# Dry Cleaning dress shirts -- pros and cons?



## Shade22182 (Nov 5, 2005)

I'm not a big fan of laundering dress shirts--shrinkage, discoloration, etc.

Are there any advantages / disadvantages to dry cleaning dress shirts instead?


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

I've never had dress shirts dry cleaned but would think the most obvious disadvantages would be cost, chemical smells, possible health issues associated with allergic reactions to the chemicals used in the dry cleaning process...... :icon_scratch:


----------



## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

Numerous.....I have a few shirts (of dark colors) that my shirtmaker specifically recommended to dry clean so the color doesn't fade. I do it, but I wear those shirts, in total, about 10 times a year. 

The chemicals in dry cleaning would be more harmful to the fabric than laundering. Yes, you save on the shrinkage and discoloration, but you'll pay for it in other respects. Secondly, laundering, depending on location and handling, is usually under $2 per whereas dry cleaning is rarely under $5 (I pay $1.75/$6 respectively). 

You'll get a lot of folks here that simply say you should do it yourself. For me, that's not an option (no patience or time for ironing), for some it is. Someday, I'll get a housekeeper who can do it, but in the meantime, off to my cleaners...


----------



## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

Shade22182:

Dry cleaning isn't the usual cleaning method for cotton. Cotton does so much better when it's laundered. Try washing them at home - it's therapeutic and you can control the process to avoid any problems.

If you look at the Dress Shirt Chapter of *The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes* (now PDF version) you'll find some great home laundry tips as well as how to avoid some of the problems with a professional laundry.


----------



## stubloom (Jun 6, 2010)

There are many variables that go into the dry clean vs. shirt laundry decision: care label, stains, texture, color, fabric, elasticity, brand, personal preference and fit, to name just a few.

Here's a guide....

Blog post: Shirts and blouses - To dry clean or launder?
https://www.ravefabricare.com/true-quality-cleaning/2010/6/17/shirts-and-blouses-to-dryclean-or-launder.aspx


----------



## triklops55 (May 14, 2010)

Nothing beats handwashing in my opinion. Dry cleaning will not get the yellow out of the collar and instead will make the staining set in. Pressing is also very rough on shirts and will eventually lead to fraying.

Some shirts specify "dry clean only" so those I have dry cleaned.

I wear undershirts all the time, so most of the time, my shirts just get dirty at the collar and when I spill something on them.
I recommend using Woolite, or another gentle detergent, and only target the areas that need cleaning. You can even use Ivory bath soap to clean your shirts, since it's pure soap and contains nothing that will harm your shirts.
I use a toothbursh on the collar and on the stains with soap, detergent, or a bleach solution on tough stains on white shirts. Usually, a quick soak in slightly soapy water is all that's needed after stain removal. Then, rinse thouroughly, wring out carefuly and hang dry.
I try to iron them when the're still a bit moist, but if I forget, I use a spray bottle.

You can do a quick soak in soapy water, and then


----------



## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

I've dry-cleaned the few dress shirts I've owned that were silk. I've also ordered hand-processing (for which my cleaner charges the same as dry-cleaning) for linen. But the only _cotton _shirts I've had dry-cleaned were black ones, back in the day when black dress shirts were in style. I did that to preserve the black color.


----------



## Avers (Feb 28, 2006)

I think dry cleaning is an overkill for cotton shirts. 

There are certain negatives about washing the shirts, but I can live with them for the sake on convenience. Most of my workhorse shirts are not at the price level that ruining them would cause any serious regret


----------



## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

stubloom said:


> There are many variables that go into the dry clean vs. shirt laundry decision: care label, stains, texture, color, fabric, elasticity, brand, personal preference and fit, to name just a few.
> 
> Here's a guide....
> 
> ...


Dear Sir, 

Your blog post seems to treat dry cleaning as a higher form of the art. I say this because you indicate that exceptional shirts such as those with better buttons or vibrant colors merit dry cleaning rather than laundering. Having laundered fine shirts for more than three decades, I would take exception to this characterization.

Nature did not rain dry cleaning fluid down upon the precious ELS cotton plants to cause them to produce the exceptional fibers which end up as fine shirts. Nature sent water. Likewise, nature did not grow the oysters- mother of fine pearl buttons- in a synthetic chemical concoction. She chose water ... with a smidgen of salt.

