are the smallest size of dry cleaning plants near you. Agencies are stores that subcontract all the steps of dry cleaning and pressing to dry cleaning plants. Agencies usually do alterations on site.

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