How To Dry Clean 11 Steps With Pictures

Clothes that are technically machine washable, but that you would prefer to treat gently, are good candidates for home dry cleaning. Try dry cleaning delicate linens and cottons, and clothing with intricate embroidery or other decorations. Dry cleaning instead of washing will make delicate items last longer and look new longer. Clothes made from leather, suede and fur should not be dry cleaned at home. These items require special techniques to clean and are best left to professional cleaners.

Test the stain remover on a discreet spot on the fabric you’re cleaning before using it to remove prominent stains. Make sure it doesn’t cause damage or discoloration before proceeding. [2] X Expert Source Safir AliProfessional Dry Cleaner Expert Interview. 15 September 2020. Since you’re presumably working with delicate fabric, don’t scrub the fabric too much, or you could damage it. Use the stain remover only on the stain. If you soak the entire garment in stain remover, you could damage its shape and fibers. Don’t use stain remover on suede, leather, or fur. These materials cannot be dry cleaned at home anyway, so aren’t part of these instructions.

Don’t overcrowd the bag. If you’re dry cleaning dresses, place only two dresses inside a large bag. You should be able to fit up to four tops inside a large dry cleaning bag. Again, only fill the bag halfway full to allow adequate rotation of the garments inside the bag.

The dry cleaning sheet contains a small amount of water, an emulsifier to keep it dispersed, and a perfume to freshen the smell of your clothes. As the dryer heats the sheet, it will create steam that infuses your clothes with fragrance and straightens out wrinkles.

The longer you allow the clothes to sit in the dryer, the more wrinkled they will be when you remove them from the bag.

Make sure the iron is set to the appropriate heat level for the article you are ironing. Don’t spray the item with water, and use steam sparingly.