Dry cleaning brings more life to our clothes. While some clothes will remain in great shape after they’ve been dry-cleaned, others don’t have the same luck due to the chemical solvent used during the dry-cleaning process. In this blog, we’ll list the clothes that don’t need dry cleaning.
1. Wool
While it is true that wool can be dry-cleaned, you should still be cautious and not dry-clean it after every use as you are risking ruining the fabric. As a rule of thumb, always wash it manually with cold water and soap because wool falls on the list of clothes that don’t need dry cleaning.
2. Cotton T-Shirts
It’s inevitable that cotton t-shirts will get dirt and stains on them, but the good news is that they don’t require dry cleaning. Instead, a good old-fashioned way of putting them in the washing machine and dryer will keep them as good as new.
3. Cashmere
Cashmere is a high-quality fabric and unfortunately, it can lose its shape and shrink if dry-cleaned. To take care of your cashmere, it’s recommended you hand wash it with lukewarm water plus added laundry detergent.
Most of your daily clothes are made from fabrics such as nylon, spandex and polyester. These also are clothes that don’t need dry-cleaning and are totally safe to be put in the washing machine.
5. PVC, Polyurethane and plastic
In addition, PVC, polyurethane, and plastic clothing don’t need to be dry-cleaned because they’ll get ruined during the process.
Whenever laundering or dry-cleaning your clothes, it’s best to read the care labels on clothes to be certain. Dry cleaning is a gift that can do a brilliant job when used on the right fabrics.
If you’re a regular gym-goer, you’ll know the feeling of breaking a sweat in the gym and the benefits of a gym towel; it absorbs water and gets rid of sweat. You may have questions on the best ways to look after your gym towels and luckily for you, we have both the answers and the laundry tips to keep your gym towels clean!
1. Wash Gym Towels Immediately
You’ll undo the hard gym work if you don’t look after your gym towels after a productive workout session because maintaining hygiene is crucial. Our laundry tip for you is to wash your gym towels after every use. Aside from your sweat, your towels are touching gym equipment. Washing towels immediately reduces the chances of bacteria and germs spreading and if you wait too long, you’ll towel will get very mouldy!
Secondly, baking soda is great for many different types of clothes and materials. Gym Towels aren’t an exemption. The secret of a baking soda is that it helps nullify the bad odours that gym towels bring.
Simply put your gym towels in the washer then add one cup of baking soda to the front loader. Wash with hot water (more on this below).
3. Use Vinegar Monthly
Furthermore, adding vinegar is a good way to care for your gym towels. Just like Baking soda, vinegar has many uses and one of them is being used to help clean your gym towels. Vinegar helps keep towel odours at bay and brings back the freshness but it is recommended to wash with vinegar monthly.
After the full cycle with baking soda is finished, add a full cup of vinegar to the front loader. Afterwards, start your washing machine on the hottest cycle. After the cycle is finished, begin drying gym towels and then they will look fresh and good as gold!
An additional tip when doing this is always to put baking soda first and not wash at the same time as vinegar to avoid strong smells afterwards!
Image from Shutterstock.com
4. Keep Temperature In Check
Our laundry tip for good gym towel care is to keep the temperature in check. Knowing what water settings to choose makes the difference between good and bad results. Our recommendation is to use warm water for coloured towels for less chance of colour fading. Whereas hot water is best suited for white towels. Try not to mix the towels.
A rule of thumb is always read the labels to avoid gym towels with poor washing results and shrinking!
5. Choose a Laundry Service
Our previous laundry tips were all if you were washing the gym towels yourself at home. However, if you live a busy lifestyle and are drowned by other responsibilities, Laundryheap is here to give you a hand and look after your gym towels!
You shouldn’t skip leg or arms day at the gym, but you can skip laundry day as we’ll do your laundry for you! You can put your gym towels in one bag, book a service with us, choose a collection day and we’ll arrive and return it back to you within 24 hours! All clean, fresh, and high quality!
When it comes to laundry, we do the heavy lifting! Enjoy your workout and follow our tips for good gym towel care use but if you have a busy day ahead, we are available to help you wash your gym towels!
A lot of people still see professional dry cleaning as a luxury, but we at Laundryheap understand that it is, in fact, a necessity. Dry cleaning has countless benefits that you can’t get from doing your laundry at home.
