Dry cleaning is a way of washing clothes using special chemical liquids instead of water. Despite the name, the clothes do get wet during the process, just not with regular water. The cleaning liquid dissolves oils, grease, and stains that water-based washing can't handle well.

Certain fabrics like silk, wool, and some synthetic materials can shrink, stretch, or get damaged in a regular washing machine. Dry cleaning keeps these delicate clothes safe while still getting them thoroughly clean. That's why the labels on fancy dresses, suit jackets, and dress pants often say “Dry Clean Only.”

At a dry cleaning shop, workers put clothes into large machines that look something like washing machines but use cleaning solvents instead of water and soap. After cleaning, they press the clothes to remove wrinkles and make them look crisp and professional. The process takes longer and costs more than washing at home, but it protects expensive or delicate clothing.

Before dry cleaning existed, people had to be extremely careful with their fancy clothes because getting them truly clean without ruining them was nearly impossible.