To dry clean; Or Not to dry clean?

LorrelMae

LorrelMae

Registered Guest
Hello!

Pardon me, if I am posting in the incorrect spot!

When do you, as a seller, dry clean items?

I strongly dislike dry cleaning. I do not believe it "cleans" anything, and I dislike the way they come back, pressed to a hardened shine.

I realise I can ask them not to press a garment, and should really "try out" different cleaners. I just cannot get away from the idea that they immerse the garments in a chemical bath, not unlike bathing a photograph in lighter fluid.

Is there a "green" dry cleaning method I can ask for?

Or, is there something I can do at home?

Most items I find are "clean enough".

I do have a couple of pieces, wedding dresses primarily, that need attention I am afraid to give them, with a steamer.

Help!!


Thank you!

Sincerely, Sandi


P.s., I did a search, and nothing came up, regarding my question.


P.p.s., I apologise in advance, I love these "emoticons"!!!!



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:barf:
 
I hand clean when I can. Certain fabrics shrink but most do better with a gentle handwashing. I hate drycleaners. Try to finda cleaners that understands vintage clothing and has a good understading of the process. Thismeans you have to look around and ask questions.

-Chris
 
I'm not sure what the new "greener" solution is, but most dry cleaners use Pert or Perk or something of that sort, which is supposedly the more chemically icky stuff.

I dry clean when necessary to be able to present a garment as well as possible. I don't like to present a dustball.
My local mom and pop shop will do whatever I ask of them, and there's more of a relationship there than if it were just some drop off point at the grocery, where the stuff was trucked to a different location to clean.
 
I avoid it whenever possible. I hand wash all sorts of items, including all cottons an dlinens, most silks and even a few wools. Crepe is a problem as it always shrinks. I air silk and wools out and lint brush them off.

You can also vacuum off dust with a small, not too strong attachment over a screen..

Drycleaning is the last resort and I never use it for anything pre 1950s, and not for silk pre 1960s.

If you can find a locally owned drycleaner that has been in business awhile and knows older garments, it's a big help. I drive 25 miles each way, but they are worth it. They will tell if something will fall apart or if it just won't come out.

But green drycleaning? no - no luck there.


Hollis
 
I am willing to handwash almost anything. Those that I cannot handwash I take to a drycleaners that I really trust. The man who runs it is about 70 and the items look incredible after he is through with them. They do not have that drycleaner smell and they are wonderfully soft. I am not sure what he does but he does it right.
 
I know that out here in California there are some eco-friendly dry cleaners. I really do not know what the difference is, although knowing California, it's more expensive.

Otherwise... I'm no help for you! I'm terrible at washing things. I tend to buy only items that I KNOW I can wash or I drop them at my $1.50 cleaners who've done a pretty good job so far.
 
Thank you!!!!!

I REALLY appreciate all of your advice.

I will have to poke around my area, see if I can find someone to do very special garments.

Thanks again, Sandi
 
We did have an eco-friendly cleaner around here (which used a biodegradable solvent vs perc), which used to do a terrific job on my vintage items. They changed hands and the new owners went way downhill, though, and I haven't really found a good substitute.

I've had decent results with home dry cleaning (ie Dryel/ Dry Cleaner's Secret) when a garment just needed freshening and I didn't dare immerse it in water.
 
Highjack because I'm tired of getting satin cleaned to end up with spots that were there to begin with.

40's heavy slipper satin, no beads....soakable?

Curious what you guys have done with it?

Thanks..Ang
 
I agree with everyone else, find a local cleaner you feel is competent - test with a few "not-too-special" items and see what happens.

I'm very fortunate that my local cleaner is great - things are always fresh and soft.

I also cold soak anything I can - even wool if I'm feeling lucky ;) - but usually is something is in such need that I couldn't possibly do any more damage. I've very pleasantly surprised on several occasion at how well just gentle cleaning at home has revived an item I thought was a loss.

Good luck!
 
Ang,

I had a gorgeous 50's heavy silk satin dress with silk embroidery and I washed that dress. I filled a tub up about 4 inches of water, used baby shampoo that I mixed with the water, then I put the dress in lying flat. I swished the water around the dress and allowed it to soak for about 20 minutes, turned it over gently and did the same thing. For any dark spots I use a baby toothbrush - the ones with the really soft bristles, I put the shampoo directly on the toothbrush and scrub the spots. The dress was sooooo much nicer afterwards, felt good too.
 
I generally try not to use dry cleaners if I can avoid it - sometimes a good CAREFUL ironing (don't forget the value of a pressing cloth and an ironing board cover!) can do wonders for the look and smell of an item.

I found a dry cleaner I like that does things in house. The women who work there are ancient and fawn all over my items! I bought a bag of wadded up suzy perettes and other fabulous things and took them to the cleaner. they weren't dirty but were just muttled and beyond the point where I wanted to try ironing them.

They all came back beautifully and I am certain now that I will get much more money from them had I done it myself!
 
I have not yet dry cleaned any vintage clothing, because I was told it damages the fibers. My mother (who used to work for a dry cleaner a million years ago) told me she *always* hand washes her woolens in lukewarm water -- never cold -- and they come out beautifully.

For my contemporary sweaters, blankets, etc., I started using a new dry cleaner that opened near me and I may try a vintage piece or two because they tout their earth-and-clothing-friendly method. They are a franchise of OXXO dry cleaners and I found this description at www.treehugger.com before I tried them:

"OXXO(R) has sold twenty-five franchises in South Florida alone, and is exporting the brand to New York, New Jersey, California and Washington D.C. Other features: ironing is done in the store window, boutique style. Shirt pressing utilizes Italian machines, which simulate the shape of mannequins and blow hot air from within.

General Electric Company is the solvent supplier. From the GreenEarth website:

"Green Earth Cleaning has partnered with General Electrics silicon division to develop the cleaning process and to create a patented, environmentally-safe detergent called J101 for the new silicon solvent. The patented Green Earth Cleaning System is reported to be environmentally safe. Accidental silicone solution spills decompose into sand, water and carbon dioxide and do not release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are deleterious to the ozone layer. The silicone cleaning solution does not require regulation under any of the hazardous waste laws and it does not present the health risks that PERC and other petroleum-based cleaning solvents pose. People with chemical sensitivities to dry cleaning are reported to be able to use the silicon-based Green Earth Cleaning system without problems."

Note that I have seen the hot-air-blowing machine and I would ask them not to use it on a vintage item as it would doubtless exert too much stress on the textile.

Lynne
 
I remember a thread about "green" dry cleaning within the last year or two, but I can't find it now. I remember that Proctor & Gamble had created a new process, but it wasn't widely available at the time. I remember P&G's involvement because my brother was working for them at the time.

I did find this EPA guide to green dry cleaning:
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/garment/gcrg/cleanguide.pdf

Starting on page 9 of the guide is a state-by-state list of dry cleaners that offer the safer CO2 cleaning method. It's a short list with only a handful of states.

You can also try www.greenearthcleaning.com. They have a search that will let you view participating cleaners by state, and it seems to be much more widely available. There are two cleaners within an hour of me.

Laura
 
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