TWO DIFFERENT METHODS
With so many cleaning methods available today, deciding whether to use laundry dry cleaning method to clean your cloth can be a tough decision. Laundry and dry cleaning are two different methods of cleaning clothes, applicable to different clothes with different needs. Ability to understand their processes and decode the differences between laundry and dry cleaning will help maintain your cloth and ensure longevity. But what is laundry and what is dry cleaning? Are they different? When should you launder or dry clean? In this article, we will take you through them all and give you the pros and cons as well.
WHAT IS LAUNDRY?
Laundry is typically the traditional washing you do with water and detergent in the washing machine. It can also be referred to as wet-washing. Water is the main solvent in the laundry, clothes are immersed in water with detergent. The agitation process, either by hand washing or machine washing cleans the clothes. Clothes are then tumble dried or drip-dried. See post on laundry symbols for more on this.
WHAT IS DRY CLEANING?
Dry cleaning as the name suggests is a method which uses chemicals or solvents, instead of water, to clean clothes dryly. The chemical used is called Perchloroethylene (Perc), it gets rid of tough stains like oil or grease stains from clothes. Dry cleaning can also be used on clothes that are thick and too heavy to load in a washing machine such as rugs, carpets, curtains, drapes, etc. the fabrics or clothes are pre-treated with Perc chemical and then loaded in the washing machine to tumble dry.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAUNDRY AND DRYCLEANING
- When clothes are laundered, they tend to shrink and reduce in size but dry cleaning helps to retain the size of the fabric, texture and avoids colour bleeding.
- The chemicals used in dry cleaning are hazardous and can cause irritation to sensitive skin types, but wet washing is safe as the detergents are skin-friendly.
- Laundry is very affordable and consumes less electricity, while dry cleaning is expensive because of the chemicals used.
- Clothes are cleaner when laundered than when dry cleaned as the chemicals used only gets rid of tough stains and doesn’t guarantee maximum cleanliness of clothes. See more laundry tips here
- Laundered clothes have more refreshing fragrance than dry cleaned clothes because of the detergents and clothes scents that are added while washing.
ADVANTAGES OF LAUNDRY
The advantages of laundry go without saying, but we will still say them!
- Laundry ensures that clothes are cleaned down to the deepest corners
- Clothes can be laundered with softeners, detergents, etc, which leaves the clothes smelling fresh and nice even after they are dried and ironed.
- No hazardous chemicals are used just water and detergent
- Laundry is cheaper and can be done at home
- Undergarments especially, are safer to launder as laundering is skin-friendly and will not cause skin irritation.
ADVANTAGES OF DRY CLEANING
For people living life on the go, dry cleaning will appeal to them. It has lots of advantages, making it the in thing!
- Dry cleaning ensures that tough stains such as oil and grease are effectively removed. Read more here
- It reduces discolouration
- The real texture of the cloth is retained, thereby prolonging its quality and life span
- Shrinkage can be prevented and crumpling of clothes
- Dry cleaning attenuates colour bleeding
There you have it! Now you know the differences between laundry and dry cleaning as well as their pros and cons. What’s more, we are experts in garment care and know what method is best for your cloth, Contact us on info@pjkng.co.uk