Do dry cleaners iron clothes? (What do they include?)

Dry Cleaning Process Overview

In order to understand if your clothes will be ironed or not, it’s important to understand the dry cleaning process.

Here’s a quick overview of how the dry cleaning process works.

Checking the garments

When you drop off your clothes at the dry cleaners, they start by giving your garments a quick look to make sure there’s nothing left in the pockets, no rips or tears, etc. Then, they do a quick check for any stains and treat those before getting into the main cleaning process.

Dry cleaning the garments

The cleaning itself is done using a chemical solvent that’s water-free.

They give the clothes a gentle agitation in the solution to loosen up the dirt, and then the solvent goes through the processes of draining, filtering, and recycling.

After that, they treat any lingering stains using water, steam, and a vacuum to make sure everything is removed.

Steam Press Or Ironing

Finally, the most important part is ironing, this step is what gives your clothes that crisp, freshly pressed look.

The dry cleaner makes sure all the wrinkles are gone, and you’re ready to rock and roll with your freshly cleaned clothes.

How do dry cleaners press clothes?

A dry cleaner presses clothes using a steam press machine, which has two plates between which the clothes are placed.

The steam press process starts with laying the clothing on the press machine.

The press machine then automatically applies steam, pressure, and vacuum to get rid of wrinkles and creases in clothes.

After steaming, the clothes are hung on hangers and manually touched up as needed.

This helps to remove wrinkles and give the clothing a crisp, clean look.

The cycle may be repeated as necessary and may vary depending on the type of garment being pressed.

The process is highly controlled and can be adjusted based on the type of fabric that is being pressed.

A quick overview of the dry pressing procedure

• At first, dry cleaners make sure that the clothing is clean before placing them in the machine.
• Next, the garments are placed on the pressing plate.
• Then, the pressure bar is lowered and the steam is allowed to penetrate through the fabric for a few seconds before moving on to the next step.
• Once the garments are pressed, the pressure bar is raised and the remaining steam is then released before lifting the garment.
• The edges of the garments or the corners are then worked upon using a handheld steamer if required.
• At last, the garments are hung on large hangers.

Let us understand what is a steam press machine and how it works

A steam press machine is an electrical appliance or a device that uses steam to remove wrinkles from fabric.

The machine works by heating water to produce steam, which is then forced into the fabric by creating a vacuum.

This process can be used on a variety of fabrics, including cotton, linen, and silk.

A vacuum in a steam press machine is created by a pump that removes air from the chamber.

The vacuum created allows steam to be injected into the chamber and forced through the fabric being pressed.

The combination of heat and pressure from the steam creates a superior pressing environment that eliminates wrinkles and results in a smooth, professional finish.

Do dry cleaners get wrinkles out?

Dry cleaning is a cleaning method for clothes that uses chemicals instead of water, but it’s important to note that this process alone won’t help fix any wrinkles or reshape your clothes.

It won’t magically get rid of unwanted creases or bring back the shape your clothes had before they started to show wear and tear.

However, that’s where a skilled dry cleaner comes in! By using steam pressing, they can work some magic on your clothes and give them a fresh new look.

They’ll be able to reshape your clothes, remove any creases, and banish those unwanted wrinkles.

So, even though dry cleaning itself won’t solve all your garment’s problems, the combination of dry cleaning and steam pressing will leave your clothes looking like new.

The overall dry cleaning process, i.e., cleaning, pressing, and folding should be able to get rid of wrinkles and creases. 

Do dry cleaners iron your suit?

Depending on the fabric type, a dry cleaner may opt for either steam pressing or traditional iron pressing methods to remove stubborn wrinkles and creases from the fabric.

The process of dry-cleaning includes cleaning and ironing unless you specifically ask them to exclude any specific steps.

So, yes, dry cleaners do iron your suit, as it is part of their service process.

That being said, the method to iron your suit may vary depending on the fabric type, care label instructions, and the condition of the suit.

Does dry clean only mean no ironing?

The term “dry cleaning” refers to a cleaning method that uses solvents, instead of water, to clean clothes.

So, it’s called “dry cleaning” because there is no water involved in the process, not because the clothes cannot be ironed.

For ironing, the care label of your clothes may have other specific instructions, for example, the temperature settings or whether you should use a damp cloth when ironing, and so on.

Washing and ironing are two separate processes, and in most cases, the care label of your fabric will have the right methods to care for your fabric.

Once your dry cleaner has cleaned the clothes, depending on the fabric type, the care label instructions, and the current state of the fabric, they may use a steam press machine, a handheld steamer, or a hot iron to remove wrinkles and creases, thus restoring their shape.

Final Thoughts

Dry cleaners use a variety of techniques to remove wrinkles from clothes, and the most common method is to use the steam press method.

That being said, the ironing or pressing method may vary depending on the fabric type and the instructions on the care label.

Cutting the long story short, the dry cleaning process includes multiple steps and is not restricted to only cleaning.

A professional dry cleaner will cover the following steps in order to achieve the best results possible:

• Pre-spotting
• Cleaning and pressing the fabric
• Folding or hanging the clothes on a hanger

As you can see, pressing or ironing is a part of the process, so most dry cleaners will iron your clothes.

Frequently Asked Questions