1931 - Laundering and Dry Cleaning
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, by Mary Brooks Picken

Dry Cleaning

Meaning and Scope

1. In the care of clothing, cleaning by soap and water is the most frequently employed process, and possibly the most valuable, but the possibilities for renovating by the method known as dry cleaning, or French cleaning, which is cleaning by means of absorbents and certain solvents, must not be overlooked. Dry cleaning has certain advantages that are not found in any other form of cleaning, chief among them being its harmlessness when applied to even the most delicate of fabrics or laces. Also, it does not affect color. It is these characteristics which have probably brought about the use of the term "dry cleaning," for, although the articles being cleaned are generally wet by the agent used, still the rapidity with which the evaporation takes place and the lack of effect from the wetting (except, of course, the removal of soil) has made general the use of a name that might lead to a wrong impression. However, it may truthfully be said that dry cleaning with the proper reagent does not affect the article any more than if it were not wet.

2. The terms spotting and stain removing must not be confused with dry cleaning. Dry cleaning is the more inclusive term, implying cleaning by immersing articles in gasoline or some similar solvent, and also in absorbents, while spotting, or stain removing, means the use of local applications to remove spots or stains on garments. Although spotting is in reality a distinct process in the care of clothing, it must also be considered as a step in both wet washing and dry washing, for many times garments show stains that must be removed before the all-over methods can be used with safety.

3. Because of the advantages of dry cleaning, its popularity has ever been on the increase, and new methods and new reagents have been adopted by way of advancement. With the increase in demand for it has come the founding of establishments devoted exclusively to this work, where all forms of dry cleaning are done at comparatively reasonable prices. And many persons, because of the lack of knowledge concerning the newest, approved methods and because of a misconception concerning the difficulties and dangers in doing such work in the home, spend considerable money to have simple garments cleaned or discard good, but soiled, garments whose usefulness could have been prolonged. However, with a knowledge of the properties of the various cleaning agents, and with care in regard to a few simple details in handling such materials, even a novice can follow practically all of the dry-cleaning processes and feel reasonably sure of success. Such knowledge is set forth in this chapter in order that dry cleaning need not be considered a secret art, known only to a few, but may be added to the household lore of any woman who has the desire to be thrifty in the upkeep of her clothing.