Washing vs dry cleaning: What are the differences?

While water is the preferred medium for washing clothes with your washing machines in, there are situations where water isn’t ideal. These could include sensitive fabrics such as wool and suede, or even stubborn stains that are not easily water soluble. Understanding your fabrics, these stains, and the situations in which you’ll want to dry clean your clothes will help you maintain your clothes better.

What is dry cleaning?

The ‘dry’ in dry cleaning only refers to the fact that little to no water is used in the cleaning process. Liquids are used, but these usually take the form of a solvent that isn’t water based. The solvent reacts differently than water and detergent to certain kinds of stains, and depending on its properties, does less damage to delicate fabrics. That said, care must be taken to ensure that the right solvent is used for each type of fabric.

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Another reason for using dry cleaning is that water washes can cause clothes to shrink, while dry cleaning generally does not. Dry cleaning can also help protect the colour and texture of your fabrics better.

Do note that some laundry places interpret dry cleaning to mean that the clothes are washed and ironed, i.e. presented to you in a dry state. If you’re using a local laundry place, it’s best to confirm that they’re actually using a solvent of some kind and not just a water wash.

Fabrics that need to be dry cleaned

Fabrics that don’t react well to water are best dry cleaned. This includes suede, leather, cotton, silk, etc. Fabrics that are only meant to be dry cleaned will usually have a tag or label specifying how they should be washed, so you’ll need to be mindful of that. In addition, delicate fabrics such as laces also fare better when dry cleaned than when they’re water washed.

Lastly, oil-based stains are particularly stubborn and difficult to remove with a water wash. Such stains are better addressed via dry cleaning than via vigorous water washing, which will only serve to damage the clothes more.

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Dry cleaning is largely a better method of cleaning clothes than water washing. However, the process is more complicated and generally more expensive as it involves solvents and chemicals that are not readily available to the average consumer. Plus, nothing beats the convenience of a washing machine at home.

Our recommendation would be that you send your most important and precious clothes for dry cleaning when possible, and of course, with fabrics that require dry cleaning, you have no option.