Home Dry Cleaning Kits: Save Time and Money

Oh no! You just realized that you forgot to take that special dress you were going to wear tonight to the dry cleaners and now they’re closed. One solution is to run to your near-by supermarket and buy an in-dryer kit for “dry clean only” fabrics. But the question is, “Do in-dryer kits get your clothes as clean as a professional dry cleaning would?”

There are several advantages to using a home dry cleaning kit, besides the obvious convenience factor:

1. They are easy to use and save time.

2. You will save considerable money

3. In-dryer kits will protect you from exposure to strong solvents used by most professional dry cleaning establishments

EASY TO USE

Most home dry cleaning kits contain a bottle of stain remover, several cleaning sheets and some dryer-safe plastic bags. You place a dry cleaning sheet in the dryer-safe plastic bag with one or more garments and then tumble the bag in your clothes dryer for 10 to 30 minutes depending on which product you choose. You need to immediately remove the bag from the dryer when it shuts off and promptly hang the garments to prevent wrinkling. It is normal for the garments to feel slightly damp when they are removed from the dryer.

CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS

It costs approximately $0.60 per garment to use an in-dryer kit, based on the average retail price of the product. That is a substantial savings when compared to professional dry cleaning. It can cost an average of $ 5.00 to have a single dress professionally dry-cleaned.

PRODUCTS

All of the in-dryer kits clean and remove odors from garments such as dresses, sweaters, blouses, shirts, blazers, slacks and special care household items. Most of the home dry cleaning kits contain enough of the product for four dryer loads which will clean up to 16 garments. Some utilize a reusable plastic bag and a bottle of stain remover, along with activation cloths. Others only use an activation cloth.

In-dryer kits are safe to use on a wide range of dry clean only fabrics, such as wool, silk, rayon and linen. They can also be used to clean and freshen small blankets and decorative pillows. Home dry cleaning kits are not formulated for use on leather, suede, velvet, or fur.

Some of the in-dryer kits should not be used at the Laundromat because the higher temperature could cause the fabric bag to melt, so make sure that you follow the instructions on the product package. You should button or zip garments before placing them in the dryer when using any of the home dry cleaning kits.

LESS HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT

A big plus for in-dryer kits is that you are not exposed to the solvent, perchlorethylene, which used by most commercial cleaners. Some people find the small traces of perchlorethylene remaining on clothes after professional dry cleaning to be irritating to their eyes, nose and throat. Perchloroethylene can contribute to smog when it reacts with other organic carbon substances in the air. A home dry cleaning kit is less harmful to the environment and is a good alternative if you have chemical sensitivities, other than perfume. You may want to avoid using in-dryer kits if you are allergic to perfume since the process infuses the fabric with a fragrance.

DISADVANTAGES OF IN-DRYER KITS

In-dryer kits are best used to freshen or remove odors such as smoke. For the most part, they do not remove ground-in soil on garments. Home dry cleaning kits will remove some water based stains such as milk or wine, but do not work very well on oil based stains like lipstick, ketchup, and shoe polish.

It is important to carefully read and follow the instructions for stain removal before using the in-dryer cleaning kits. You need to be especially careful not to use a water-based stain remover on ball-point pen ink since it may set the stain, making it impossible to remove. Stain remover solutions should first be used on a small inconspicuous area of the garment to test for colorfastness. Of course the best way to treat a stain is when it is fresh.

Another disadvantage of using an in-dryer kit is that touch-up ironing may be needed even if you promptly hang up your garments when they come out of the dryer. Use the low temperature setting on your iron to touch-up silk and rayon and turn the fabric inside-out. You can use the medium temperature setting on your iron, with steam, for wool, mohair, and cashmere. One advantage to professional dry cleaning is that garments are steam pressed, which gives them a much crisper appearance.

A GOOD CHOICE

In all, home dry cleaning kits are a good time saving, economical way to get rid of odors, remove many light stains and extend the time between visits to a professional dry cleaner. There are three major brands of home dry cleaning kits: Dryel, FreshCare, and Dry Cleaners Secret. I have found all of them to be satisfactory.

WHEN TO USE A PROFESSIONAL DRY CLEANER

• When a stain is very large or oil based.
• If your garmet needs to be mended as well as dry cleaned.
• If your garment is very wrinkled.
• If your garment is covered with pet hair. Home dry cleaning kits will not remove hair from garmets.