How to Clean “Dry Clean Only” Clothes

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Plus, find out what items should always go to a pro
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Dry cleaning involves using a solvent instead of water to gently clean delicate fabrics. But what if you can’t get to the dry cleaners (or you’re trying to cut down on your dry cleaning bill)? We have everything you need to know about cleaning “dry clean only” clothes at home and when to take them to a professional —including expert advice from professional dry cleaner Safir Ali.

How to Dry Clean Your Clothes at Home

To freshen up “dry clean only” clothes at home, use a clothing steamer to remove odors and wrinkles. Spot-treat minor stains, or get a deeper clean with an at-home dry cleaning kit. Some fabrics, like cotton or rayon, may be safe to wash in cold water on a delicate cycle.

Section 1 of 7:

Dry Cleaning at Home

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  1. Ali says, “If the garment itself is fairly clean but there’s a small spot or stain, try to treat the stain itself. If you’re using a stain remover, read the label to be sure it can be used on that type of fabric. For very delicate fabrics, you may be able to remove the stain by dabbing hot water onto the stain, then rubbing the stain out. Just be careful not to damage the fabric.” [1]
    • Ali adds, “In many cases, friction is enough to get out most of a stain. If the stain is hard-set, try rubbing it with your fingernail or the back of a bobby pin.” [2]
    • Only use stain remover directly on the stain. If you soak the entire garment in stain remover, you could damage its shape and fibers.
    • Don't use stain remover on suede, leather, or fur.
  2. Clothing steamers do more than just get wrinkles out of clothes—the high heat of the steam can actually help kill bacteria on clothes, too. And because it’s so gentle, steaming your clothes is a great option to refresh delicate “dry clean only” fabrics. [3]
    • To use a clothing steamer , hang up the garment and pull down on the bottom hem while you run the steamer over the fabric from top to bottom.
    • Be sure to carefully follow the operating instructions for your steamer—typically, you’ll need to wait at least 60 seconds for the steamer to heat up before you use it. Also, use purified or distilled water to avoid minerals that can damage the steamer or your clothes.
    • Do not use a steamer on suede, leather, or waxed materials.
    • While you can put the steamer nozzle directly on fabrics like cotton or wool, you should hold it at least 1 in (2.5 cm) from delicate fabrics like silk.
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  3. 3
    Spritz clothes with vodka to kill odors without dry cleaning. If your “dry clean only” clothes are starting to smell a bit musty but you’re not quite ready for a trip to the dry cleaner, try spraying them with unflavored vodka—yes, really! Pour the vodka into a mist bottle —preferably one with a fine mist if you’re treating delicate fabrics—then lightly spritz it onto the garment. [4]
    • The vodka’s high alcohol content will kill any odor-causing bacteria, and because it evaporates quickly, it won’t damage the fabric.
    • If the garment smells like body odor, focus on the areas where it directly contacts the skin—like the inner lining or around the armpits.
    • Avoid isopropyl alcohol or flavored spirits—these can discolor the fabric.
    • If you don’t want to spray the clothes, sometimes you can remove odors by hanging them in a well-ventilated space to air out.
  4. Purchase an at-home dry cleaning kit , then follow the packaging instructions carefully. There are two kinds of at-home dry cleaning kits—some come with a garment bag that you put the clothing into, and others come with a sheet that you put directly into your dryer with the clothing.
    • When you’re dry cleaning clothes at home , don’t overcrowd the garment bag or dryer—for the best results, you’ll typically clean 3–5 items at a time.
    • Remove the clothing from the garment bag or dryer as soon as the timer goes off to prevent wrinkles.
    • Home dry cleaning works best on items that are only lightly soiled. A stain or two is ok, but if the item is covered in mud or another substance, it's probably better to have it professionally cleaned.
  5. 5
    Use cold water and a delicate cycle if you use the washing machine. Ali says, “If the care label indicates that dry cleaning is only recommended, you can often wash an item in your washing machine. If you do that, use a delicate cycle and cold or lukewarm water—never hot. And turn the garment inside-out so friction won’t affect the surface of the garment.” [5]
    • Ali adds, “It’s best to air dry the garment. If you do put it into the dryer, use no or low heat, and check it every 5–10 minutes to make sure it isn’t shrinking or fading.” [6]
    • Putting delicate garments in a mesh laundry bag may help reduce friction in the washing machine. [7]
    • Ali cautions: “Washing your clothes at home will damage them over time. If it’s a garment you really care about or something that was really expensive, dry cleaning will help it last longer.” [8]
  6. Avoid overcrowding your delicate clothing—make sure there is room for air to circulate around them. This way the clothes will stay fresh longer, and you won't have to dry clean them as often.
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Section 2 of 7:

What clothes can be dry cleaned at home?

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  1. Try at-home methods on simple fabrics like cotton, wool, and rayon. Ali advises, “Before you try to clean a dry-clean-only garment, read the care label to see why it’s labelled that way. If it needs to be dry cleaned because the color will bleed or the item will shrink, try spot-cleaning the item, but don’t put it in the washing machine.” [9]
    • Clothes made from wool, cotton, polyester, and rayon are often marked "dry clean only" because they’re delicate, but you can usually wash them in cold water in your washing machine with no problem.
    • Use spot cleaning, at-home dry cleaning kits, or professional cleaning for delicate materials like linen, silk, and wool, as well as structured garments or clothing with intricate embroidery or beading.
Section 3 of 7:

What clothes should not be dry cleaned at home?

