We all want to look good, don’t we? And one important part of this is being dressed in beautiful clothes made with fine-looking (and often expensive) fabric such as silk and wool. But how do we take care of such fabrics that get dirty through normal wear, as well as occasional boo-boos such as wine spills or ink stains caused by a defective pen.
Wet cleaning vs. dry cleaning
Really, there are clothes that need special care. You see, it is not sensible to wet clean some clothes. By wet cleaning we mean hand-washing or dropping it onto the washing machine. Wet cleaning makes use of detergent soap and shampoo. And sometimes, some fabrics don’t react well to detergent, as there may be strong chemicals that can damage the textile. Other disadvantages of wet cleaning include the possibility of shrinkage, distortion, faded color and water marks. Also, some stains are not easily removed using wet cleaning or spot cleaning.
And this is where dry cleaning can help. Dry cleaning helps to:
- Make the stains go away. Dry cleaning can do what wet cleaning can’t: it breaks down the oils and grease that cause the stains.
- Make your clothes last longer. The grime, grit and dirt in the clothes actually have an abrasive effect on the fiber, tearing down the fabric more quickly. Actually, dry cleaning can help make your clothes look like new! We must, however, remind you that some fabrics should be dry cleaned in moderation.
- Makes the clothes retain their brightness and color. Some fabrics are prone to fading and water marks when wet-cleaned. In contrast, dry cleaning protects the brightness, color, as well as softness of the fabrics.
- Wash hard-to-clean items. These include comforters, thick blankets, rugs and upholstery.
And of course, dry cleaning is convenient, as you can just go to your trusted dry cleaner (like Prestige Dry Cleaners) to do the job for you. Prestige Dry Cleaners has built a solid reputation as one of the top Utah dry cleaners.
When you look at the label of your clothes, you will usually find washing instructions, whether the clothes are machine washable, or “dry clean only”. Please note that dyes, fabric and materials will vary, so it is best that you test a portion of the cloth first before you have it washed or dry cleaned. For help in taking care of your clothes, take a look at this garment care guide from Prestige.
Here are some fabrics that are best dry-cleaned, and why:
Acetate or acetate polyester. Best dry-cleaned. The fabric may shrink when ironed. But the dry cleaner should also know at what temperature the clothes will be cleaned without shrinking.
Linen. To maintain the fabric’s crispness and to ensure that it is creaseless, this is best dry cleaned. However, if you want some softness to the linen, you can also hand wash it.
Lyocell. This can be machine washed or dry cleaner. When you iron this, make sure that the iron is only moderately warm.
Rayon. This material should be dry-cleaned, although it can also be hand washed using lukewarm water. Please note that “washable” rayon is not recommended for dry cleaning.
Silk. Have pure silk dry-cleaned to avoid distortion and water marks on the fabric. As with rayon, “washable” silk does not respond well to dry cleaning.
Cotton. Dress shirts made of cotton may be dry cleaned once in a while.
Wool and suits. For stains, you can spot clean with the use of a wet sponge. Best dry cleaned, but not too often to lengthen the life of these fabrics.
Aside from dry cleaning, Prestige Dry Cleaners has a list of other services to help you with your clothing needs. We have a pick-up and delivery service for convenient laundry cleaning. We also preserve wedding gowns and restore clothes that have been fire or water damaged. Please visit us to ask about our other services.
Our prices are very affordable and our value-added services can actually help you save time and money.
In taking care of your clothes, it is best that you leave it to trusted SLC dry cleaning professionals who are committed in making sure that your clothes (particularly the expensive ones) look their best, longer. We have the experience and expertise to clean your clothes, the right way. Our motto in Prestige Dry Cleaners is to “Take the hassles out of looking great.”
Comments Off
