Care Guide · Dry Cleaning
Dry Cleaning vs Laundry: What Is the Actual Difference?
One uses water, one doesn’t — and that changes which clothes survive which process.
Key answer
Laundry washes clothes in water with detergent. Dry cleaning cleans them in a non-water solvent, which protects fabrics that water damages — wool, silk, structured garments like blazers, and anything whose dye or shape can’t take a soak. If the care label says “dry clean only,” it is protecting the garment from water, not from cleaning.
Why water is the villain for some fabrics
Water makes natural fibres swell. For cotton tees that’s fine. For wool it means shrinking and felting; for silk, lost sheen and bleeding dyes; for a blazer, the interfacing that gives the shoulder its shape can warp permanently. No amount of “gentle cycle” fixes physics.
Dry cleaning replaces water with a solvent that lifts oils and dirt without swelling the fibre. The garment keeps its shape, drape and colour — which is the whole point of owning it.
Which clothes go where
Everyday cottons, denims, knits and homewear: regular laundry. Blazers, suits, sherwanis, silk and zari sarees, lehengas, wool sweaters, structured dresses, ties: dry cleaning. Shirts sit in the middle — most are happiest with Wash & Iron, but delicate or embellished ones can be dry cleaned.
Stains change the answer too. Oil-based stains often respond better to solvent; sugar and sweat stains to water. Tell us what caused the stain when you book — treatment is decided after inspection, and context genuinely helps.
What it costs at Fundry
Dry cleaning is priced per piece, starting at ₹85, because each garment is inspected, treated and finished individually. Laundry is priced by weight (₹75/kg folded, ₹120/kg pressed) because it runs as a sorted batch. The final amount is confirmed with you before any work begins.
Quick questions
Is dry cleaning completely dry?
The garment never touches water, but it is cleaned in a liquid solvent — “dry” refers to no water, not no liquid.
Can dry cleaning remove every stain?
No honest cleaner promises that. Old, heat-set or bleach-damaged stains may be permanent. We flag the risk after inspection rather than over-promising.
How often should a blazer be dry cleaned?
For regular office wear, roughly once a season or after visible soiling — over-cleaning wears fabric too. Spot-treat small marks in between.
Written by the Fundry team · Last reviewed 11 July 2026