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What
is Dry Cleaning ?
Dry-cleaning is the use of solvents to remove soil and
stains from fabric. It is called "dry-cleaning"
because the solvents contain little or no water and do
not penetrate the fibers as water does. Dry-cleaning solvent
is not harmful to any fabric, and dry-cleaning is the
only safe method for cleaning many types of garments.
Natural fibers such as wools and silks will shrink and
perhaps lose their color when washed in water, but will
dry-clean beautifully. Cottons and linens, unless they
are preshrunk in manufacture, will also shrink in home
laundering. Dry-cleaning is particularly effective in
removing greasy, oily stains from synthetic fibers, which
have an affinity for oils.
But the professional drycleaner provides more than just
dry-cleaning. This service also includes professional
removal of problem stains that will not come out with
simple dry-cleaning. It also includes professional pressing,
careful packaging, and inspections at every step along
the way to make sure that all stains have been attended
to and the item has been properly pressed and finished.
Dry-cleaning can extend the life of your wardrobe, and
your knowledge about dry-cleaning can bring you more value
for your clothing dollar. |
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How
can you clean my clothes if you don't get them wet?
To most of those outside the industry, dry-cleaning is
a dark and mysterious process. How do we get your clothes
clean without getting them wet? It’s simple: we
fudge on the definition. Dry refers to the absence of
water, and nothing more. Dry cleaning simply means cleaning
clothes in a solvent other than water.
The dry-cleaning process was invented in the eighteenth
century, when a Frenchman discovered that he could remove
soils from the elaborate garments of the day by dipping
them in “spirits”. Since then, a variety of
solvents have been used to dry-clean.
Benzene was used, and carbon tetrachloride. Both are very
effective cleaning agents, but it was discovered that
they are also extremely toxic. By the 1920s, the industry
had settled on Stoddard solvent, a compound similar to
paint thinner. Its major drawback was its flammability.
Because of this, plants using Stoddard had to be large
scale operations to justify the expense of separate, fireproof,
explosion-proof quarters for the cleaning equipment.
In the 1930s a solvent was introduced that changed the
face of the industry. Perchlorethylene, known as "perc,"
is an aggressive solvent, which makes short work of grease
and oily soil, but has little or no effect on fabrics.
Unlike Stoddard, it is non-flammable, and unlike carbon
tetrachloride and benzene, it has low toxicity. These
qualities allowed smaller operators to get into the dry-cleaning
business. Because of the advent of perc, mom-and-pop operations
became the norm in the industry. Perc is still the current
industry standard, and is used by almost all dry cleaners.
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How
Does “Door To Door” Do Such A Great Job?
We have a proven system in place, and a friendly, well
trained staff to implement it. This is how we do it :
Our mark-in staff begins by entering the customer's name
into our computer system, and then thoroughly inspects
the garments.
They note the garment's condition, remove any buttons
that might be too fragile to go through the dry-cleaning
process, and create an invoice that is entered into our
computer system. The cleaner then inspects the garments
for stains in need of treatment. The clothes are then
classified, so that like garments are cleaned together.
The garments are placed in the dry-cleaning machine and
cleaned. The machine is much like a front-loading washing
machine, except that it is hermetically sealed throughout
the cleaning process.
After cleaning, the garments are inspected again for spots
and stains that didn’t come out in the dry-cleaning
process. The garments are then sent to the finishing staff.
Here they are pressed, after which buttons are replaced,
if necessary, and the garments receive a final inspection
and packaging. |
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Custom
Drycleaning: Attention To Detail
As a certified professional drycleaner, Door To Door Cleaners
understands that exceptional garments require exceptional
care. Not only do we recognize designer and couture garments,
but we have the fabricare knowledge to protect your investment.
Our highly trained professionals receive ongoing fabricare
education. We believe it is our responsibility to recognize
new fabrications available in the world of fashion and
know how to properly process these garments. We also understand
the classic couture designers and we consider it a privilege
to clean and hand finish their beautiful garments each
day.
Our specialists excel in understanding fabrics and trims.
When your garments arrive at our facility they are immediately
inspected and the best method of cleaning is determined.
All stains receive immediate attention. Minor repairs
are performed before the actual cleaning process begins
and again should it be necessary during the final inspection
process.
At Door To Door Cleaners hand cleaning and hand ironing
are an instrumental part of our process. Suits and ties
receive rolled edges. Garments are soft pressed to minimize
the possibility of shine and line impressions and all
garments are hand ironed inside and out. Natural fibers
and delicate fabrics such as silk, velvet, cashmere, linen,
and organza receive extra gentle cleaning and drying.
We take our responsibility to our clients very seriously.
As a measure of our commitment and success in fabricare,
Door To Door Cleaners is proud to be referred by the most
prestigious retailers in the South Bay and the greater
Los Angeles area. |
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