Dry cleaning

The Dry Cleaning is the cleaning of textiles in non-aqueous solvents. It is the most common form of professional dry cleaning; illustrative, we now speak of rather dry cleaning ( in contrast to the newly developed professional wet cleaning). She has over cleaning with water the advantage that the fibers of the fabric not swell, but maintained the form that they have in the dry state. The solvent used in this case flows around the fiber only.

Cleaning

Many textiles, particularly those in which different types of material are processed, such as men's suits, Women's Suits or coats, can be only partially cleaned with water or aqueous washing solutions, as they hereby deform or lose its color.

Such textiles are generally cleaned in special textile care plants or cleaning with ( organic ) solvents. What cleaning agents can be used, is noted as a care label ( textile care symbol ) on the label of the fabric. The care label " P" stands for perchlorethylene ( now called " perchlorethylene "), " F" for Flammable heavy gasoline (later also CFC was used, which since 1992 but is no longer permitted for dry cleaning in Germany; alternatively be again today hydrocarbon solvent ( see below ) was used ). Perchloroethylene is a chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC ) and environmental and health hazard.

Originally used turpentine had been replaced by cancer-causing benzene. From the mid 19th century, went over to the hazard of gasoline. With the advent of non-flammable solvent gasoline cleaning was supplanted by organochlorine compounds ( trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene ) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs ), which are, however, environmental and health hazard and up to perchlorethylene (PER ) today banned (2nd Federal Emission Control Ordinance and in CH Chemicals risk reduction Regulation ); the solvents are used in the circuit again. Since the early 1990s, the so-called hydrocarbon solvent, a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons having nine to twelve carbon atoms is (C9 - C12 also called KWL ) used a trade name for this detergent is Shellsol.RTM. Recently, siloxanes and special esters.

Since the year 2006, supercritical carbon dioxide is used in commercial cleaning for residential customers, the number of collection points was limited, however the end of 2007 to a few dozen in the whole of Germany. Because the solvent is carbon dioxide allows a much more environmentally friendly dry cleaning, there is for the Blue Angel ( Environmental Label Jury, RAL -UZ 126).

Economic and legal history of the industry of dry cleaning is remarkable because he has developed one of the first sectors of the German Reich, together with carriers and banks already in 1900 unified Terms and Conditions (GTC), namely the "small print " on the back the inward and pick list, obtained at the output of a garment for cleaning. The development of their Terms and Conditions 1900 was the most modern and progressive. The in the drycleaning Conditions traditionally regulated limitation of liability for loss or damage to the garment to 15 times the cleaning price has since 1900 to many lawsuits and judgments, which are discussed in the legal literature. As conditions cartel of industry and association dry cleaning and the anti-trust and anti-trust has employed.

General information

When dry cleaning using organic solvents (P, F), hydrophobic substances (fats, waxes and oils) relatively well resolved. Here the rule of thumb is " like dissolves like ". However, water -containing stains dissolve better in the wash with normal water waschmittelhaltigem. When dry cleaning using organic solvents, it may happen so that no visible stains ( water marks, protein, starch etc ) are visible after cleaning. For substances that do not allow a treatment with water ( care label - washing forbidden) the stains are removed by additives in the cleaning machine or a local spotting ( spot treatment).

New developments

Previously, " dry cleaning ", "dry cleaning " and " professional cleaning " largely synonymous. A new development is the professional wet cleaning, care labels is W ( " Wet " / water) in a circle. Even in textiles, which can not be washed under normal household conditions, a cleaning with water under the particular conditions of professional wet cleaning is often nevertheless possible. This new development is often achieved better cleaning results than the dry cleaning and is considered particularly effective, economical and environmentally friendly and is therefore preferable where applicable, most of the classic dry cleaning.

Terms of Use

For worker protection, labor safety and health care in the firms, the professional association energy, textile, electrical and media products ( BG ETEM ) is responsible. If the operator of a dry cleaning in dry cleaning nursing characters in the garment professionally respected, he is not liable, if the garment is ruined in the cleaning process.

See also

• Christmas carol, chemically cleaned