Dry cleaning means washing clothes without water. It only uses solvents to remove oil stains. Because there is almost no water in the solvent, it is called dry cleaning.

2, the basic steps of dry cleaning are:

The first step is pretreatment, which is to remove stains. It uses artificial additives to pretreat seriously polluted dirt and stains insoluble in dry cleaning solvents (such as juice, nail polish, paint, ink, etc.). ).

The second step is the main washing. Put the pretreated clothes into a dry cleaning machine, wash them thoroughly with dry cleaning solvent, and spin them dry.

The third step, post-treatment, the main purpose is to remove the residual dry cleaning solvent in clothes and irons and shape them.

3. How many kinds of dry cleaning solutions are there? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

There are three main categories, which are:

A, chlorinated hydrocarbon synthesis solvent, the most commonly used is tetrachloroethylene (PEKCRO), which has good safety and strong degreasing and decontamination ability, but it has a strong corrosive effect on metals, and its hydrolysis main substances are toxic, which is harmful to soil, water quality and human body. In addition, it has a strong dissolving effect on plastic, nylon and other products, so this kind of jewelry (such as buttons, etc. ) Be sure to remove it when washing.

B. Chlorofluoride solvent, the typical representative of which is trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC- 1 13), etc. Non-toxic, non-flammable, non-corrosive to rubber and many chemical fibers, and cleaner than tetrachloroethylene. However, such solvents have been banned because they destroy the atmospheric ozone layer.

C. Hydrocarbon solvent, namely petroleum solvent, has good washing effect. Clothes washed with this kind of solvent have no peculiar smell common in tetrachloroethylene washing, and have no pollution to human body and environment. In the past, it was eliminated because of poor security. Now with the development of science and technology, security has been solved, so it is more and more favored by dry cleaners.

4. Some specific problems about dry cleaning.

A. What kind of clothes are not suitable for dry cleaning?

Polypropylene clothing (including rain-proof silk, etc. ), rubber products (including elastic bands), artificial leather, painted ornaments (such as lacquered flowers), metal ornaments, and velvet products bonded with glue.

B. Will frequent dry cleaning shorten the life of clothes?

No, on the contrary, frequent dry cleaning will prolong the service life of clothes. This is because washing first makes the fibers of clothes swell, so that when washing, the detergent will penetrate into the fibers, making it difficult to clean, and the residual detergent will corrode the fibers, making them brittle from the surface, leading to a decrease in the service life of clothes. Dry cleaning will not make the fibers of clothes swell, and dry cleaning agents, especially petroleum solutions, will not penetrate into the fibers, so it will not cause the clothes to become brittle and will not affect the reduction of their service life. Moreover, the stains on clothes will affect the service life for a long time, and once they are cured, they will quickly wear fabric fibers like sandpaper. In addition, bacteria such as spores attached to dust will further damage clothes.

C. Can dry cleaning sterilize?

Yes, but not all bacteria. Generally speaking, microorganisms on clothes can be divided into germs, caterpillars, spores and parasites. In the process of dry cleaning, germs, caterpillars and moth larvae can be killed due to the action of dry cleaning agents. Spores can be peeled off from clothes by mechanical force and then separated by a filter. For lice, it can be killed, but it can't be separated from clothes because of its strong adhesion.

D. Will dry cleaning shrink?

No. Only when it is normal and appropriate in the dry cleaning process, clothes will not shrink. If there is shrinkage, it is because the original garment factory did not do a good job of shrink-proof treatment in advance, and the second is that the dry cleaning agent was mixed with water.

What is wet washing?

Wet washing is a method of washing clothes with water and detergent, as opposed to dry cleaning clothes with tetrachloroethylene and other solvents.

SATRA Fabric Maintenance Technology Center is always asked which method is better, dry cleaning or wet cleaning.

The answer depends on many factors, including the stain type and fiber content of clothes. Other important factors to consider include time, drying and ironing.

Wet washing is usually carried out in the machine, but it can also be carried out by hand if ultra-soft stirring is needed. In contrast, dry cleaning is always in a suitable specially designed machine.

Wet washing may be the oldest known method of fabric washing, so it certainly cannot be called the invention of the 20th century. Machines, additives and drying methods certainly benefit from modern technology, but the principle has not changed.

Wet washing is developing constantly, for example, suits can be wet washed now, while suits can only be dry cleaned in the past.

Now there are advanced washing machines or "wet washing machines". This machine uses mixed additives. This additive is specially designed to remove and suspend dirt and protect fibers and fabrics during washing.

The advantages of wet washing need to be considered together with its disadvantages.

The advantage is that it can better remove water-based dirt, such as sweat stains, blood stains, coffee stains, tea stains, nicotine stains and so on.

These defects are possible deformation and distortion, wrinkling (increasing ironing difficulty), interlayer separation, fading and prolonged drying time.

Most shrinkage, deformation and wrinkling are caused by mechanical action during washing. These defects can be greatly reduced by reducing the rotating speed of the drum and increasing the washing ability of water on the fabric. This method is different from the traditional method of rolling clothes to loosen dirt. Additives also help protect fibers.

Some fibers do not react well to wet washing. This includes viscose fiber and acetate fiber. Suits with acetate fiber lining are not suitable for wet washing, because the lining is seriously wrinkled and loses its handle when wet washing, and the latter's subsequent finishing process cannot be restored. Some viscose fibers will encounter the same problem in wet washing.

Many pigskin garments are more suitable for professional wet washing, because pigskin is more (not easy) to lose oil and keep its natural color than dry cleaning. However, if the lining is cellulose acetate, problems will arise.

It is usually up to the dry cleaners to decide whether to wash wet or dry, which will depend on the type of dirt, fiber content and clothing structure.

Some dyes do not react to dry cleaning, but react quickly to water, and vice versa. The laundryman must have a test before making a decision.

Printed cotton cloth, indoor coverings and curtains are usually seriously polluted by indoor air (smoke, nicotine), and generally cannot withstand the mechanical effect of dry cleaning. Here, wet washing is the best way. But the owner must be made aware of the possible increased shrinkage risk. Wet washing ironing is more time-consuming and laborious than dry cleaning ironing.

A suit with adhesive lining can withstand several wet washes, but bubbles may be washed out on the front.

Clothing manufacturers and household goods manufacturers need to consider the use and maintenance of goods in order to choose the best washing method. Every component needs to be tested, especially the prototype, to ensure that the best maintenance method can be used. Only in this way can the correct maintenance mark be established.