Voted in the Rapid City Journal's Readers' Choice Awards as
RAPID CITY'S
BEST DRYCLEANER!
Thank You Black Hills!

 
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 SECRETS OF THE DRYCLEANING BUSINESS REVEALED!!

Why is it called "dry" cleaning?

In spite of the name, dry cleaning is not completely dry. Dry cleaning is somewhat similar to regular home laundering, but the basic dry-cleaning procedure doesn't use water, which is why it is called "dry"; but fluids (solvents) are used in the dry cleaning process. Drycleaning solvents are superior to water in the removal of oily or greasy residues which are the base component of many stains.

Since solvent is used instead of water, it is not drained and disposed of as a washing machine does with soiled water. The solvent is recirculated through charcoal/paper filters throughout the entire cleaning cycle to remove impurities loosened during the cleaning process. At French Cleaners, we distill the solvent after each load to further purify it before it is used again. You will see some garment care labels that call for "clean, distilled solvent" and this is what they are talking about.

Dry Cleaning Evolution

In the early days, garment scourers and dryers found several fluids that could be used as dry cleaning solvents, including camphene, benzene, kerosene, and gasoline. These fluids are all dangerously flammable, so dry cleaning was a hazardous business until safer solvents were developed. 
Like many inventions, dry cleaning came about by accident. Legend has it that In 1855, Jean Baptiste Jolly, a French dye-works owner, noticed that his table cloth became cleaner after his maid accidentally overturned a kerosene lamp on it. Operating through his dye-works company, Jolly offered a new service and called it "dry cleaning." (See the link "what is French Cleaning")

What is the solvent used in dry-cleaning?

In the 1930s, Percholoroethylene or “perc” (a non-flammable, synthetic solvent) was introduced and is used today in most dry cleaning plants. Other cleaning solvents have been added, and still others are currently being tested.

Because we have had such a demand for it, we have started using a state-of-the-art environmentally friendly solvent called EcoSolv which is a hydrocarbon that has excellent cleaning capabilities.

Dry-cleaning is not the answer to all soil and stain removal problems. It is important that consumers as well as dry cleaners read all care labels and follow the instructions.

Doesn't frequent dry-cleaning shorten the life of a garment?

On the contrary, frequent cleaning prolongs the life of a garment. Not only do stains set with age, making the garment unwearable, but ground-in dirt and soil act as an abrasive, like sandpaper, causing rapid wear of fibers. This requires that the garment be cleaned frequently to avoid this situation. Also, if stored unclean, insects are attracted to soiled clothes and will cause further damage. Dry cleaning also helps to return garments to a "like-new" condition using precautions to prevent shrinkage, loss of color, and change of texture or finish. You can really feel the difference!

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL US AT 342-6440 OR E-MAIL US AT FRENCHY@FRENCHCLEAN.COM