Delve into the following article to know the major considerations before dry cleaning at home and what fabric should be dry-cleaned. We’ll also tell you about the fabrics that shouldn’t be dry cleaned, the methods to dry clean at home easily, and some worth considering guidelines for safe dry cleaning at home.
Certain clothing items come with the tag of dry-clean only. Though many of them require specialized professional cleaning, you can dry-clean numerous clothing items at home. When you opt for the right methods and approach, dry-cleaning at home becomes comparatively easier.
People often don’t know how to dry clean at home and also have many misconceptions related to the same. Doing so will save the cost spent on professional dry cleaning and the integrity of your clothing items. Go through the following guidelines, tips, and tricks for efficient dry cleaning. Let’s delve into the intricacies of a simple and effective dry-cleaning process at home:
What To Consider Before Dry Cleaning At Home?
What’s in this article?
Clothing manufacturers recommend dry-cleaning for numerous delicate fabrics but this isn’t the only factor to consider. You must also know what precautions and considerations are required for safe dry cleaning schedules at home. The following section includes the basic points worth considering before initiating dry-cleaning:
- Fabric Type: Foremost, you’ll need to check the fabric type of the clothing item. Ensure whether you can dry clean them at home or not. Delicate and sensitive fabrics require professional care to avoid damaging your clothing material.
- Stain Type: You need to determine the kind of stains on the garment. Specific tools and professional cleaning are required to remove certain stains and spots.
- Home Dry-cleaning Kit: You should have a proper and specialized home dry-cleaning kit. It must include important tools like cleaning sheets and stain remover. Handle all the tools according to the instructions for effective and safe cleaning.
- Adequate Equipment: Besides having a proper kit, adequate pieces of equipment are also essential. Make certain that you have suitable dryers and other equipment for dry-cleaning certain fabrics at home.
- Post-cleaning Care: Ensure that you can have suitable post-cleaning care. This is important to maintain the integrity of your garment and clothing items. You’ll need to check for lingering odors and allow air out appropriately.
- Professional Assistance: If you’re unsure about the dry-cleaning methods at home, prefer professional assistance. This also becomes important when you’re dealing with delicate and valuable clothing items.
What Fabrics Can Be Dry-cleaned At Home?
Here is the list of fabrics that can be dry-cleaned at home. Always check the care label on your garments for specific cleaning instructions, as some fabrics may have unique requirements.
- Wool: Dry cleaning at home helps maintain the shape and texture of wool garments. Effective and right cleaning methods at home eliminate the risks of shrinking or damaging the fibers.
- Silk: Delicate silk fabrics benefit from dry cleaning to preserve their sheen and prevent water stains. Certain techniques can help maintain the sheen texture of silk at home only.
- Rayon: You can dry clean rayon at home often. This is recommended to avoid shrinking or distortion of the delicate material.
- Cashmere: If you opt for the proper dry-cleaning techniques at home, it can help maintain the softness and integrity of cashmere garments.
- Linen: While some linen items can be hand-washed, dry cleaning is preferable for structured or embellished pieces to prevent wrinkles and shrinkage. Always have the right tools and supplies when dry-cleaning linen at home.
- Polyester blends: Many polyester blends are suitable for dry cleaning to maintain their shape and color vibrancy. However, the manufacturer’s recommendations should be considered to determine the right approach.
- Velvet: Dry cleaning helps preserve the luxurious texture and pile of velvet fabrics. You can check the care tag of your velvet clothing items and other garments to decide whether to opt for professional cleaning or dry cleaning at home.
What Fabrics To Avoid Dry-cleaning At Home?
Not all clothing garments or fabric blends are suitable for dry cleaning at home. Some of them need specialized and professional dry cleaning. Here is the list of several such options:
- Leather and suede: Specialized cleaning techniques are required for leather-based and suede clothes to save you harm to the cloth and keep their look.
- Fur: Fur clothes should always go for a professional dry clean to ensure the right care and optimal upkeep of the delicate fibers.
- Beaded or sequined fabrics: The embellishments on these fabrics may be damaged or indifferent if you opt for the dry cleansing procedure at home. Professional cleaning is recommended to preserve the integrity of the design.
