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Writer's pictureCraig's Dry Cleaners

Should You Have Your Clothes Laundered and Pressed or Dry Cleaned?

Your local dry cleaner will help you look your best with less stress by keeping your clothing items looking sharp and fresh. While some articles of clothing require dry cleaning only, others can be laundered and pressed to preserve the item's integrity. When dropping off an assorted pile of clothes at your local dry cleaner, the cleaning professionals will know the best way to care for your garments properly. Therefore, you never have to stress about whether your favorite top or dress should be dry cleaned or laundered. Offering both laundry and dry cleaning services, you can count on the knowledgeable team at Craig's Dry Cleaners to keep your garments looking their best.


Although your Bristol, TN dry cleaner knows the proper way to care for each of your individual items, you may wonder what exactly the difference is between having a garment dry cleaned vs. laundered and pressed.


Laundering and Pressing Clothing vs. Dry Cleaning

The key difference between the two common garment cleaning methods is water. With laundering and pressing, your clothes are washed in commercial-grade machines using water and detergent and individually pressed after being professionally laundered. On the other hand, dry cleaning uses non-water-based solvents to remove any staining and odors, going into the machine dry and coming out dry. After the dry cleaning process is complete, the items are pressed and hung to keep them looking their best.


When to Launder & Press Your Garments

Laundering is a more gentle cleaning method than dry cleaning and, in many cases, can be more effective at removing sweat and oil stains from fabric. Garments made of cotton, polyester, or cotton/poly are often best laundered and pressed instead of dry cleaned. Proving high-quality laundry service, the professionals at Craig's Dry Cleaners use your clothing's care label as a guide when deciding whether to dry clean or launder your items.


Some common clothing items recommended for laundering and pressing include:

  • Cotton dress shirts

  • Lab coats

  • Cotton khakis

  • Jeans

  • Aprons


When to Dry Clean Your Garments

Dry cleaning is necessary when you cannot use water to clean a garment's fabric. Many delicate or natural fiber fabrics require dry cleaning. If dry clean only clothes are not properly cared for, it can have irreversible effects on the item's material. Even professionally laundering delicate items can cause them to lose their shape, original soft texture, vibrant color, or significant shrinking.

Dry cleaning is sometimes the only way to remove certain stains, with any stained garments going through a pre-spotting process before going into the dry cleaning machine.


Common garments that should always be dry cleaned only include:

  • Cotton and wood suits

  • Cotton and wool skirts or pants

  • Cashmere sweaters

  • Wool sweaters

  • Silk shirts


As you might have guessed, laundering and pressing and dry cleaning each provide a valuable purpose when caring for your clothes. When deciding which garment cleaning option is best suited for your wardrobe, you must consider the item's material and any staining that's present on the item.


Contact Craig's Dry Cleaners or place your free pickup and delivery order to ensure your clothes always receive the proper care. We will take the stress out of deciding the best cleaning option to prolong your favorite outfit's life span.

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