Wetcleaning

Professional wetcleaning is a complement to dry cleaning. Many garments labeled “dry clean only” can be professionally wetcleaned, including wool, silk, angora, cashmere, down-filled items, leathers, suede, as well as beaded and sequined gowns. Professional wetcleaning leaves your garments looking immaculate, smelling fresh and feeling soft to the touch.

Learn More About The Professional Wetcleaning Process

To professionally wetclean any garment requires a vast understanding of fabrics, the cleaning process and experience that only a professional cleaner can ensure. Even though wetcleaning uses water, it is much more specialized than home laundry, which can ruin many garments.

To really understand the beauty of professional wetcleaning, it’s important to know the basics of fine garment cleaning in general. To clean any garment or fabric requires that four elements be present: solvent, detergents, agitation and heat. Wetcleaning balances these four elements to create the optimum cleaning environment—one that neither shrinks, stretches, fades or alters the garment.

In conventional dry cleaning, the dominant solvent used is called Perchloroethylene or “Perc.” The term “dry” indicates that almost no water is used in the cleaning process; however, the clothes are submerged in a liquid Perc bath with special detergents, spun to extract the excess chemical (which is recycled) and then tumbled dry.

Professional wetcleaning uses water, the most benign and abundant solvent available on the planet. The input of the four elements of garment cleaning (solvent, detergents, agitation and heat) are computer controlled based on the type of fabric being cleaned.

In water, non-toxic detergents and conditioners are used to lift dirt out of the garment and revitalize the fabric. The garments are agitated in the computerized wetcleaning machine just enough to extract the dirt and grime, but not enough to alter the structure, size or color.

The garments are then transferred to a high-tech drying unit that senses humidity as many as 400 times per minute. To ensure that no shrinkage occurs, the dryer automatically stops once the prescribed level of moisture is reached. During drying, the conditioners that were added earlier are heat-activated to soften and freshen the garment.

Garments are then treated as they would be in the dry cleaning process—wrinkles are pressed out and garments are hung up and bagged.

Find Out What You Can Do To Encourge Professional Wetcleaning Near You

Many cleaners do in fact wetclean certain garments. However, they do not promote this service because they do not have the new equipment that would allow them to rapidly process large quantities of garments in the wet cleaning process.

Currently, many cleaners are deciding whether or not to invest in the latest professional wetcleaning equipment and training. One of their most pressing concerns is whether they will retain current customers and gain new ones. Next time you visit your dry cleaner, ask the owner to consider offering professional wetcleaning.

Let your cleaners know that you will gladly do more business with them if they offer and promote professional wetcleaning. If enough people request professional wetcleaning, a cleaner will likely offer and promote the service.