How clean are dry-cleaned clothes?

[citymama]

Beware - a little TMI!

I don't need to dress formally for work except for the occasional meeting or periodic travel. i have a couple of favorite blazers and trousers I use and re-use because I feel comfortable and look good in them. I don't usually dry clean them after every use (i.e. after having spent 4 hours in them), but maybe once every few uses.

Here's the gross part - one of my fitted blazers started to smell sweaty in the pits. It looked perfectly clean but obviously it needed to be dry cleaned ASAP. I dropped it off at the drycleaners, when I picked it up, it looked and smelled just the same! When I asked the guy to take it back and clean it again, he said that dry cleaning doesn't do any thing for odor, and I should just air it out in the sun. Huh? If I threw a sweaty t-shirt in the washing machine, you can be sure it would not be smelly when it came out. So WTH does dry cleaning do if not clean? I'm kind of grossed out to even think about this, because it means that bacteria and germs are not removed by dry cleaning! Or do I just have a lame drycleaner?

Oh, and any suggestions for dealing with smelly, dry-clean only clothes? Thanks!

[goldenpig]

Have you looked into Dryel? It's an at-home dry cleaning using your dryer. I've never used it but it looks interesting. Also we have a LG steam washer and I think it has a "steam clean" setting for dry clean clothes.

[dcmom2b3]

I think your drycleaner might be a little lame, but honestly, I've long held the opinion that drycleaning really only dissolves stains to spread them around.

For things that just can't be washed, I used to use a drycleaner that was diligent about using clean fluid -- they were gosh awful expensive, but worth it not to have things come back ruined or still dirty.

[ThreeofUs]

Like M-H, I've always found dry-cleaners to be uneven in cleanness. Sounds like yours isn't so great.

Ask around for a better cleaner. The cleaners that advertise eco-cleanness and couture cleaning have ime generally been better.

[reneed]

I am allergic to must everything and in total disgust washed a suit (an expensive wool suit I want to add) in my front loader, cold wash, low spin on gentle. I took it out soaking wet, hung the pants from the ankle, hung and shaped the jacket and it came BEAUTIFUL! I dry clean very little now. Try it on one of your older suits or jackets and I bet you will be thrilled with the results

[citymama]

I am allergic to must everything and in total disgust washed a suit (an expensive wool suit I want to add) in my front loader, cold wash, low spin on gentle. I took it out soaking wet, hung the pants from the ankle, hung and shaped the jacket and it came BEAUTIFUL! I dry clean very little now. Try it on one of your older suits or jackets and I bet you will be thrilled with the results

Ooh, that's interesting. Unfortunately these are all pieces I adore and I would hate if any of them were damaged or pilled or stretched in the wash. hmm. I think I will try a "green" place and if that doesn't work, I will wash some older things and see how that works.

[abh5e8]

what about washing it in the sink, with good soap and cold water, let soak and gently wash the parts that smell worst...then rinse well under the faucet and let hang over the tub with a fan on it.

[DrSally]

Your drycleaner sounds lame, I would look around for another one. They should pretreat the pits. But, I have had the same question too. I really do wonder how the items actually get "clean".

[fivi2]

I have actually sprayed a couple of items (like a jacket, but from the inside, not the outside) with oxyclean or something before sending it to the cleaners. It usually helps. But I have definitely had dry cleaners return things that still smell - and it is awful when you don't realize it until you are out of the house!

On that note, I recently bought some of the certain dri deodorant that someone posted about, and that stuff is amazing!

[eno0609]

Maybe try steaming the smelly areas with a handheld garment steamer...steam is supposed to kill bacteria and take out odours so this might work, I've been meaning to try this - a friend of mine who dry cleans very little swears by this method.