Dry cleaning services can be transformative for any business. However, the process of dry cleaning is often a mystery. Many people drop off their laundry for professional dry cleaning without actually understanding how it differs from cleaning your washing with detergent in a standard washing machine.
This article will delve into dry cleaning services in more detail, demystifying the process and highlighting what businesses can typically expect when partnering with commercial laundry providers.
What Is Dry Cleaning?
The term ‘dry’ cleaning is often misleading as it sounds as though clothes are cleaned without wetting the fabric. In reality, the name comes from the process of washing clothes without using water. Instead, dry cleaning services use non-water-based chemical solvents as the cleaning agent to clean clothes.
Perchloroethylene, or PERC, is a petroleum-based solvent that is typically used in dry cleaning. After the garments are cleaned in PERC, an extractor is used to remove the solvent so it can be reused.
Why Invest In Commercial Laundry Services?
Commercial laundry services can be a useful service for businesses from many different industries, particularly those operating within the food and beverage industry. Linen is an essential component in any restaurant, making it ready for food preparation and consumption. From linen tablecloths to chef uniforms, businesses in this industry encounter a high demand for restaurant linen.
Time-Saving
Food and beverage businesses are busy enough without having to worry about managing laundry. Outsourcing your linen laundry to a commercial laundry service provider ensures you can prioritise your attention on the tasks that matter most.
Quality Assurance
Commercial dry cleaning services are performed by experienced cleaning professionals. Their expertise ensures the fabrics are handled carefully, meeting their specific requirements to ensure longevity. Their commitment to quality also ensures all stains will be removed, leaving your white linen pristine.
Hygiene
Businesses involving food preparation and consumption are under strict hygiene and sanitation regulations to keep workers and customers safe and healthy. A consistent and reliable commercial laundry service ensures that essential linens, including tablecloths and chef uniforms, are cleaned effectively and meet industry requirements.
Eco-Friendly Options
Many commercial laundry services use green cleaning solvents and follow environmentally friendly practices to help businesses meet their sustainability goals. Additionally, industrial-size washers and dryers increase the volume of washing that can be done at a time, reducing energy consumption and enhancing efficiency.
Stress-Free Service
With convenient pick-up and drop-off laundry delivery services, businesses can rest assured that they will not run out of restaurant linen. Deliveries can be scheduled at regular intervals or according to need, ensuring high reliability and a stress-free service.
How Do Dry Cleaning Services Work?
There are several steps involved in commercial dry cleaning to ensure each item is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for use.
Below, we dive into the thorough dry cleaning process at London Linen, giving you an idea of what you can expect from our dry cleaning services.
1. Laundry Pick-up
Typically, businesses must drop off their linen laundry at the dry cleaners directly. However, particularly with fast-paced businesses, finding the time to collect your laundry and transport it to the cleaning facility can be time-consuming.
At London Linen, we offer laundry pick-up services to enhance the convenience of our dry cleaning services. You can schedule one of our fleet of laundry drivers to pick up your laundry at a time that is convenient for you. Our staff will then transport your laundry to our cleaning facility for cleaning. This minimises any disruptions to your work day, ensuring your focus remains on your operations.
2. Laundry Inspection
Once the laundry arrives at our commercial dry cleaning facility, each item is meticulously inspected. Cleaning professionals look for any stains and identify the stain type, whether it be oil, wine, blood or another substance. The material of the fabric and the type of stain determine how it should be cleaned.
During this stage, the condition of the item is also assessed. Any loose stitching, missing buttons, rips or holes require extra care after they have been washed. For businesses renting these items from a linen company, like London Linen, these items will be repaired where possible or replaced free of charge.
3. Stain Pre-Treatment
Any stains found during the laundry inspection process will be treated before washing. The type of spot treatment applied depends on the type of stain and how ingrained it is into the fabric. The pre-wash treatment helps to break down the stain to make removal in the washing machine easier.
It is not recommended that businesses attempt to remove the stain themselves before professional dry cleaning. Some treatments do not interact well together, and it can even make certain stains more difficult to remove. Dry cleaning companies have extensive knowledge in stain removal and will know the best treatment for your items.
4. Machine Washing
Commercial laundry companies have industrial washing machines that can hold 10 to 45 kg of laundry per load, making a single cycle more cost-effective and sustainable than several smaller loads.
Once clothes are loaded into the washing machine, the basket rotates the clothes while the cleaning solvent is pumped into the drum. The rotating fabric comes into contact with the baffles, which ensures the solvent is evenly distributed. Then, the filter removes the dirt from the solvent before circulating it back into the drum for continuous cleaning.
Next, the cycle moves from the washing to the drying stage, where the cycle drains and spins the clothes rapidly to remove the solvent and dry the fabric. The remnants of the solvent are vaporised by warm air, which is then condensed over cooling coils and passed through an air control system. This process ensures all the solvent is removed and safe for use.
5. Post-Spotting
Once the laundry has been cleaned and dried, it will undergo another inspection for quality control purposes. Cleaners will look for any remaining stains or residue that have not been removed during the machine wash. Post-spotting is a post-cleaning stain removal method where professional cleaning equipment, cleaning products, steam water, air and a vacuum are used to tackle the stain.
If the stain had water in it to begin with, it requires a water-based product to remove it. On the other hand, if stains are dry, such as grease or oil-based substances, chemical solvents are needed to get rid of the stain.
6. Finishing
Now that the linen has been effectively cleaned, dried and is in pristine condition, it is ready for finishing. Finishing is the final step in the dry cleaning process, which prepares the garment or item for use.
The finishing process involves several steps:
- Steam: The item can be placed on a pressing machine or held under a steamer to apply steam to soften the garment.
- Reshaping: The softened garment is reshaped to restore its original form. This may be laid on a flat surface or on specialised equipment that holds the item in shape.
- Steam Removal: A vacuum is used to remove the excess moisture from the garment, leaving it dry.
- Pressing or Ironing: Finally, the item can either be pressed or ironed to remove wrinkles and give the item a flawless finish.
7. Folding and Packaging
The way items are packaged depends on the type of item. Chef uniforms may be hung on hangers to avoid folding lines, while tablecloths and napkins may be folded into smaller rectangles for ease of storage.
These items are then packaged up in protective plastic bags, ensuring that the folded garments and fabrics will not become wrinkled, damaged or dirty during the delivery. Meticulous folding and packing is an essential step of the process, which ensures that returned laundry arrives in perfect condition and is ready for immediate use.
8. Delivery
Finally, the loads of laundry are loaded onto the delivery van for transportation back to the business.
At London Linen, our network of drivers makes journeys across London quick and efficient, ensuring timely deliveries to businesses across the city and beyond.
London Linen
At London Linen, we take pride in helping our clients thrive. From linen tablecloths and napkins to chef uniforms, our deliveries ensure you are never short of the linen your food and beverage business requires.
For more details about our dry cleaning services, contact our friendly team today—they are always happy to answer any questions you may have.
020 8574 5569
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