Not every piece of clothing needs to be dry cleaned. However, taking care of the items that do will prolong their life and maintain their beauty. Make sure you pay attention to care labels on your clothes to know which pieces are best dry cleaned. Alternatively, you can talk to the specialists if you are having trouble with the details.
Professionals pay close attention to detail
Dry cleaning is less abrasive
Perfect for removing stains and odours
Prolongs your clothes’ lifespan
Saves you time and stress
Dry cleaners can handle large items
Laundryheap is always here to help
Professionals pay close attention to detail
Doing the laundry at home means you have to cover all the steps, including washing, ironing, folding and storing items. As a result of all these different tasks, people can often overlook important aspects of cleaning clothes, which will have a massive impact on your clothes life span.
When taking your clothes to professional dry cleaners, they can handle all these tasks for you with extra care. Professionals like us here at Laundryheap understand the different needs of different types of clothing. All you need to worry about is collecting it at your door and hanging the clothes in your wardrobe.
Dry cleaning is less abrasive
Modern dry cleaning innovations are using greener products that are less abrasive on your clothing than traditional laundry techniques we use at home. The professionals know which clothes require a wet cleaning process and which do not.
Likewise, professional dry cleaners know how to deal with delicate items that require special care. Dry cleaners are up to date with the best practices and will clean your clothes in the smartest possible way.
Perfect for removing stains and odours
There are lots of excellent home remedies for removing stains, but most come with a risk of ruining the clothes further. It is always a safer idea to get the professionals to deal with your tricky stains and lingering odours.
So, if you ever find yourself about to throw your clothes away because you can’t get rid of this latest stain, why not take it to the dry cleaners? You’d be surprised at some of the hidden magic the professionals have up their sleeves.
Prolongs your clothes’ lifespan
Everyone wants their clothes to look fresh for longer. One of the best ways people can achieve this is by having your garments professionally cleaned.
By getting the dry cleaners to take care of your items, they are less exposed to fibre-wearing agitation that comes from the washing machine. As a result, they will last longer and retain their original colour. Also, a big bonus is you will end up saving money because you won’t need to purchase new clothes as frequently.
Dry cleaners have the capacity for larger loads at once
It could seem evident to some, but not all, that dry cleaners have more capacity than your average washroom. If you are looking to get items like curtains, rugs, sofa covers or bedding cleaned well, then look no further than the dry cleaners.
What can seem like a torturing chore for you to handle at home is a walk in the park for the professionals. Using a professional service for big items will save valuable time and reduce stress.
Saves you time and stress
Dry cleaners don’t just take a load of laundry, but they also take a load of stress off your back. By handing over that task to the professionals, you can now enjoy your free time by doing the things you want to do.
Time is valuable and often overshadowed by work or chores that can take up your entire day. So, by using a dry cleaners, you are regaining that precious time to spend with friends, family or yourself.
Laundryheap is always here to help
Often people’s biggest issue when it comes to seeking professional help comes from having to leave the house. That’s why Laundryheap comes to you. We come to your home or place of work, pick up your dirty clothes and return them within 24 hours fresh, ironed and ready. Did we mention that we also do all this with no collection or delivery charge?
So, next time you want to enjoy your free time and give your clothes a professional clean, look no further than Laundryheap.
Ever wondered how often you should dry clean those ‘dry clean only’ garments of yours? Fortunately, most garments can be worn more than once before taking them to the dry cleaners.
Here are some of the most common ‘dry clean only’ items and how often you should wash them:
Business Suit– 4-5 wears
Suits you wear on a regular basis to work don’t require daily cleaning as they don’t come into direct contact with the skin.
Formal Suit– After every wear/ Once every season
For suits that are worn once or twice a year to special occasions, it’s best to wash them after every wear or once every season. This is so they can be stored away properly, freshly cleaned and ready to wear again.
Dress pants/ skirts/ dresses– 4-5 wears
Most dress pants/ skirts are made from stain-repellent material, so they don’t need to be dry cleaned so often unless there are visible stain or dirt.
Button down blouses– 3-4 wears
Blouses come into direct contact with your skin and absorb your sweat, but as long as there are no visible stains or dirt, they can be cleaned after a few wears. White blouses, however, should be cleaned after every wear.
Silk blouses– After every wear
Silk fabric requires extra care because of its delicacy, so silk blouses need to be cleaned after every wear.
