Professional Wet Cleaning

Before I started working for a dry cleaning company, I had no idea how they cleaned my clothes.  All I knew was that I dropped them off dirty and wrinkled, and when I picked them up they were clean and crisp.  And while I am no cleaning expert (that’s what Brian, Mike, and David are for), I’ve learned a few things over the years.

For instance, did you know that not everything we clean is dry cleaned? We also offer professional wet cleaning services.  What is professional wet cleaning, you ask.  It is the practice of cleaning dry clean only goods in water.  I need to insert a caveat here – professional wet cleaning is not like doing laundry.  We don’t throw it into a washing machine with a little bit of detergent and then tumble it in the dryer.  It is a specialized process that requires precise training, the proper equipment, and specific supplies.  There are about 10 steps involved in professionally wet cleaning an item from classifying the garment to picking the right cycle with the appropriate amount of detergent and conditioner to finishing it with the correct amount of tension.

So why might one choose to wet clean something instead of dry cleaning it?  Actually, there are several reasons:

• Some garments simply cannot be dry cleaned due to things like decorative embellishments and fabric composition
• Water soluble stains are easier to remove in the wet cleaning process
• Some garments, like knit shirts and khakis, respond better to professional wet cleaning
• White garments appear whiter and brighter

Our Winston-Salem location reports that they professionally wet clean approximately 20% of their garments.  I asked Brian if he likes this new technology.  “I do,” he said. “There are benefits to professional wet cleaning like it doesn’t produce any hazardous waste, it is great at stain removal which translates to fewer sorry tags, and it gets whites more white.  These days it is becoming more and more popular, and you can now be a Certified Professional Wetcleaner.”

What does all of this mean for you?  As a Shores customer, you can take pleasure in knowing that we are constantly evolving, we are doing our part to be more environmentally friendly, and we have the means to address any garment-related problem you might have.