Does dry cleaning include pressing? A dry cleaning process is just similar to how we typically wash clothes using other methods, except that under this case, instead of using the water, we use chemical solvents such as PERC, or D5, or liquid co2 or any other convenient solution.
These solvents aren’t harmful to the fabric, and the dry cleaning method is the most efficient way of cleaning many types of garments that cannot be able to be cleaned with other methods of cleaning. However, there are some concerns about whether dry cleaning includes pressing in Singapore?
Pressing, along with steaming, ironing and repairs are the final phases of the dry cleaning operation. It is the least mysterious process since many at times dry cleaners have their professional finish according to the customer’s request.
Pressing and spotting are the heart of any dry cleaning process and without them; there are chances that the outcome may not be pleasing. So the answer to the question of whether dry cleaning involves pressing is yes; it is a very necessary part of a dry cleaning process.
The process of dry cleaning is very simple; when you drop off your clothes to the dry cleaner, he or she follows a pattern that happens at almost any dry cleaning store running today. Your clothes go through the following phases.
1. Inspection
The cleaner employee usually put a small bag or a little label to make sure your clothes and materials do not get mixed up with someone else. Clothes are also examined before cleaning to identify missing buttons and possible tears in case the dry cleaner gets blamed.
2. Pre-treatment
The cleaner will look for possible stains and spots on your clothes and treat them to make removal easier. They usually use the procedure that we usually use at home. You can even help to do it yourself earlier especially if you do it immediately after the stain catches the cloth. All you need it to apply water for the wet stains or apply a solvent for a dry stain. Then gently tap and blot the fabric with a soft cloth and bleed off the stain.
3. Cleaning
The clothes are put on a machine and using the cleaner’s choice of solvent. There is a mounted basket where your clothes are put on. The clothes are rotated in a perforated basket, the solvent constantly flows into the basket and pounding them against baffles. The last cycle in cleaning is rapid spin to the clothes to expel solvents and then to the drying cycle.
4. Post-spotting
At this stage, any stubborn stains and spots are removed. Here some professional types of equipment and chemical preparation are used using steam, water, air, and vacuum. The dry cleaners ensure that the cloth is free from stains, and if there is, post-spotting gets rid of them. This is why there will be every need to remove the smell of the solvent used in the post-spotting process by the end of the cleaning process.
5. Finish
This is where pressing occurs along with other finishing touches that happen like folding and packaging. Pressing is done by pressing types of equipment and machine that ensure that the garment is wrinkle-free and with a like-new appearance that cannot be beaten.
Reasons Why Pressing your clothes is essential.
1. Pressing helps Discover possible defects that might have occurred during the cleaning process
Mistakes usually happen even when cleaning is done by a professional. For example, there are parts of the clothes that were probably improperly cleaned, or one of the buttons just got lost. During pressing, there are chances of discovering these imperfections and solve them immediately.
2. These smell Pressing help eradicate bad odor
Chances of having an odor during the dry cleaning process are minimal, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There are times when a lousy smell remains after cleaning. Some of these odors can be as a result of using a solvent with powerful ingredients like PERC. It is usually challenging to get rid of these smells, but applying pressure on your garment is likely going to get rid of this scent.
There are other ways dry cleaners can remove strong odor such as ozone treatment, but these methods cannot be applied to the regular clothes, it’s mostly used on items and materials that have been exposed to flood or smoked damaged items.
3. Removing wrinkles and shrinkages
This one main reason pressing is more than necessary any other cleaning process. When you go to the dry cleaner, you do not expect to spend your time standing over the iron board and hot iron to finish the work. You hope that the cloth will have a like-new appearance. Pressing helps removes wrinkles and shrinkages on your clothes and giving it a fresher and stylish appearance.
4. Saves cost associated with Pressing services
Many dry cleaners do not offer pressing services, and when they do, they charge extra for the service. That’s why it is essential to look for a dry cleaner who is reliable and who will involve pressing facilities in the dry cleaning process.
Typically here in Singapore, pressing services cost around $ 1.50 for a piece of the shirt while large garments like drapes and curtain can go to as much as $ 3 and up. So when pressing is included in the dry cleaning process, it saves you a lot of costs associated with making your cloth look as good as new.
Sometimes you may not be completely got satisfied with the way the fabric look even after practical finish or effective pressing, but it is always good to point out the problem to the cleaner right away. Although pressing does make your cloth look great and also prolongs its life, there are situations that the cleaner can do nothing about, leave alone pressing.
How the cleaning company you choose to go about the pressing process also matters a lot. There are some experiences among people where their clothes were pressed without having a post-spotting process. So the pressing is done over the stain, these make the stain get stuck in the garment forever. So choose your company very keenly, because, by the of the day, the overall quality and cleanness are what will matter.
