Is dry cleaning better than washing?

Dry Cleaning your clothes, in the long run, is better than washing them using your normal washing machine and spinner combination at home. Although more expensive than laundry service when provided by professional dry cleaning company, dry cleaning has a host of benefits and is superior to washing clothes in a machine. However, it does depend on the fabric type as well as what the manufacturer has stated on the care label instructions. Most fabrics like cotton and denim and items such as towels and home linen is safe to be laundered, there are some delicate items and fabrics which can have a myriad of issues if put in the washing machine. 

Common laundry problems

It is hard to come across anyone who hasn’t made some mistakes or had some mishap occur to them when they are washing clothes. Be it the wrong temperature, an incorrect cleaning product or a method mistake, disasters happen all the time. Here we have compiled a list of some of the most common laundry problems:

Shrinkage

Heat and agitation are most often the reasons behind shrinkage. Some fabrics like wool are generally prone to shrinkage so are best hand washed and air dried or dry cleaned. Read our blog post on “How to clean and care for sweaters” to get more information on how to care for woolen garments. 

Yellowing of white clothes/linen

Too much usage of chlorine bleach is most often the culprit behind this problem. Overuse of chlorine bleach can cause white fabrics to turn yellow over time especially when you use chlorine bleach and then hang your clothes outside to dry in direct sunlight. This is because the sun bleaches them more.

Another factor that can cause yellowing of fabrics is the over use of detergent/fabric conditioner and a rinse which is not thorough. The residue is left on the clothes which when placed in the dryer then turn grey or yellow as the residue is “baked” onto the fibers of the garment.

Staining of clothes due to colour bleeding

Colour bleeding or dye bleeding happens when a fabric gets wet, the dye on it is not fast and it leaches out into the water. An example can be a red sock dying your white t-shirts and underwear pink for instance.  

Colour fading

Another common laundry problem, colours fade especially from dark fabrics like navy or black due to increased exposure to direct sunlight (ultra violet rays) as well as exposure to strong bleaching products.

Washing Machine odours

Nasty smells in the washing machine are mostly caused by the build up of mould, mildew and bacteria. Body oil, detergent residue and gunk combined with the humidity in the laundry room all add up to create odours which are not pleasant. 

Pilling and Shedding:

This problem is most common in thick fluffy items such as towels and sweaters. It is notorious for giving items that worn out look. 

Although the internet has a number of ideas and DIY fixes for commonly occurring laundry problems, the most basic one is to understand your washer and dryer properly by reading the manuals that come with them carefully. Some issues are simply caused by the washing machine being set up incorrectly or not being clean enough. Another rule of thumb while doing laundry is to look at care labels on the back of your clothes carefully and determining the best temperature/type of cycle for them.

How dry cleaning is better than washing

• Dry Cleaning is better than washing because it can get rid of tough stains which are nearly impossible to remove by simply washing clothes in a machine. These include oil and grease stains predominantly as well stains which are deep set. 

• Dry cleaning makes your clothes last longer and helps the colours stay vibrant as well. Contrary to common myths, dry cleaning does not damage clothes but preserves them. 

• Silk and woolen items should be drycleaned. Silk because the colour tends to bleed and wool because it is prone to shrinkage. Rayon is another fabric which is better if dry cleaned or hand washed because of its colour bleeding tendencies as well as the fact that it can shrink.

Professional dry cleaning does certainly have a lot of benefits and it improves the appearance of clothes massively. It also saves you from having to replace certain items in your wardrobe especially investment pieces that cost a pretty penny. Gold Dry Cleaners offers professional dry cleaning services across London and with our quality guarantee promise, we provide you with value you can trust. 

Our laundry service and quality too is stellar as illustrated by our 5 star reviews on Google by customers who have used us. We can wash everything from garments to home linen for you as well as personal wash delicates. With free pick up and delivery for all orders above £30, we are unmatched in terms of both quality and convenience. A professional dry cleaner such as one of the team members at Gold can also suggest you the best method to get your clothes clean in the most cost effective way and with best results. This is because our team members are experts in both processes and know which method is best suited to what type of fabric or garment. Enter your postcode into the eligibility checker on our website www.golddrycleaners.com and place an order simply by adding your chosen services to cart or call us at 07908154397.