Dry cleaning is a common chore, but we seldom stop to think about who handles our most treasured shirts, and uniforms.
Dry cleaning is a method used to clean clothes that do not include the use of water or detergent, as opposed to the more conventional washing method. Additionally, to common assumption, dry cleaning really cleans your clothes.
To clean silk, wool, and velvet without damaging them, organic solvents are employed instead of water and detergents. All of the clothes, yours and everyone else’s, are washed in a machine that is quite similar to the ones we use at home. But much bigger, more expensive, and much more flexible. Don’t be deceived, however; dry cleaning is an involved process that needs specialized training and gear. The majority of dry cleaners have worked in the industry for quite some time. Also, institutions like the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute provide training and resources to their peers throughout the globe.
Some manufacturers of fabric for Middle East industry offer this great opportunity for budding people.
Origin of Dry Cleaning
The famous tailor Thomas Jennings was on the lookout for a gentle cleaning method in 1820 so that he could provide his clients with better service. A year later, he filed a patent application with the USPTO for his “dry scouring” process. IPOEF claims that with this innovation, Jennings became the first African American in the United States to own a patent. Although his initial invention was destroyed in a fire in 1836, the modern dry-cleaning process is very similar to his original design.
Four years later, in 1825, a maid working for French dyer Jean-Baptist Jolly accidentally spilled kerosene on a linen tablecloth that had been soiled with paint. Resulting in a similar finding, as reported by Enviro Forensics. As the kerosene evaporated, he saw that the blotches on the tablecloth were disappeared. Jolly realized that this discovery may revolutionize the dry cleaning industry and opened the first dry cleaning agency in France.
Dry cleaners quickly realized that using chemicals derived from petroleum (such as kerosene and gasoline) was a bad idea. You shouldn’t be handling these substances for long periods of time because of how easily they catch fire. While William Joseph Stoddard of the United States is credited with developing the first non-petroleum dry cleaning solvent, it was Michael Faraday who created perchloroethylene, the solvent used by the vast majority of dry cleaners today.
Perchloroethylene (or perc) is a carcinogenic and environmentally hazardous volatile organic compound. Small leaks might pollute the soil and water underneath the dry cleaning facility. As a result, the EPA keeps a close eye on how much perc is used by dry cleaners.
Dry Cleaning: An Explanation of the Method
As a first step, you should label the item.
All of your clothing will be assigned a unique number when you take them to the dry cleaner. This helps dry cleaners maintain track of their clients’ garments and avoids the hassle of returning the wrong items to a customer once the cleaning process is complete.
The second step is to examine the stain and begin the preliminary cleaning.
Every article of clothing is inspected visually, and any stains are noted and pretreated if necessary. In pretreatment, specific chemicals intended for use on a wide variety of stains and substrates are used. At this point, a soft cloth is used to shield the garment’s embellishments and buttons from the harsh chemicals used in the dry cleaning procedure. Some dry cleaners take extra safety measures by removing embellishments like buttons.
Third, deliver the garment to the dry cleaner.
We use a dry cleaner to clean the soiled garments. While the clothing is being gently agitated, an organic solvent (or water, if your dry cleaner offers wet cleaning) is pumped into the machine. Although these machines are far larger than our washers, they nonetheless serve the same essential purpose of spinning. A lot of modern dry cleaners can be adjusted to spin much more slowly and have better temperature control than their predecessors.
The fourth stage entails taking another look.
Following the dry cleaning process, the garments are inspected once again to guarantee that no stains remain. In addition, the buttons, embellishments, and seams are examined to guarantee their integrity. Reattached are all trimmings and buttons that were removed for the first checkup.
Fifth, polish it up to perfection.
Depending on the kind of fabric, the dry cleaner will now press, and iron. You can even steam each item of clothing to eliminate creases. Many dry cleaners use a form finisher for this step. A form finisher is a machine that uses air or steam to press a garment while it is in the worn position. It improves the overall quality and appearance of dry-washed clothing. Once the final check has been made, the clothes are returned to their owner in plastic.
