Dry cleaning in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

How does dry cleaning work?

Clothes go into a closed machine, the solvent does the washing, and that solvent is spun out, dried off and reused. Water never enters the drum.

1. Check and tag each item, and read the care label.
2. Pre-treat (spot) stains before the load goes in.
3. Wash in solvent inside a closed dry-cleaning machine. The drum turns the clothes in the solvent.
4. Spin to extract the solvent.
5. Dry with warm air inside the same machine, while the solvent vapour is recovered.
6. Filter and distil the solvent so it can be reused.
7. Finish by pressing or steaming.
8. Inspect the garment, then hang it and bag it.

What chemicals are used in dry cleaning?

The cleaning liquid is a solvent. Perc, hydrocarbon and silicone are the three you will hear about most. Shops do not all use the same one.

• Perchloroethylene (perc). This is the long-time standard. It is strong on grease and oil. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies perc as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). Several countries are phasing it out.
• Hydrocarbon solvent. This is petroleum-based. It is gentler on delicate fabrics and trims. Cycles are slower than perc.
• Silicone-based solvent (D5). Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane is the chemical name. GreenEarth is one example. It is odourless and gentle.
• Other solvents. Some plants use liquid carbon dioxide. Others use a glycol ether. Both are alternatives to perc, used in smaller numbers.

Properly dry-cleaned clothes should come back with little or no smell. A strong chemical smell can mean the drying step was cut short. This page does not say which solvent Superman Laundry uses. Ask at the counter if you want to know.

What is the difference between dry cleaning and wet cleaning?

Dry cleaning uses solvent. Professional wet cleaning uses water, on purpose, in a computer-controlled machine with detergents made for that job.

Wet cleaning is a legitimate method for some garments. It is fine when the shop tells you that is what they are doing. It is not a gentler name for an ordinary home wash, and it is not the same thing as dry cleaning. A shop that offers both should say which one your item had. Superman Laundry lists wet cleaning in its own section of the price list, separate from dry cleaning.

How to tell if your clothes were really dry cleaned

Some shops charge a dry-clean price and then only air the clothes, steam them, hand-wash them, machine-wash them in water, or skip the wash and just press and bag them.

Signs worth asking about:

• A smell of detergent or fabric softener, which comes from a water wash.
• Stains still there, with no note explaining what was tried.
• Shrinking, felting or colour bleeding on an item the label marks dry clean only.
• Wrinkles or stiffness that look like a water wash, not a press.
• Everything ready within an hour.
• No solvent machine on the premises, and no mention of where the items are cleaned.

Ask which method they use and which solvent. Ask whether the work is done in-house or sent to a plant. Sending garments out is normal. Hiding it is not. Ask for a stain note when a mark will not lift. At pickup, look at the garment before you leave. None of this points at one named shop. It is a checklist for any counter.

What clothes need dry cleaning?

Bring pieces the care label marks for dry cleaning. If the label is missing, do not guess from the colour or the price of the cloth.

• Suits and coats
• Silk and wool
• Baju kurung and kebaya with delicate trims
• Cheongsam
• Saree
• Wedding gowns, and other dresses the label marks for dry cleaning
• Leather jackets and leather coats

What do the dry-clean symbols on a care label mean?

A circle means dry clean. A letter inside the circle names the solvent family. A circle with a cross means do not dry clean.

• P inside the circle: perchloroethylene is allowed.
• F inside the circle: a hydrocarbon (petroleum) solvent.
• A line under the circle: a gentler cycle. Two lines: gentler still.
• A wash tub with a cross: do not wash in water, including a gentle cycle.

Words and symbols sometimes disagree. Follow the stricter one. A crossed-out tub plus a dry-clean circle is a dry-clean piece, not a home-wash piece.

When you get the clothes home, take off the plastic bag and let them air before they go into the wardrobe. A closed bag traps leftover vapour. That can leave a smell, and on some fabrics it can yellow the cloth.

Where can I dry clean clothes in Cheras?

Superman Laundry dry cleans at 17-1, Lorong Durian, Taman Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur (Cheras Yulek). Open Mon–Sat 9am–7pm. Closed Sunday. Drop off at the shop, or ask about pickup and delivery: minimum order RM80, fee quoted by distance on request. WhatsApp or call 013-833 5526.

Wash-and-fold loads go in one machine per customer, so those loads are never mixed. Dry cleaning is a separate process. Laundry and dry cleaning are usually ready within 3 working days. Express is available, so ask if you need a faster time rather than assuming one.

Payment: Cash, Credit Card, DuitNow, Touch 'n Go (TnG) eWallet. Public parking is available nearby. Loyalty: RM1 spent is 1 point, and 100 points is RM1 off. WhatsApp or call 013-833 5526.

Full price list, wet cleaning prices, curtains and comforters, all services, visit the shop, and what dry cleaning does.

Prices in RM. Ask us about anything not listed. The amounts below are the dry-clean list.

Questions about dry cleaning