WHAT IS DRY-CLEANING?
 
Dry-cleaning is defined as the cleaning of textiles in an organic solvent or washing in a non-aqueous fluid.  Unlike water, dry-cleaning solvents do not swell or soften fabrics made of natural fibers (cotton, wool or silk) and prevents wrinkling, shrinkage, pilling of wool fabrics, and loss of finish.
  Dry-cleaning solvents are formulated to dissolve greasy, oily soils and serve as a carrier for detergents, which remove water-soluble soil, and a flushing agent for the removal of insoluble soil from fabric during the cleaning process.  Detergents are added to speed insoluble soil removal, suspend soil and remove water-soluble soil.
  Dry-cleaning is the most effective known process for cleaning the broadest spectrum of natural and man-made fabrics.  It is essentially a three-step operation.  First, solvent is used to dissolve and disperse the soils and oils on the fabric.  Second, the solvent and soils are removed from the fabric.  And third, the soils are removed from the solvent, and the solvent is used again.
  There are many reasons for dry-cleaning garments rather than washing them in water.  Some fabrics cannot be washed in water for fear of causing distortion due to shrinkage, while some fabrics are colored with dyes that dissolve in water.  In addition, the fashion industry often uses a variety of fabrics in a single garment.  This means that the method of cleaning becomes critical, and often dry-cleaning is the only method that can be used to clean such a garment.  Whatever the principal reason for dry-cleaning a garment, the complete dry-cleaning process, including spot removal, solvent cleaning, and finishing, can restore a "like-new" appearance to the garment.