What is dry cleaning?
Carefully reading the label for each item before doing laundry should be a no-brainer in order to preserve the lifespan of your clothes. Already doing this but having trouble decoding the different care symbols? Have you found a logo with a ‘P’ or an ‘F’ in a circle on the label? This item should be dry cleaned! This cleaning procedure, developed to best preserve fragile fabrics, must be carried out by a professional. As for the letter on the label, this indicates to the professional caring for your laundry which type of solvent should be used for your item. ‘P’ indicates that the normal solvents are required and ‘F’ indicates petroleum solvents.
Where does the dry cleaning concept come from?
The concept of dry cleaning, the essential method for fragile fabrics, was conceived accidentally at the end of the 19th century, when a French man inadvertently spilled a mixture of turpentine and alcohol from his oil lamp on a dress. He then realised that the solution cleaned rather than staining. So, dry cleaning was invented by chance!
Over time, the solvents used have evolved to avoid the danger of volatile flammable products. In the 1940s, an alternative to these toxic products were halogenated solvents, thus eliminating any risk of fire.
Dry cleaning: How does it work?
Dry cleaning is carried out in a special machine with a larger volume than a traditional washing machine. In order to remove grease stains, the clothes are mixed with some solvent. As a replacement to the mixture of water and detergent, this solvent is able to clean, remove grease and disinfect, and allows the fabric to preserve its colours and shape. Washing a fragile item of clothing, whose label indicates it should be dry cleaned, would damage the fibres and cause it to shrink. Don’t take the risk, leave it in the safe hands of a specialist in the field.
How do we deal with your delicate laundry?
On receiving your laundry, our service providers start to carefully examine the items to check for any existing stains or faults… Subsequently comes the stage of treating the stains locally in a stain-removal cubicle, using suitable products and techniques. After stain-removal, the item will be dry cleaned in a specialist machine for at least 45 minutes. In order to guarantee you the best results, we check your item on leaving the machine. Finally, we move on to ironing, in accordance with the fabric type, to preserve the fibres of your clothing.
Rest easy and trust us with the cleaning of your fragile clothing to prolong its lifespan. With ZePressing, your dry cleaner’s in Geneva, you will benefit from a to-your-door dry cleaning service! All it takes is an online reservation, and we will take care of your delicate laundry.