Although taking our clothes to the dry cleaners is a common chore, we rarely think about how our most valuable shirts, pants, and uniforms get cleaned.

Dry cleaning, unlike traditional laundry that uses detergent and water, is a method of cleaning clothes without using water. Dry Cleaning in Mississauga is actually a way to clean your clothes, despite how strange it may sound.

Instead of washing clothes with detergents and water, organic solvents are used to clean them. They work well on delicate fabrics like silk, wool, and velvet. Your clothing, as well as that of others, is washed using a machine that is similar to those we use at home. It is larger, more expensive, and more flexible than the one we use at home. Dry cleaning is not something you can do by yourself. Dry cleaners are usually professionals with years of experience. Organizations like the Dry cleaning and Laundry Institute provide training and resources for dry cleaning professionals around the globe.

Dry Cleaning: The History
Thomas Jennings was a New York tailor who wanted to find a way to clean the clothes of his customers without damaging delicate fabrics. He filed a patent application with the U.S Patent Office a year later for what he called “dry Scouring.” According to IPOEF, this patent made Jennings the first African American holder of a patent in America. It was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1836. However, the modern dry cleaning process closely follows the original.

Dry cleaners soon discovered that petroleum-based chemicals, such as gasoline and kerosene, were not an option. These chemicals can be extremely flammable and are not recommended for long-term use. American dry cleaner William Joseph Stoddard created the first non-petroleum dry cleaning solvent. However, it was Michael Faraday that discovered perchloroethylene. This solvent is still the preferred choice for many dry cleaners.

Perchloroethylene, or perc as it is commonly known, is a volatile organic chemical that has been proven to be carcinogenic. It’s also not good for the environment. Even small spillages can cause serious contamination of the soil and groundwater surrounding dry cleaner facilities. The EPA has strict regulations regarding dry cleaners’ use of perc.

Dry Cleaning: How it Works
Step 1: Garment tagging.
To identify each item, your clothing is given a unique number when you drop it off at the dry cleaner. This allows dry cleaners to keep track of customers’ clothing and prevents them from giving out the wrong items after the process is complete.

Step 2: Pre-treatment with stain and inspection
Visual inspection of all garments is done. Any stains are noted and pre-treated if needed. Special chemicals are used to treat specific types of fabrics and stains. To protect any buttons or embellishments, a soft cloth is used to cover them during dry cleaning. As an additional precaution, some dry cleaners might remove buttons and embellishments.

Step 3: Get into the dry cleaner.
Dry cleaning machines are used to clean the soiled clothes. The dry cleaner will use water or an organic solvent. The clothes are then agitated gently. Although these machines are larger than our washing machines at home, they still have the basic spinning function. Dry cleaning machines can also be set to spin slower and with greater temperature control.

Step 4: Second inspection
After the dry cleaning cycle has ended, all garments are checked again to ensure that no stains remain. To ensure that all buttons, embellishments, and seams remain intact, they are also inspected. If buttons or embellishments were removed during the initial inspection, they will be reattached.

Step 5: Finishing touches
Depending on what fabric you have, the dry cleaner may press, iron, or steam your garments to remove wrinkles. For this step, many dry cleaners use form finishers. For this step, form finishers iron garments using steam or air in the same position as they are worn. This allows dry-cleaning clothes to be more beautiful and smoother. Before being wrapped in plastic, all garments undergo a final inspection.

Other types of dry cleaning
Four other dry cleaning methods were developed from the need for a solvent to replace perc.

Synthetic petroleum, a byproduct of the production of gasoline, is often promoted as an environmentally friendly alternative to perc. It is classified by the EPA as a neurotoxin, and is subject to as strict regulation as perc.
Siloxane, also known as Green Earth, is a colorless and odorless liquid silicone that’s used in dry cleaning. The solvent can be safely broken down into water, carbon dioxide and sand. However, it has been shown to be carcinogenic in rats. It may also cause liver damage.
The solvent liquid carbon dioxide is non-flammable and non-toxic. It can be used for multiple cleaning cycles. This method does not produce any new carbon dioxide and is an inexpensive, plentiful solvent. This method is not affordable for many cleaners because of the high initial cost for the dry cleaning machine.
Wet cleaning sounds exactly like it is. This cleaning method uses water as the solvent. However, the washing machine can be set to a specific temperature and spin mode. It is usually just as effective than traditional dry cleaning for most items. However, it is not safe for all fabrics. 

How to get the best results from your dry cleaner
To ensure dry cleaning is recommended, check your garment label. Dry clean labels have a symbol that looks like a circle. Some labels also include a letter within the circle to indicate which dry cleaning solvent is recommended.
Make sure you tell your dry cleaner about any stains before you leave your clothes. Pretreatment is important for many stains before they can be placed in the dryer. It is important to identify the source of the stain (coffee or oil, wine, etc.). Your dry cleaner can use this information to help you choose the best pretreatment.
Do not try to wash dry clean only clothes with at-home detergents. Dry clean labels are placed on garments for a reason. Although you can dry clean your clothes in the dryer with some at-home cleaners, these products are best suited for light stains and deodorizing. These products don’t have the same ability to remove stains like dry cleaners use.
It’s a good idea not to remove any plastic from dry cleaning clothes when you return home. However, clothing that has been returned from dry cleaners should not smell like solvent or perc. If they do, it’s likely that the dry cleaner has not properly cleaned or filtered the solvent. It’s a sign that you should find another dry cleaner.