What is Dry cleaning?

​​What is Dry cleaning?

Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. It is used to clean fabrics that degrade in water, and delicate fabrics that cannot withstand the rough and tumble of a washing machine and clothes dryer.
Dry cleaners use a variety of solvents to clean fabric. Early solvents included gasoline, kerosene, benzene, turpentine and petroleum, which were very flammable and dangerous, according to the State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners (SCRD), a group whose members share information about cleanup programs. The 1930s saw the development of synthetic, nonflammable solvents — such as perchloroethylene (also known as perc or PCE) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (also known as GreenEarth) — which are still used today. 

Detergents are typically added to the solvents to aid in the removal of soils, according to an SCRD report titled "Chemicals Used in Drycleaning Operations." Detergents aid dry cleaning in three ways: 

Carrying moisture to aid in the removal of water-soluble soils.

Suspending soil after it has been removed from the fabric so it won't be reabsorbed.

Acting as a spotting agent to penetrate the fabric so that the solvents will be able to remove the stains.

Detergents are either added into the solvent before dry cleaning begins or added into the process at specific times.