Dry Cleaning Vs. Steam Cleaning Clothes

Dry Cleaning Vs. Steam Cleaning Clothes
Written By
Abby Slutsky
Abby Slutsky
Published: Nov 24, 2009
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
1 minute read
Man working in the laundrette
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You may own some clothes that can't be washed in a washing machine. You might decide to take them to a dry cleaner or steam clean them, but you should be aware of the differences before deciding on your cleaning method.

Processes

hands of woman in ironing process
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A machine is used to dry-clean clothes, usually with a chemical called perchlorethylene. In contrast, steam cleaning involves manually holding a steamer near the clothes to remove odors and wrinkles.

Cost

Cheerful housewife ironing the clothes
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Over time, an at-home steam cleaner, which uses water as opposed to expensive chemical cleaners and can be self-operated, will be less expensive than taking your clothes to a dry cleaner.

Convenience

Iron woman in the household
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Steam cleaning your clothes avoids the need to deliver and retrieve them from a dry cleaner. Steam cleaning also allows clothes to be ready faster, as you have complete control over how quickly they are cleaned.

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Chemicals

Clothes hanging in the laundrette
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Because steam cleaners use water to clean clothes, there are no dangerous chemicals like in dry cleaning.

Clothing Condition

Cheerful housewife ironing the clothes
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Home steam cleaning allows you to control the condition of your clothes. The cleaned clothing won't accidentally be smashed against other dry-cleaned garments in a shop, and you will not have to worry about damaged cloth or missing buttons.

Photo Credits

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Abby Slutsky

Abby Slutsky has been freelancing since 2003. She is a contributing writer to a poetry collection and has been published in "Sassee Magazine," "Learning Through History" and "Pampered Puppy." Slutsky has a Bachelor of Arts in English from…

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