DRY CLEANING In dry cleaning, solvents other than water are used to remove soil from the fabric. The solvents used are:
(1) Perchloroethylene (perc or PCE)
(2) Petroleum solvent-hydrocarbons
(Stoddard’s solvent) (3) Silicon based solvent
(4) Carbon dioxide based solvent
(5) Fluorocarbon solvent
DRY CLEANING Dry Cleaning is a process in which the articles being cleaned are immersed in an organic solvent cleansing fluid. Then tumbled in a machine, similar to home laundering machine. The process is called dry cleaning because the cleaning liquid is not water based and does not wet the fabric as water does. DRY CLEANING
These solvents evaporate readily and dry
fabric at temperatures below body heat. The organic cleansing agent used in dry cleaning is very effective for cleaning soil of an oily nature (gravy, oily perspiration, hair tonics, etc.), Only marginally effective for cleaning water based soils (salt, sugar, fruit stains, etc.). DRY CLEANING Moisture contained in clothes to be dry cleaned, help water soluble soil be removed. In professional dry cleaning, articles are carefully separated by color (dark or light) as well as by delicacy of fabric, and put into separate loads. The temperature of the solvents used in dry cleaning is carefully controlled, barely lukewarm(moderately) never reaching more then 90°F(≈32°C). DRY CLEANING The fluids are continuously circulated and filtered to remove fiber particles and other soils. For both economic and environmental reasons, used dry cleaning solvents are not discarded; instead, they are recycled and reused. Solvents are purified, and accumulated soil is removed either by filtration or distillation. DRY CLEANING
The purification process consists of distillation,
in which the solvent is boiled and vaporized. The pure solvent separates from the undesirable ingredients and then condensed back into liquid and reused. After clothes have been immersed in solvent, they need to be dried. DRY CLEANING
The clothes dryer captures the vapor and
condenses it into pure solvent for reuse. The dry cleaning industry is eco-friendly with the use of efficient machines, the recycling of solvent, and the controlled disposal of waste. As the organic solvents used in dry cleaning are non-aqueous (non water bearing), they do not wet the fiber as does water. DRY CLEANING Therefore, no fiber shrinkage or damage to fibers occurs to fabrics such as rayon, which has low wet strength. Further, there is no effect on most dyes or finishes (although some pigments are sensitive to dry cleaning fluids). The dryers used for dry cleaning are low temperature units where drying temperature is usually 100°F(≈38°C). DRY CLEANING
A better quality cleaning process will occur if
solvent detergents are added to the liquid solvent. When this occurs, the system is called a Charged System. Since some of the detergent is absorbed into the garments, more detergent must be periodically added to the system. DRY CLEANING
The detergent acts as a conditioning agent,
anti-static agent as well as an optical brightener. The detergent can be automatically added through the machine-injection system or by hand. LAUNDERING VS DRY CLEANING Although water and dry cleaning solvents are both liquids, they have different properties. For example, grease and oily stains do not dissolve in water, but do dissolve in solvent. Salt from perspiration does not dissolve in solvent, but does in water. Thus dry cleaning is best for soil of an oily nature such as gravy stains. LAUNDERING VS DRY CLEANING Laundering is best for soil such as perspiration stains and odor, and things like mud, grass stains, and non-oily food soils (e.g., ketchup, fruits). More textile products can be cleaned by either laundering or dry cleaning, but some should be cleaned by using only one method. A wool coat, for example, should not be washed because the wool will felt and shrink excessively in laundering water. LAUNDERING VS DRY CLEANING
A vinyl plastic raincoat should not be dry
cleaned because the result will be a stiff, brittle material. The choice of which cleaning system to use is determined by variables such as the type of dirt, safety of the materials, and cost of cleaning. DRY CLEANING
List of materials which should not be dry-
cleaned: (1) Vinyl plastics and vinyl-coated fabrics
(2) Polystyrene plastics
(3) Dyed leather trim
(4) Pigment-colored fabrics
DRY CLEANING
(5) Flocked, Bonded, Laminated or Cemented
components. (6) Heavy and light fabrics (7) Liquor, Coffee, Tea or Juice stained WET CLEANING Due to the ecological concerns about few dry cleaning agents like PCE and fluorocarbons, professional wet cleaning is a commercial alternative developed for dry cleaning. Almost every type of dry-cleanable fabric can be wet-cleaned. Careful control of temperature, mechanical action, moisture levels, soaps and other cleaning additives is essential. WET CLEANING Before cleaning, products are sorted by fabric type, not color. They are checked for the presence of water- soluble dyes. and stains are treated. The process is labor-intensive and more costly than dyeing. Uses controlled applications of heat, steam and natural soaps to clean textiles and pressing techniques to restore the item’s appearance. WET CLEANING
Even though water is used, these computer-
controlled wet-cleaning and drying machines differ from home washing machines and dryers. The item may not be fully immersed in water during the process. Microwave drying is used to minimize shrinkage during drying. WET CLEANING
About 80% of the items labeled “dry clean
only” can be wet-cleaned successfully. Wet cleaning provides the same cleaning potential as dry cleaning, without the solvent odor. Less capital is needed to open a plant, as the process uses less-expensive equipment. No effluent problems.