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  1. Have delicate items and specialty fabrics professionally cleaned. Garments made of silk, leather, suede, velvet, fur, or waxed fabrics need special cleaning techniques that are best left to professionals. It’s also a good idea to have items professionally cleaned if they have delicate beading or embroidery. Other items to have professionally cleaned include:
    • Highly-structured garments like suit jackets. If you try to clean these at home, they will likely lose their shape.
    • Special or valuable items like formal gowns, wedding dresses, and antique or vintage clothing.
    • Garments that bleed dye when you wash them. Having them professionally cleaned can help preserve their color.
    • Heavily soiled items. While you can remove small stains at home, if a “dry clean only” item is heavily soiled, having it professionally cleaned may be the only way to restore it.
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Section 4 of 7:

Having Clothes Professionally Dry Cleaned

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  1. 1
    Choose a reputable dry cleaner. Check reviews of different dry cleaners in your area. Choose one with a reputation for being fast and reliable, with few complaints about mistreated clothes. [10]
    • If you’re in a hurry, look for a dry cleaner that offers pick-up and drop-off services.
  2. 2
    Empty your pockets and check for stains before you drop off the items. Double-check any pockets for loose change or valuables before you take the clothes to the dry cleaners. Not only could you lose the items if you leave them in the pocket, but if the dry cleaner misses them, they could damage the clothing during the cleaning process. [11]
    • Also, look for any spots or stains so you can point them out to the dry cleaner.
  3. 3
    Drop off the clothes and get a receipt. When you drop off your clothes, let the dry cleaner know if you have any particular care instructions. Make sure each item is tagged so they don’t get lost, then get a receipt that lists all of the items you dropped off. [12]
    • When you come back, make sure you collect everything that was listed on the receipt.
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Section 5 of 7:

How Dry Cleaning Works

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  1. Dry cleaners wash clothes in solvent instead of water. Ali says, “The reason dry cleaning is called dry cleaning is because there’s no water used. Dry cleaners use a hydrocarbon solvent for cleaning. And because there’s no water being used, the integrity of the fibers is retained.” [13]
    • Dry cleaners do sometimes wash clothes instead of dry cleaning. They’ll evaluate each garment to see the safest and most effective method of cleaning it.
    • After cleaning, dry cleaners will inspect the garments, press them, and hang them.
Section 6 of 7:

Can you wash “dry clean only” clothes?

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  1. Some “dry clean only” clothes can be washed in cold water. Some clothing manufacturers label garments as “dry clean only” to indicate that they’re delicate and need to be washed carefully. Since many people won’t take the time to hand-wash these garments or wash them separately in a delicate cycle, it’s easier to label them for dry cleaning to ensure they don’t get damaged in a normal wash.
    • Fabrics like wool, rayon, and cotton can often be washed in cold water without being damaged.
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Section 7 of 7:

FAQs

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  1. 1
    Do home dry cleaning kits actually work? Home dry cleaning kits can be an effective way to freshen up “dry clean only” clothing. They’ll help remove odors and often come with spot treatments that can help remove stains. However, they may not be as effective as professional cleaning.
  2. 2
    Is water used in dry cleaning? Professional dry cleaners use a solvent to clean “dry clean only” garments—no water is used in the process. However, some garments may still be washed in a traditional way if you drop them off at a dry cleaner.
  3. 3
    Why are some clothes dry clean only? Clothes are labelled “dry clean only” when they would be damaged by traditional cleaning. These garments may shrink, fade, lose their shape, or fall apart in a washing machine.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Will dry cleaning remove dog and cat hair?
    Community Answer
    No. You should use a lint brush first to remove the dog and cat hair before you attempt to dry clean the articles of clothing.
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    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 15
  • Question
    Which liquid do I use for dry cleaning?
    Community Answer
    You don't use liquid in dry cleaning, you take it to your local dry cleaners. Trust me. Being in the dry cleaning business for 30+ years, I do know a little. It's just really much better if you want to wear the garment again.
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  • Question
    Which liquid should I use for dry cleaning?
    Community Answer
    Most professional dry cleaners use a chemical called trichloroethylene, but it's regulated and hard to purchase, so your options are limited.
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      • While the dry cleaning kits work well to keep delicate items from fading and losing their shape, you should still take your clothes to be professionally dry cleaned a few times a year. This is because the dry cleaning kits are successful at removing odors and steaming items, but most dry cleaning kits do not remove tough stains such as grease or blood.
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      • Use the dry cleaning kit on dark items like jeans to prevent them from fading and prevent the color from bleeding onto other clothes when you wash them in the washing machine.
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      References

      1. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      2. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      3. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/27601-how-to-use-clothes-steamer
      4. ↑ https://thewardrobeguide.com/vodka-spray-for-costumes/
      5. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      6. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      7. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/24869-how-to-dry-clean-at-home
      8. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      9. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      1. ↑ https://fcdrycleaners.com/blog/drycleaning/how-to-drop-off-clothes-at-the-dry-cleaners-a-step-by-step-guide/
      2. ↑ https://fcdrycleaners.com/blog/drycleaning/how-to-drop-off-clothes-at-the-dry-cleaners-a-step-by-step-guide/
      3. ↑ https://fcdrycleaners.com/blog/drycleaning/how-to-drop-off-clothes-at-the-dry-cleaners-a-step-by-step-guide/
      4. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To dry clean clothing, start by placing garments inside the dry cleaning bag that came with your dry cleaning kit. Next, unfold the dry cleaning sheet and place it inside the dry cleaning bag before zipping up the bag. Then, put the inside your dryer, set it on medium heat, and let the dryer run for 30 minutes. Once the cycle completes, remove the clothes from the bag and hang them on hangers to prevent wrinkles from forming. For tips on figuring out if your garments are safe to dry clean, read on!

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