One cleaning method unique to professional dry cleaners is “dry cleaning.”
Simply put, this is a process that uses petroleum-based solvents instead of water.

It is primarily suited for delicate materials—such as wool, cashmere, or silk—as well as items prone to losing their shape. It might be difficult to visualize how something can be cleaned without using water, but these petroleum-based solvents are, in fact, oil.

As the common expression “like oil and water” suggests, the two substances do not mix and possess opposite properties.

The same principle applies to detergents: the water-based washing we typically do at home is effective against water-soluble stains, whereas the petroleum-based solvents used in dry cleaning are effective against oil-soluble stains.

Water-soluble stains include things like perspiration or spills from beverages, while oil-soluble stains consist of oily residues or body oils (sebum).

Therefore, it is important to choose the right cleaning method based not only on the material of the item but also on the type of stain you wish to remove.

Additionally, some household washing machines feature a “dry wash” or “delicate” cycle. Please be aware that this simply refers to a gentler washing process—using reduced water flow or slower rotation—and is still fundamentally a water-based wash; it is not the same as professional dry cleaning.