What is dry cleaning, and how does it actually work?

Garments are tumbled in a sealed machine filled with a liquid chemical solvent instead of water. The solvent dissolves oil, grease and body-oil residue, then it is spun out, recovered and distilled for reuse, and the garment is dried and pressed. The clothes are thoroughly wet during the process — just not with water. That is the whole of it.

Because the trade means 'without water'. Water is what makes wool felt, makes natural fibres swell and shrink, and collapses the internal canvas that gives a tailored jacket its shape. A solvent does not swell those fibres, so the garment comes out the same size and shape it went in. 'Dry' is a statement about water, not about moisture.

Structured tailoring is the clear case — suit jackets and coats built around a chest canvas and shoulder padding, where water distorts the internal construction permanently. After that: pure wool, silk with beading or sequins, velvet, anything with leather or suede trim, pleated garments that must keep their pleats, and academic or ceremonial dress with bonded badges and metallic braid. Everything else is worth questioning.

A great deal. Most rayon, viscose and modal, modern polyester suiting, unstructured cotton or linen blazers, everyday silk shirts, and wool-blend knits are safely wet-cleaned at low temperature with a neutral detergent. A 'dry clean only' label is the manufacturer's most cautious instruction, written on the assumption you might use hot water and a tumble dryer. It is not a verdict. If you are unsure, send a photo of the label and we will tell you which way is genuinely better for that garment — including when the answer is the cheaper one.

It does not restore colour. If perspiration or sunlight has bleached a fabric, the mark is missing dye, and no cleaning process adds dye back. It does not remove heat-glazing — the shiny patch left by an iron that was too hot is crushed fibre, which is damage rather than dirt. And it is poor at water-based stains on its own, which is why any competent shop pre-treats sugar, wine, sweat and coffee by hand before the garment goes near the solvent.

Yes, within reason. Modern hydrocarbon and equivalent solvents are gentle, and the mechanical action is milder than a domestic washing machine. The wear on a suit comes mostly from pressing, not from the cleaning itself, which is one reason we press by hand on tailored pieces. The bigger practical risk is over-cleaning out of habit — see the article on how often a suit actually needs it.