- Delicate silk: While some silk fabric can be suitable for at-home dry cleansing, sensitive or heavily embellished silk clothes require professional cleaners to protect them against damage and harm.
- Structured clothes: The clothing items with elaborate construction, padding, or boning can also require specialized care. Tailored jackets, formal gowns, and other clothing items are optimally cared for and handled by expert dry cleaners.
- Vintage or vintage textiles: Older fabrics or garments with fragile fibers are susceptible to damage during the at-home dry cleaning procedure. Professional know-how is suggested for cleansing and maintaining these clothing items well.
- Fabrics with unique finishes: Certain fabrics with special finishes including water-repellent or flame-retardant coatings. These garments also require specialised cleaning techniques and professional assistance.
How To Dry Clean At Home: The Alternative Methods
Now that you know about the fabrics and materials suitable for dry cleaning, let’s learn how to dry clean at home. Well, if you have a dry cleaning kit, it becomes easier and more effective. However, certain alternative methods also dry clean garments and clothing items at home. We’ve elaborated on some at-home dry-cleaning methods here:
Method 1: Using Dry Cleaning Kits
- Before starting, go through the manufacturer’s recommendations appropriately. Doing so is important to familiarize yourself with the essential tools and the materials required to accomplish dry cleaning using kits.
- When you’re all prepared, take the stain remover and remove all the visible stains and spots from the clothing material. Adhere to the advocated time to allow adequate penetration inside the garment fabric.
- Now, take a cleaning sheet from the kit and your garment inside the dryer. Make certain to put one garment at a time to allow proper air circulation. This will help in better dry cleaning of your specific clothing items.
- Adhere to the instructions given in the kit manual and set the appropriate temperature and the cycle length. Start the dryer and allow the cleaning sheet to dry clean your garment.
- As soon as the cycle is completed, take out the clothing item from the dryer. Remove the cleaning sheet and hang the clothing item in a well-ventilated area. Leave them to dry and expel any lingering odor or cleaning solution smell before storing or using them all over again.
Method 2: Steam Cleaning Method
- Foremost, fill a handheld garment steamer with normal water. Make certain to heat it well and take it to the appropriate temperature setting. Consider checking the user manual as the correct temperature is highly needed for steam cleaning.
- Before initiating steam cleaning, treat all the spots and stains using the stain remover. Always refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations for the most favorable penetration and adequate stain removal.
- As you move the steam wand over the fabric’s surface, keep moving the garment taut. One small chunk at a time is how this should be done. Particular care should be given to any spots or smells.
- Once the clothing has been steam cleaned, let it air dry fully. Keep it out of direct sunlight and heat sources by hanging it somewhere with good ventilation.
- After it has dried, check the clothing for any lingering stains or smells. Spot-treat particular areas as needed or carry out the steam cleaning procedure again if necessary.
Method 3: Using Cloth Bag and Dry Cleaning Sheets
- Place the clothing items and garments to be cleaned and a dry cleaning sheet right into a huge cloth bag designed for dry cleansing. Ensure the bag isn’t always overloaded to allow proper air circulation and cleaning solution.
- Treat any visible stains on the garment with a stain remover or pre-cleaning solution. Allow the solution to penetrate the material as advised.
- Close the cloth bag securely and shake it lightly to distribute the cleaning sheet flippantly among the clothes.
- Place the sealed bag in the dryer and set it to the precise temperature and cycle length for dry cleaning. Start the dryer and permit the cleansing sheet to do its paintings.
- Once the cycle is complete, dispose of the bag from the dryer and open it in a properly ventilated place. Hang the clothes to air out any ultimate odors from the cleansing solution.
- Check the garments for any lingering stains or odors. If important, repeat the dry cleaning method or spot deal with specific regions earlier than wearing or storing the garments.
Final Conclusion: How To Dry Clean At Home
Dry cleaning sensitive and delicate clothing items at home is way better than washing them and putting their integrity at stake. Professional dry cleaning services may cost more than expected and likely, you don’t have time to go to experts.
In such cases, you can easily accomplish this task when you know how to dry clean at home effectively. The considerations and methods mentioned in this article can help maintain the pristine texture, shine, and look of your favorite clothing item.