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| Q. What really is Dry-cleaning ? | |
| A. Dry-cleaning most simply said is cleaning
garments without water. This is where the word "dry" comes into play. The
process is not really "dry" at all, because the garments are wetted with
solvents that clean the garments. After washing in solvents the garments
are then dried and the solvent is reclaimed and used over again. The
solvent is filtered and most often distilled to make it pure again. Dry-cleaning is said to have started back in the 1700's when a person tipped over an oil lamp filled with kerosene in it, and when it dried he noticed the cloth was clean! In the early 1900's all Dry-cleaning was done with petroleum solvents which had a high fire risk....later benzene and carbon tetrachloride were used. In the 1940's a synthetic solvent was developed which is still used today by over 85% of Drycleaners. |
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| Q. How long can I expect a shirt to last ? | |
| A. Industry experience shows that on average, shirts have a two year wear life expectancy. HOWEVER, the number of times a shirt is washed ia a better way to measure this. The average shirt should have a wear life 35-50 washings, of course this may vary depending on the amount of strain, the fiber content, type of fabric and laundering method. | |
| Q. I think my shirts my be shrinking ! Other than how they feel when I wear them, how can I be sure? | |
| A. Industry standards allow for a normal shrinkage of 2%. This is usually not noticeable. Shrinkage beyond this is usually due to poorly stabilized materials. To be sure, measure the collar and sleeve length. Measure the collar from the beginning of the button hole to the center of the button. Measure the sleeve length in a straight line from the center of the back of the collar to the end of the cuff. If these measurements correspond to the shirt size it has not shrunk. | |
