Dry Cleaners and Laundry Services in London

Once upon a time (1855,) in a land not so far away from London (France,)  the humble owner of a dyeing house, Jean Baptiste Jolly, accidentally knocked over a kerosene lamp, spilling its contents all over a tablecloth. Jean was astounded when he realized there were no spots on the fabric, and it was completely undamaged. And that, my friends, was how Dry Cleaning was invented (talk about happy accidents)

What is Dry Cleaning?

Dry cleaning presupposes using solvents instead of water. It is the process of eliminating soils from garments, using chemicals, keeping the clothes admirable for longer.

Dry Cleaners and Laundry Services In London

Amongst many, let's look at the three main benefits of Dry cleaning.

1. It's not recommended to soak certain fabrics and materials.

2. The clothes do not interact with water. This allows them to maintain their original size, color, and structure. Also...

3. The clothes do not get reformed. They remain intact.

For those that are unsure about whether to use this process or not and are contemplating how long it will take, allow me to quickly answer that:

The total time required for the procedure is heavily determined by how dirty the clothing is and the material type. However, experts estimate an average of 3-4 hours for the entire process.

Perhaps you find that average to be too long or too short, wondering what they could be doing between those hours, well here's a quick break down on the estimated 3-4 hours.

The  Stages Of Dry Cleaning

1. Clothes Examination

Upon drop off, the clothes are examined, which will determine the method of cleaning required.

2. Pre Treatment

Any stains found on the clothes will be removed using special cleaners. Only high-quality chemicals are used to work on your clothes. They are completely safe for you and your fabrics.

3. Dry Cleaning

The clothes are dumped into a large drum with suitable solvents. Cleaning is then carried out by steaming.

4. Drying

The items are dried between +25 to 50° C, depending on the material or fabric.

5. Finishing

And finally, after pressing, steaming and ironing, your clothes will be ready for pickup the next day.

Although Dry cleaning was invented by accident, it received endorsement because it was needed for clothes that shouldn't be soaked in water. Materials like:

Silk

Velvet

Cashmere

Pure Wool

Fake and genuine leather

Clothes with embellishments (beads, rhinestones), etc.

An excellent example is the Suit jacket.

Many try to clean suits themselves. If you ever have, I'm sure you found out the jacket got shrunken, lost its shape and the linings started to lose. Whatever stains you attempted to remove, only got worse.

It is decidedly better to dry clean a suit, as this will specifically clean the dirty areas and ultimately extend the life of the suit.

Good news though. It is possible to dry clean your own clothes at home. Yes! With the use of special substances, you too can place a few clean touches on your clothes, saving money and preserving your wears in the process. It should be noted however that this does not replace the professional efforts of the laundry and dry cleaners in London.

To Dry clean at home, you will need these items:

• A small bowl
• 3/4 glass of water
• A glass of vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of borax
• 1 teaspoon of oxygen bleach
• 5-7 drops of essential oil (optional)
• Clean cloth
• A zipper pillowcase

Procedure:

Put the water, borax, and vinegar in the bowl and mix. Add the essential oil and mix. Use the mixture to clean the clothing, then rub on some vinegar to kill the odor.

Place the clean clothes in the cleaning solution then press out excess liquid. Place dirty clothes together with a damp cloth in the pillowcase and zip it up. Place in drier and set to "Delicate". After 30mins, VOILÀ! Your clothing has been dry cleaned. Press, if needed.

Not so difficult, yes?

Follow the tips, and you'll enjoy your long-lasting clothes.

Because of the rarity of this service, quite a number of people still have doubts and thoughts. Let's look at some of those, in the form of questions.

"Can dry cleaning remove the chocolate stain?"

Yes. The best step is to take it to the professionals, but if for any reason you can't, a home remedy is also possible.

Mix any dry cleaning solvent with mineral oil, then either pour it directly on the stained spot or use some sponge or piece of cloth to soak the mark through. Take one part mineral oil and mix it with eight parts of the cleaning solvent. Apply this mix to the marked area with a sponge. Keep the sponge pressed on that spot until most of the stain is gone, only releasing your press to rinse off the sponge regularly. Use a solvent to remove the extra mineral all.

Your part is done, now take the garment to your dry cleaner!

"Can it clean water stains from silk?"

Check the hangtag to see if it's dry clean only. If the tag is lost, there's a little test you can try.

Squeeze the clothe firmly. If it straightens back up, then it's washable. But if it stays riled up, then it's dry clean only and you should take it straight to the cleaners!

"Can it clean off chewing gum?"

If dry clean only, take it to the professionals. If washable, you can use a simple dry cleaning solvent.

For soft gum, freeze the garment and simply scrape it off. Rub solvent then washes after.

"Can it kill moths"?

Take it to the professionals for that, but go back to your wardrobe and stop the moths at the source.

" Can it remove candle wax?"

If on a washable item, the hands-on means might work. But if on a delicate, remove the hardened wax immediately. If the wax is fresh, rub an ice-cube in it to solidify, then gently pick it off. Rush item to dry cleaners immediately!