With all due respect ...


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

Yes and cows root about in the rain, but water can spot leather indelibly, which is not to say I didn't enjoy your pastoral homily.


----------



## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Peak and Pine said:


> Yes and cows root about in the rain, but water can spot leather indelibly, which is not to say I didn't enjoy your pastoral homily.


Thank you. And the simplest cure for leather spotted by water is to make sure you get the entire leather wet. Voila!


----------



## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

Shirts need to be laundered, not dry cleaned. Dry cleaning really doesn't get shirts clean. Shirts, like socks, underwear, etc. are consumables. You wear them, launder them, and eventually, they get worn out. Then you get to buy nice new ones.


----------



## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Flanderian said:


> Shirts, like socks, underwear, etc. are consumables. You wear them, launder them, and eventually, they get worn out. Then you get to buy nice new ones.


Absolutely, without question or doubt, the finest and most accurate post _*ever*_ made on AskAndy's.


----------



## stubloom (Jun 6, 2010)

Alexander:

Believe it or not, I agree with your comment. But I think you already know that.

My blog post was intended to provide generalized advise to those who do not have access to specialized shirt laundering services such as the one offered by you to your clients. The intent was to provoke the reader into thinking about proper shirt care and, hopefully, facilitate a conversation between the reader and his shirt laundry service as how to best care for his shirts. 

For example, how would a typical shirt laundry service handle a dark colored shirt? Well, they'd probably toss it in the washer with water that's way too hot (in an unsuccessful attempt to emulsify the body oils) together with caustic, industrial grade detergents. Then they'd machine press that shirt on a series of shirt pressing machines that can best be described as medieval torture for fine shirts. The net result will be a dark colored shirt that shows all the signs of shine and premature fading, especially on the collar, cuffs, plackets and seams. 

The advise to dry clean and hand press a dark colored shirt (in a very gentle dry cleaning fluid such as siloxane) in order to preserve the intensity of the color is presented as an alternative to the poor quality of shirt laundering offered by the typical "bang and hang" cleaner.


----------



## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

stubloom said:


> Alexander:
> 
> Believe it or not, I agree with your comment. But I think you already know that.
> 
> ...


 Dear Stu,

You already know I agree with you. But it's fun to pull your chain. :devil:

Alex

P.S.: A conversation between a reader and their laundry service? There is only one laundry where that can happen and it's in Arizona.


----------



## Finian McLonergan (Sep 23, 2009)

I converted to handwashing and linedrying a couple of years ago after getting completely fed up with one treasured shirt after another falling victim to the depradations of automated cleaning of one form of another. Similarly for fine socks.

If you already employ someone to clean your home it shouldn't be a big deal to integrate this into their routine. Alternatively you can personally experience the Zen of Fine Shirt Maintenance.

And in my experience, the argument of "I haven't time" can usually be countered by cutting back on the most worthless activity known to humanity: watching TV.


----------



## jwa_jwa_jwa (Jul 13, 2010)

Finian McLonergan said:


> And in my experience, the argument of "I haven't time" can usually be countered by cutting back on the most worthless activity known to humanity: watching TV.


Absolute *GOLD*


----------



## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

As someone who always sends out shirts, I would stress the importance of finding a GOOD laundry, one that doesn't lose shirts, bust buttons, mispress, fail to pretreat ring around the collar and thus set it in, and smash cuffs and collars so they fray before their time. If you can press yourself, go'bless, but otherwise, find a good one through trial and error. They exist. As for shirts that say "dryclean only," I don't buy 'em.


----------



## mrp (Mar 1, 2011)

If you laundry your own shirts nothing seems to beat soaking overnight. Previously I would use the no wrinkle cycle with decent success.
At this point I soak overnight on the "Wrinkle" cycle, I do a collar scrub once the shirts are wet and in the machine with some Octagon soap, in the morning I'll add a second shot of detergent and finish them up with an air dry and damp ironing.


----------



## mizugori (Jun 1, 2011)

I would just like to comment that peoples' assertions that dry cleaning does not really get the shirts clean, is frankly false, and makes me wonder if some people are just assuming this without ever having actually tried it. I have had several shirts (including all cotton ones) dry cleaned for one reason or another, and they have always come out immaculate. It absolutely does take care of yellowed collars as well, so I am not sure why people are saying it doesn't.


----------

