Dry cleaning is a cleaning process performed by using special machines and substances that do not distor finishing, color and quality of the fabrics to extend their life of the textile products and garments. Dry cleaning process is performed in accordance with the care instructions indicated by the textile manufacturers on the products after keeping the products and trimmings on them to certain operations such as dry cleaning, pressing and non-shrink tests.

Initially lye, water, ammonia and a kind of clay were used to remove oil on the garments. Although there are different comments on the origin of the dry cleaning, all of them agree on one point. Removal of a stain surprisingly after pouring and evaporation of a petrol-based liquid on a greasy fabric is the single point on which almost everybody agrees regarding the birth of dry cleaning. In 1840, the first dry cleaning store was opened by Jolly Beling in Paris.

Dry cleaning is a cleaning process by using solvent to remove soils and stains on the articles. Answer to the question of how the dry cleaning is perform is that this process is not dry, albeit its name, but uses solvent, instead of water.

Dry cleaner is a qualified person having knowledge and skills to perform the operations for cleaning of home and business textile products and leather products, starching and pressing the textile products by himself/herself or together with a team in a certain time by efficient use of the tools, instruments and equipment.

The dry cleaning master performs his/her functions in line with the general operating principles of the organization and in accordance with the applicable regulations on workers' health, labor security and environmental protection and efficiency and quality requirements of the profession.

Some functions of the dry cleaner include: Numbering the textile products received; checking the trimmings on the clothing articles for suitability of the cleaning; controlling the stains on the articles; getting information from the customer about the stains; deciding on the solvents applicable on the stains; application of necessary solvents on the stains; sorting out the textile products by their colors, types and type of stains; placing the products into the dry cleaning machine; selecting the suitable dry cleaning program according to the product; final check of stains on the cleaned articles; retreatment of the products with stains remained after dry cleaning; stripping off fluffs accumulated on the products.

Textile products and garments arrived at the dry cleaning store should first be categorized by their colors. Light colored fabric and dark colored ones should never be cleaned together. Not cleaning the light colored products by new chemical may cause color weakness. And the dark colored products should be cleaned by thoroughly distilling and filtering of the chemicals used several times.

The products received for dry cleaning are kept subject to the cleaning operation according to the symbols on the care labels and grouping. Owner of the product should be informed if the product is not or suspected to be suitable for dry cleaning operation and the cleaning of the product should be determined according to this notification.

The symbols showing the consumers and dry cleaning firms how the articles should be cleaned are directly put on the textile product or on a label permanently put on the product. The symbols to be used for care of the textile products and garments during their lifetime may be made by weaving, pressing or other ways in order to ensure they are easily readable.

Labels should be made of material as durable as the textile product on which it it is indicated and put against the operations to which the garment will be subject for care and cleaning.

Labels and symbols should be big in size so as to be easily read and detectable by the consumer and. No part of the symbols should remain hidden between the seams.

Care and cleaning symbols may also be given in form of nonpermanent labels on the textile products or their packages provided the equivalent symbols are permanently put on them (except for products sold by piece goods).

Steam process is a cleaning process performed by using special detergent, descaled and softened water and chemicals to remove soils and stains ofn the products.

Washing machine was invented by Alva John Fisher in 1908. Cloths were put into a metal drum place vertically inside the washing machine. Metal drum as rotated by electric and the cloths were cleaned by continuously coming into contact with the water during the movements at time of the rotation.

Ironing is a process to smooth out any creases of the products. The molecule bonds of the swollen by water vapor are rebounded when the iron is on the product and the iron is raised, it creates a smooth surface on the product.

Ironing dates back to early 17th century. Initially heavy stones were used to smooth out the garments. And later on heated metal sheets are used; however, as they could not retain the heat for a long time, these sheets were engraved to put coal ember into them. But these irons which were heated by putting coal into them were very heavy. Finally electric iron was invented by American Henry Seely in 1888. He ensured heating the iron by means of the cable electric bridge established between two rod carbons.