TikTok has just explained what dry cleaning actually is and I am shocked I never knew

People on TikTok are freaking out after discovering dry cleaning quite literally means they clean your clothes dry, without using any water. And I am stunned to say the least.

Last week TikToker Patrick Lewin, who goes by the username @patrickscameraroll, shared with his followers his surprise at learning what dry cleaning was and how he felt he had been left in the dark about the process his whole life.

Speaking to the camera he said: “I’m sorry, but when the f*ck was anyone gonna tell me that dry cleaning meant that the clothes were cleaned dry?

“I just thought it was a professional cleaning service and they just use that name, it didn’t actually mean that they didn’t use water when they cleaned. Did anyone else know this?”

@patrickscameraroll ♬ original sound – Patrick Lewin

It turns out everyone on TikTok is just as confused as Patrick about the actual process of dry cleaning, as his video has now been viewed over 600,000 times and the comment section is full of people expressing their shock and disbelief too.

One person said: “I always thought they steam cleaned the clothes in the dry cleaners,” and another asked: “But how does it get clean then?”

So how does dry cleaning actually work? This is everything you need to know:

What is dry cleaning?

In the comment section of Patrick’s TikTok everyone was theorising how the process of dry cleaning works, some said they thought steaming was used to clean, whereas others thought the washing process was the same but they just dried them in a special way.

Thankfully, not all of TikTok is as clueless as the majority of us. TikToker @Jeeves_ny, who specialises in sharing cleaning hacks, had already explained the detailed process of dry cleaning on his account long before Patrick’s video.

@jeeves_ny #stitch with @bomanciaga dry cleaning is using solvent, which is a cleaning liquid that isn’t water, to clean clothes #dryclean #cleaning #clean #drycleaning #explained #til ♬ original sound – clean freakz

He said dry cleaning works by using a solvent, in a washing dryer machine. Solvent may look like water, but it is actually very different in its properties. He explains “dry cleaning solvent looks just like water but it smells and feels like either alcohol or gasoline depending on which one you’re using.”

In his TikTok he shows two jars, one with solvent and one with water, which has been dyed blue. He mixes the two together and the two liquids separate, because of solvent’s oily properties. This oiliness is great for removing oil like stains such as makeup, grease and paint.

So whilst water isn’t used in the dry cleaning process, there is still a liquid present in the process.

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