Evening dresses– After every wear/ Once every season
Evening attire worn only on special occasions should be washed after every wear or once every season if worn more than once in the same season.
Jackets/coats– Once every season
Winter coats and jackets should be cleaned only before storing them away and once during the season.
These are only general guidelines on how often you should dry clean your clothes, assuming that they haven’t been heavily soiled or stained. Clothes that are soiled quickly should be cleaned more frequently than stated, while other clothing like suits and jackets can be spot cleaned to get more wears out of them.
If you require a professional dry cleaner, Laundryheap can collect, clean and deliver your clothes within 24 hours.
There are many questions about dry cleaning, most of which are concerned with how effective it is in cleaning our clothes. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about dry cleaning.
How Does Dry Cleaning Work?
Dry cleaning is a cleaning method for textiles using solvents. The technique is the same as wet washing (laundry) but instead of using soap and water, it’s replaced with cleaning solvents. For more information about how dry cleaning works, see our blog post on the dry cleaning process.
Will Dry Cleaning Remove Stains?
A majority of the time, yes, dry cleaning will remove stains. However, that depends on what type of stain it is and how long the stain has been there for.
Will dry cleaning kill germs?
Yes. The solvents work well to penetrate and get rid of dirt, and the heat from the machines and steamer will effectively get rid of germs and bacteria.
Is Dry Cleaning Better Than Washing?
That depends on the type of fabric you’re dealing with. What ever washing instruction is illustrated on the care label, that is the best option to go with when cleaning your garment. If you want to compare the differences between the two cleaning methods, check out our laundry vs dry cleaning blog post.
How Long Does Dry Cleaning Take?
In general, dry cleaning usually takes between 24-72 hours. With Laundryheap, dry cleaning takes up to 24 hours for clothing items and some home essentials such as pillow and duvet covers, and 72 hours for home and bedding items.
Does Dry Cleaning Shrink Clothes?
No. Since there is no combination water involved, it is not possible for the dry cleaning method to shrink clothes.
Does Dry Cleaning Remove Odour?
That depends on how strong the odour is. Dry cleaning does well in removing dirt and bacteria but might not be as effective in removing odour.
Is Dry Cleaning Safe?
With green dry cleaning, yes. There are now many dry cleaners that use eco-friendly cleaning solutions like liquid co2 instead of perc, which is safe for the environment and for the skin.
Can You Wash Clothes That Need To Be Dry Cleaned Only?
Ideally, no, you shouldn’t. Clothing made from fabrics that have to be dry cleaned only do not react well to washing in water. Consequences are that clothes will usually distort in shape or damage the fabric.
Can You Do Dry Cleaning At Home?
Yes, you can. You can purchase home dry cleaning kits. However, it might not be as effective as professional dry cleaners.
If you have any dry cleaning questions that aren’t on here, feel free to ask in the comments section and we’ll try to answer them for you.
Many people believe that with dry cleaning, your garments are secretly cleaned with water. This is in fact false! Cleaning solvents are used in the dry cleaning process.
Let’s take a quick look at how the dry cleaning process is actually done:
Tagging & Inspections:All dry cleaning tagged garments have the number of clothes to be dry cleaned, the date it was received and the date it needs to be returned by. In addition, any garments that require special attention such as tough stains will have a tag to indicate so.
Inspections are also made at this point to check for any minor stains, missing embellishments, buttons, tears or any other imperfections on the garment(s).
Pre-treat Stains:Dry cleaners pre-treat stains similar to how it is done domestically but using specific spotting treating agents.
Dry Cleaning: A cleaning machine in the dry cleaners is basically structured the same as a washing machine and dryer.
Just like in a washing machine, clothes are thrown into the cleaning machine and is rotated around with a constant flow of cleaning solvents circulating through. After the cycle is done, the solvents are drained and rapidly spins to get rid of any remaining solvents. This then goes through a drying cycle where the process involves clothes circulating in warm air.
Quality Control: Final inspections are made to ensure that all stains have successfully been removed and no embellishments have gone missing.
Finishing Touches: Once the final checks have been made, the finishing operations include, pressing steaming, occasional ironing and making the garment(s) look presentable before before it is neatly bagged, ready to be returned to the customer.
Now you know the truth about the cry cleaning process! If you need a dry cleaning service, schedule a collection with us and we’ll deliver it back to you within 24 hours.
