Over the past several years, wet cleaning has become an increasingly more popular way to clean and care for garments that were traditionally dry clean only. Instead of your clothes being cleaned in a dry cleaning solution, they are carefully processed using special detergents with water as the base. We now are able to take advantage of these methods to better clean your clothing. The first step is determine what the material is and which method is safest for cleaning. Some fabrics do better in water while others do not.
What Factors Help Us Decide?
- Fabric – Each fabric has its’ strengths. For example, cotton is very durable and is great when cleaned with water. Wool pants can be cleaned in wet cleaning, but it is much better for them to be dry cleaned because water can add stress to the fabric when it expands and contracts.
- Colors – We test the colors on your garment prior to cleaning to ensure they are colorfast. Manufacturers may list the best way to clean a garment, but with experience grows wisdom, and with wisdom we know never to trust a clothing care label without first testing the color. We test color in dry cleaning by placing our solution on the garment and rubbing the garment with a white towel. If any of the color transfers to the white towel the item is not color fast, and runs the risk of bleeding when cleaned. The test is carried out the same way in wet cleaning, but using water instead.
- Durability – Each garment is tested and analyzed to see which method is easier on the fabric. Other factors that help is decide which cleaning method are beads, sequins, and attachments. Advancements in equipment and program controls can help us clean clothing in a machine with the same delicate nature as hand wash!
Do you have questions on how your item should be cleaned? We will provide the answers. Call us at 512-452-0928 or you can always email us at info@ianscleaners.com .
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