Dry Cleaning costs, alternatives?

**crafty73** · 01-20-2011, 05:05 PM

Hi Everyone

Ok i have a question and I'm sorry if it sounds dumb. I also can barely see this as I type (forgot my glasses at home and haven't left the office yet lol).

Here's the thing. The beautiful suits I bought for work and some tops are to be dry cleaned. Some of the pants I can wash in cold and hang to dry but the blazers have to be dry cleaned. My suits are my core and most vital pieces, I don't want to ruin them. So I call our 2 dry cleaners in town - 1 closed down, maybe from the flood we had back in July and the 1 that is remaining is going to charge me $14.00 per suit (blazer and pants), $7.35 for blazers and for women's tops it ranges from $4.50 to $6.00+ for each top. This is quite a chunk of change.

Are there any ultra safe alternatives that are cheaper than drycleaning?

If I have to I will only dry clean my blazers like once a month and wash and hang dry the pants at home (have been doing that with the pants already and so far so good lol but waaaay too chicken to mess with my blazers and some of the tops).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

**ladytoysdream** · 01-20-2011, 05:10 PM

See if the laundry will do BULK dry cleaning.
They charge you by the pound instead of by the piece.

**Pemberleyan** · 01-20-2011, 05:27 PM

I have used the Dryel system at home without problems. Of course, I rarely use it because I just don't have many dry clean clothes anymore. Have you heard something bad about it?

**HappyMama** · 01-20-2011, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Pemberleyan

I have used the Dryel system at home without problems. Of course, I rarely use it because I just don't have many dry clean clothes anymore. Have you heard something bad about it?

I use Dryel as well.

**akolb** · 01-20-2011, 06:05 PM

many items labeled dry-clean only can actually be washed by hand with a delicate fabric soap. Look at the label and do some googling to see if you can wash them yourself.
Always dry flat not in the dryer!

**Determined** · 01-20-2011, 06:09 PM

I have been pondering this exact same question. I just got a "grown-up" job that requires the wearing of suit-type (read: dry clean only) clothing. I've used Dryel and it's fine for just freshening up clothes, but to be honest, Febreeze and Downy Wrinkle Release work better for strong odors and wrinkles. My issue is that I sweat like a rhino and by the end of the day, I have giant stains under my arms.

I'm thinking of soaking my suit jackets flat in the bathtub, then drying them on a flat surface to see what happens. Will try it with a less expensive jacket to see what happens and report back!

**shoiji** · 01-20-2011, 07:19 PM

When I was working most of my clothing was dry clean only. Wool skirts, silk blouses, sweaters, blazers. Some items I did take to the dry cleaner. Most went into the gentle cycle of the washing machine and hung to dry then ironed.

Be careful about washing one item of a suit and dry cleaning the other. One piece of clothing may end up faded. The dryel system also works well.

I would start purchasing items that can be washed in the washing machine and hung to dry. Such as dress pants, sweaters, nice blouses, which you can mix and match with your suit pieces. Also, if you do not smoke you can probably get away with wearing the blazer of a suit a couple of times before cleaning. Febreeze can be used to freshen it a bit.

I have also heard that a steamer can freshen clothes also.

I have thrown my really good wool trench coat in the cold gentle cycle of the washing machine without any problems. Just takes a little elbow grease with the iron.

**Determined** · 01-23-2011, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Determined

I'm thinking of soaking my suit jackets flat in the bathtub, then drying them on a flat surface to see what happens. Will try it with a less expensive jacket to see what happens and report back!

So I tried this out with a cheaper jacket and it worked pretty well. Just laid the jacket out flat, covered it with cold water and a little baking soda to neutralize any odors. Let it soak for about 20 minutes, then pressed out all the water. Only thing to watch out for (and I didn't even think to check before...) is the jacket was a 15% wool blend and started to shrink a bit, so I hung it up to dry, hoping that the weight would pull it back into it's original shape. Seemed to have worked out all right, with no noticeable shrinking. Only thing is, now the fabric does look a tiny bit more worn, so I'll definitely try to do this as infrequently as possible, but it did definitely do the trick as far as the underarm area was concerned.

**Ramona** · 01-23-2011, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by ladytoysdream

See if the laundry will do BULK dry cleaning.
They charge you by the pound instead of by the piece.

This is a very good tip.

**2ndGenGranola** · 01-24-2011, 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by Determined

My issue is that I sweat like a rhino and by the end of the day, I have giant stains under my arms.

Go to a sewing shop like JoAnn's or Hancock Fabrics, in the section where they had accessories for making underthings you will find underarm pads. You pin or velcro them into your underarm area and they absorb the sweat. You then just wash them out in the sink or next wash load.

**lisaflex** · 01-24-2011, 01:14 PM

depending on the cost of the suit, i would NOT attempt to hand wash it. i would just be very careful, air it out, and then ante up and dryclean it! if they are expensive suits and you do attempt to hand wash or delicate/gentle cycle, you could possibly ruin it. also, what about pressing them? noone can press like a drycleaners imo

**HappyMama** · 01-24-2011, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by lisaflex

depending on the cost of the suit, i would NOT attempt to hand wash it. i would just be very careful, air it out, and then ante up and dryclean it! if they are expensive suits and you do attempt to hand wash or delicate/gentle cycle, you could possibly ruin it. also, what about pressing them? noone can press like a drycleaners imo

I use the Dryell, method but use an antique French press, or a steamer to steam mine. They turn out perfect.

I wanted to avoid the chemicals of the dry cleaners. I know Dryell has some but well......not quite the horrible ones at the dry cleaners . I avoid these at all costs if possible , do have to send a few things a yr and cringe the whole time...