Welcome to First Choice Dry Cleaners

Drycleaning is simply the process by which soils and stains are removed from garments by the use of solvents other than water, therefore the term "dry" cleaning. The solvents are in liquid form and the equipment used to "dryclean" clothing looks much like a large front loading washing machine. It uses "mechanical action" to loosen and remove soils and stains while at the same time the "dry" solvents are being constantly filtered and purified so that they can be used over and over again to clean clothing.

The process of drycleaning dates back to 1800's when by accident a petroleum-type fluid was accidentally spilled on a piece of fabric that was stained with a greasy stain... it quickly evaporated and left the area clean where the fluid had been spilled. The firm of "Jolly Belin" opened in Paris, France in the 1840's and is reported to be the "First Dry Cleaning Firm" in existence.

Modern drycleaning is much more than these "humble beginnings". Your garments receive many other operations to return them to you in a "fresh and crisp" condition. Your garments are inspected and tagged to identify them as belonging only to you. Spots and stains are then "pre-treated" and care labels are checked to assure that each garment receives the proper classification for the cleaning process.

After the cleaning of your garments has been completed, they are each individually pressed or "finished" on steam heated finishing equipment to return them to a "like new" and "crisp wrinkle-free" appearance. Also, at this time any necessary repairs are done to the garment such as replacing buttons or sewing loose seams. The garment is then given one last "Final Inspection" and packaged and readied to be returned to you the customer.

While the drycleaning process has been continuously modernised and improved over the years it is still one of the few service professions that requires a great deal of skill and hands on experience. Fashion and fabrics are constantly changing and it is up to the "Professional Fabricare Expert" to constantly update their methods and processes to assure you the customer the best care possible for your clothing wardrobe.

A common myth is that frequent dry cleaning shortens the life of a garment. The opposite is true for three reasons. First, stains set with age. This ruins the garment. Second, ground-in dirt and soil are abrasive and cause wear and damage to the fibers. Lastly, soiled garments attract damaging insects such as moths and this can cause even more damage. If you just aren’t sure what to do about a particular stain, don’t do anything until you contact a professional. First Choice Dry Cleaners will be happy to answer your questions about removing stains.

As a general rule, as with anything else, you tend to get what you pay for. At First Choice Dry Cleaners, we are a Dry Cleaning Institute of Australia member, and take great pride in making your wardrobe look good. It is particularly helpful if you know the source of a stain and can point it out to our staff when you bring your garments in for cleaning. That way, we can choose the very best and most effective cleaning treatments.