Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for
clothing and
textiles using a
solvent other than
water. The term is a misnomer, as most dry cleaning is done with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, one of the most popular of which is
perchloroethylene, commonly referred to as "Perc".
A dry cleaning machine is somewhat similar to a domestic washing machine, with the exception that it's significantly larger, and that all the dry-cleaning solvent is captured, filtered, and re-used during the cleaning cycle rather than flowing down the drain.