Dry cleaning is not only expensive and wasteful, but commercial dry cleaning is highly toxic. Although I’m not claiming this DIY Dry Cleaning at home method completely replaces dry cleaning, it will extend the wear-ability of clothes between dry cleaning visits by keeping them fresh. I rarely have to take any items to the dry cleaners anymore.
*Photo Credit PowerART/Bigstock.com
How to DIY Dry Clean:
Hang item and remove any lint or hair using a lint brush. Then spray down the item, especially the armpits, with pure vodka. Vodka dries quickly and kills bacteria on the garment (which helps to get rid of any odor). It also has no odor once dry. I feel pure vodka is best but another option is the Fabric Refresher spray from my book Easy Green Cleaning. For more stubborn armpit smells, repeat a few times, focusing on that area and letting the garment dry completely in-between sprays.
Next, steam the garment with a clothes steamer. Leave hanging until completely dry. If you do not already own a steamer for recommended steamers, visit the cleaning resources page.
If the item has a spot or stain, you can try saturating that spot with the vodka spray. While still saturated gently blot out spot with a clean white cloth. If that method does not work you may need to seek a professional. Of course, always check clothing laundering and care labels before laundering garments.
Green Dry Cleaning
As I mentioned, this DIY Dry Cleaning method works great for extending how long you can go between dry cleaning visits. When there are cases where you need to dry clean items, I recommend you find an eco-friendly dry cleaner in your area. The most important criterion is that they do not use perc. Perc is short for perchloroethylene, which is considered a toxic air pollutant by the EPA, meaning that it’s “known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects.” There are several greener dry cleaning options and more eco-friendly wet cleaning options. Here is an article on How to Find Green Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning.
This DIY Dry Cleaning method was taken from my book Easy Green Cleaning.
-Elizabeth Hemmings
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