What Are The Differences Of Laundry Cleaning vs Dry Cleaning?
Laundry cleaning and dry cleaning have always been the two options which confuse people a lot. Most of the people are familiar with the differences between both these methods, but some are still unaware.
What is laundry cleaning?
Laundry is a process widely known by people as they practice the same at their home. It refers to the process of cleaning clothes with the help of additives like detergents and uses water also. In this process, it is very difficult to handle excessive delicate and bulky items. It becomes a labor intensive procedure if used for such items. The process is comprised of several steps. It starts with the washing of clothes with the help of detergents, chemicals and is followed by agitation, rinsing, drying and then pressing the laundry.
The process is generally carried at temperature more than the room temperature so as to make many of the chemicals active. The high temperature also helps in killing the harmful microorganisms present in the fabric. The process of laundry washing is generally performed in business areas, in apartments or rooms reserved for the purpose itself. The clothes that are being washed are generally referred to as laundry.
Advantages of laundry washing
1) It is cheaper.
2) Items washed smell fresher.
3) Water generally removes most stains as it is the best solvent for most of the chemicals.
On the other hand, dry cleaning refers to the process which involves chemical solvents other than water, for the purpose of cleaning clothes and textiles. There are many types of fabrics and dyes that do not react well when added to water and thus can cause shrinkage and fading of the original color.
The solvent that is generally used is tetrachloroethylene which is also known as “perc” in chemical language. The process involves the cleaning of those delicate materials that are not able to withstand the tumble and rough of a cloth dryer and a washing machine. It acts as a replacement to the labor intensive hand washing process.
Some advantages of dry cleaning are:
1) It minimizes the wear and tear of fabric.
2) It minimizes color fading and bleeding.
3) Protects the garment’s original texture.
4) It helps in increasing the life of garments.
There are many reasons why laundry is less preferred as compared to the dry cleaning process. Some of the common problems are:
1.) Color bleeding
It has been noticed that if two clothes of different color are washed together, it may result in the mixing of colors of both the items.
2.) Shrinkage of fabric
The normal laundry process may result in shrinkage of garments. It is generally due to the modern washing machines but, sometimes occurs during the process of applying heat also. The process of dry cleaning can prove to be very useful in the cleaning process of items which have scales on their fibers which may stick together during the process of applying heat.
It is clear that the decision of making your clothes undergo dry cleaning or laundry washing totally depends upon the type of items you possess. The washing procedure and conditions are well mentioned for every particular fabric. You must be aware of the type of garment you need to wash and then decide the best process on your own.