Professional Wet Cleaning

Most garments labeled “dry clean only” can be cleaned with water through a process called wet-cleaning. This is a time-intensive process that takes some skill and special equipment, so it is costlier. The trick to professional wet cleaning is the computerized operations that allow for precise control in order to gently wash, dry and finish garments.

The EPA considers it one of the safest professional cleaning methods; its benefits include no hazardous chemical use, no hazardous waste generation, no air pollution and reduced potential for water and soil contamination. In terms of its impact on water and energy consumption, a comprehensive study by UCLA found that wet cleaning has only a minor impact on water use and that it uses slightly less electricity and slightly more natural gas than dry cleaning.

The performance of wet-cleaning was weaker than that of CO2 and silicone-solvent based dry cleaning, though it’s just as effective, or better than perc dry cleaning’s performance. Wet cleaning is a win-win method.