Why is drycleaning referred to as such if it uses a liquid?

Drycleaning is termed so because water is not the primary liquid used in the process. Garments are, however, fully submerged in a liquid. Solvents that contain little or no water are used in place of water to remove soil and stains from fabric. Detergent and sizing are added to solvents during the drycleaning process. Detergents aid in enhancing the cleaning performance of the solvents while sizing helps restore texture and shape in the garments. Solvents do no penetrate fibers in the way water does, thus reducing the risk of shrinkage, color bleeds and other cleaning hazards. The primary solvents utilized in drycleaning include perchloroethylene and petroleum-based solvents. Drycleaning solvent is not harmful to most fabrics and is the only method for cleaning many of today's fashions.  more

Dry cleaning is termed so because water is not the primary liquid used in the process. Garments are, however, fully submerged in a liquid. Solvents that contain little or no water are used in place of water to remove soil and stains from fabric. Detergent and sizing are added to solvents during the dry cleaning process. Detergents aid in enhancing the cleaning performance of the solvents while sizing helps restore texture and shape in the garments. Solvents do no penetrate fibers in the way water does, thus reducing the risk of shrinkage, color bleeds and other cleaning hazards. The primary solvents utilized in dry cleaning include perchloroethylene and petroleum-based solvents. Dry cleaning solvent is not harmful to most fabrics and is the only method for cleaning many of today's fashions.