Editing Dry cleaning (section)

==Process==
[[File:EazyClean EC124 dry cleaning machine.jpg|thumb|A modern dry cleaning machine with touchscreen and SPS control. Manufacturer: EazyClean, type EC124. Photo taken prior to installation.]]
[[File:Drycleanmachine.JPG|thumb|upright|Series 3 dry cleaning machine with PLC control. Manufacturer: BÖWE Textile Cleaning; Germany.]]
[[File:Dry clean rack.jpg|thumbnail|Many dry cleaners place cleaned clothes inside thin clear plastic garment bags.]]
A dry cleaning machine is similar to a combination of a domestic washing machine and clothes dryer. Garments are placed in the washing or extraction chamber (referred to as the "basket" or "drum"), which constitutes the core of the machine. The washing chamber contains a horizontal-axis, perforated drum that rotates within an outer shell. The shell holds the solvent while the rotating drum holds the garment load. The basket capacity is between about {{convert|10|and|40|kg}}.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

During the wash cycle, the chamber is filled approximately one-third full of solvent and begins to rotate, agitating the clothing. The solvent temperature is maintained at {{cvt|30|C}} or lower, as a higher temperature may damage it. During the wash cycle, the solvent in the chamber (commonly known as the "cage" or "tackle box") is passed through a filtration chamber and then fed back into the "cage". This is known as the cycle, and is continued for the wash duration. The solvent is then removed and sent to a [[distillation]] unit consisting of a [[boiler]] and [[Condenser (heat transfer)|condenser]]. The condensed solvent is fed into a separator unit where any remaining water is separated from the solvent, and the refined solvent fed into the clean solvent tank. The ideal flow rate is roughly 8 liters of solvent per kilogram of garments per minute (very approximately one gallon per pound of garments), depending on the size of the machine.

A typical wash cycle lasts for 8–15 minutes depending on the type of garments and degree of soiling. During the first three minutes, solvent-soluble soils dissolve into the perchloroethylene and loose, insoluble soil comes off. It takes 10–12 minutes after the loose soil has come off to remove any ground-in insoluble soil from garments. Machines using hydrocarbon solvents require a wash cycle of at least 25&nbsp;minutes because of the much slower rate of solvation of solvent-soluble soils. A dry cleaning [[surfactant]] "soap" may also be added.

At the end of the wash cycle, the machine starts a rinse cycle where the garment load is rinsed with freshly distilled solvent dispensed from the solvent tank. This pure solvent rinse prevents discoloration caused by soil particles being deposited back into the garment from the "dirty" working solvent.

After the rinse cycle, the machine begins the extraction process, which recovers the solvent for reuse. Modern machines recover approximately 99.99% of the solvent employed. The extraction cycle begins by draining the solvent from the washing chamber and accelerating the basket to 350–450&nbsp;[[Revolutions per minute|rpm]], causing much of the solvent to spin free of the fabric. Until this time, the cleaning is done in normal temperature, as the solvent is never heated during dry cleaning process. When no more solvent can be spun out, the machine starts the drying cycle.

During the drying cycle, the garments are tumbled in a stream of warm air ({{convert|60|–|63|C|F|disp=semicolon}}) that circulates throughout the basket, evaporating traces of solvent left after the spin cycle. The air temperature is controlled to prevent heat damage to the garments. The exhausted warm air from the machine then passes through a chiller unit where solvent vapors are condensed and returned to the distilled solvent tank. Modern dry cleaning machines use a closed-loop system in which the chilled air is reheated and recirculated. This results in high solvent recovery rates and reduced air pollution. In the early days of dry cleaning, large amounts of perchloroethylene were vented to the atmosphere because it was regarded as cheap and believed to be harmless.

After the drying cycle is complete, a deodorizing ([[aeration]]) cycle cools the garments and removes further traces of solvent by circulating cool outside air over the garments and then through a vapor recovery filter made from [[activated carbon]] and polymer resins. After the aeration cycle, the garments are clean and ready for pressing and finishing.