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More about Dry Cleaning Service

This solvent is a cleaning fluid which is used in soaking the garments to clean them. It is still in liquid form but it is called dry cleaning due to the absence of using water. Dry cleaning is opted for washing items that can be damaged if water and soap are used to clean them.

Dry cleaners have been around since 19th century when Jean Baptist Jolly accidentally discovered that kerosene can be used to clean fabric. Since then he offered a new service called dry cleaning through his dye-works company. The common solvents used by dry cleaners during this time were gasoline and kerosene. However, these solvents were highly flammable that most dry cleaners switched to using synthetic solvents that cut the risk of fabric catching fire. In the United States, dry cleaners emerged just about the time of World War II. Dry cleaners used to apply carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene as the synthetic solvents used for cleaning but during the 1950s, perchlorethylene became the better choice for dry cleaning.

Perchlorethylene, also called tetrachloroethylene, is a colorless liquid used for dry cleaning of fabrics. It has a sweet odor that can be detected by most people. This chemical is the popular choice for dry cleaning because it can dissolve many organic materials; it is volatile, highly stable and nonflammable. Perc can also be used to degrease metal parts when mixed with other chlorocarbons and appears as part of other products such as paint strippers and spot or stain removers.

Dry cleaners follow five steps in any dry cleaning operation. These are:

1. Tagging and inspection - involves placing labels on the clothes for identification to avoid mixing with other people's clothes. Clothes are also inspected for missing buttons or tears that dry cleaners might be blamed for.
2. Pre-treatment - involves treating and removing of stains
3. Dry cleaning - clothes are placed inside the machine and cleaned using a solvent
4. Post-spotting - checking and removing for lingering stains
5. Finishing - involves pressing, folding, packaging, and other finishing touches

Dry cleaners today are more aware and concern about using environmentally friendly products for dry cleaning. One of these is a cleaning system that is based on carbon dioxide (CO2) technology. It was discovered that liquid CO2 has a gas-like consistency and low surface tension that is a very effective cleaning medium when combined with detergents. A detergent system enhances the cleaning ability of the liquid CO2 which can remove soil from garments. This process does not use heating and is considered to be gentle to the fabric.

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