Dry up cleaners are a specialist type of laundry service that cleans clothes that are unsuitable for cleaning with regular washing. Clothing made from delicate fabrics and garments such as suits and coats are often marked as 'dry clean only', indicating that they may be damaged if you attempt to wash them yourself or take them to a regular laundry.
Dry cleaning uses special solvents in place of water to clean clothing together with remove stains. The garments are placed into a machine that looks similar to a regular washing machine with a rotating drum. When the cycle is started, the machine fills with solvent which dissolves dirt and stains from the fabric. After several rinses with the solvent, the clothes are spun with warm air which dries the clothing and evaporates any remaining solvent.
Garments made from delicate fabrics such as man made fiber usually need to be sent to a dry cleaners rather than washed at home as a normal washing process will damage the fibers and leave water marks on the clothing. Very fine fabrics such as chiffon or fine muslin also need to be either dry cleaned or hand washed as they can easily tear in a normal washing machine. Thick garments made from woolen fabric such as coats and suit jackets are candidates for dry cleaning as they may shrink or become misshapen if washed with water. Any special finishes on an item of clothing such as pin tucks or pressed creases can also be maintained by getting a professional to clean and press the item.
As well as items of clothing marked 'dry clean only', using a dry cleaners can be a way to remove stubborn stains from clothing that have remained after having a normal wash cycle. Grease stains in particular are more easily removed with a solvent rather than water and detergent.
Even small towns will usually have at least one dry cleaners and they are usually very efficiently run businesses which are convenient for busy people. If you own a lot of garments that require dry cleaning or need an item to be cleaned and returned to you quickly, a same day dry cleaner are often very helpful. These services allow you to drop off your clothing in the morning and collect it, cleaned and ready to be worn again, later that same day. Some cleaners even offer a pickup and drop off service to avoid the hassle of taking the items yourself.