How Does Dry Cleaning Work? What Really Happens to Your Clothes (Plus Its Surprising History)

From tagging to pressing, dry cleaning is a more careful process than it looks, with a surprisingly old story behind it. Here's what actually happens to your clothes.

Have you ever stopped to wonder what actually goes on at the dry cleaners from the moment you drop off that delicate piece of clothing to the time you pick it up, neatly pressed and packaged? It’s a pretty careful process from tagging to packaging, and there is no water involved at all.

Dry cleaners actually use special chemical solvents to remove dirt, oil, and stains. This is especially important for fabrics like silk, wool, and velvet, which don’t sit well with water and heat that your regular washer and dryer rely on. As James Joun, co-founder of the cleaning company Rinse, explains, the process is "gentler on delicate materials and helps maintain a garment's original shape, texture, and longevity."

A Surprisingly Old Story

The idea for dry cleaning was first discovered in 1820 by a tailor named Thomas Jennings, who was trying to find a way to clean his customers’ clothes without ruining the fabric. The following year, he filed a patent for “dry scouring,” making him the first African American to hold a U.S. patent.

A few years later in France, dye-worker Jean-Baptiste Jolly made an accidental discovery. A maid working for him had accidentally spilled kerosene on a stained tablecloth, and when the kerosene evaporated, he noticed that the stain disappeared with it. Shortly after, Jolly opened the first dry cleaning business.

However, because kerosene and gasoline are dangerous and flammable, they were considered unsafe dry cleaning solvents. This led to chemist Michael Faraday’s discovery of perchloroethylene, or "perc," still the industry's go-to solvent today, though it's heavily regulated by the EPA for its environmental and health risks.

Moving from the history of dry cleaning, here’s what really goes on at the dry cleaners that may surprise you.

The Process, Step by Step

1. Tagging. Every item is initially tagged to avoid mix-ups.

2. Inspection. The garment is carefully inspected for stains or damage, and any buttons or embellishments are removed or covered to protect them from the dry cleaning process.

3. Pre-treatment. Stains get pretreated with chemicals matched to the fabric and stain type.

4. The wash. Clothes are placed in a machine similar to the one you use at home, but much larger. The machine agitates the clothes gently in solvent that is continuously filtered, then it dries them with heat. There is no separate drying machine.

5. Second inspection. Everything's checked again for stains and damage, and final touch-ups, when necessary, are done. Buttons and embellishments are also checked to make sure they are still intact. If they were previously removed, they are reattached in this stage.

6. Pressing. Garments are steamed or pressed, often using a form finisher, a machine that uses air or steam to iron a garment in the position it is worn.

7. Packaging. The garment is covered in plastic and/or bagged and returned to its owner.

What Belongs at the Dry Cleaner

Not every garment needs to go through this meticulous process. To determine whether your clothes need to be dry-cleaned, check the label first. If you find the dry clean symbol, which is commonly a circle, sometimes with a letter indicating the recommended solvent, then you have your answer.

It’s also safe to assume that wool, silk, velvet, leather, and fabrics with beading are best cleaned professionally.

In case you accidentally wash a “dry clean only” item at home, to minimize the risk of shrinking, color bleeding, or permanent staining, do not put it into the dryer. Instead, bring it to the dry cleaners immediately.

Getting the Best Results

To ensure the dry cleaners can accurately clean your garments, give as much information as you can. Point out every stain, even the smudges, and alert them to the kind of delicate fabric they’re dealing with and any embellishments that need careful handling. It also helps to mention what caused the stain and whether you've already tried treating it yourself.

One last tip: your clothes shouldn't smell like solvent when you get them back. If they do, it's time to find a new cleaner

So next time you drop off that bag of clothes, you'll know exactly what's happening behind the counter, and maybe think for a second about a tailor in 1820s New York and a spilled bottle of kerosene in France. Two small moments that built an entire industry we still rely on today.