Often our favorite garments are those with good stories. Maybe that special piece of clothing was a gift or worn at a memorable event. But have you ever considered the story of the garment before it became yours?

The life of a garment is not a boring life, that’s for sure. From fiber to textile production, design, and fabrication, to transport and retail sales, every article of clothing is the culmination of lots of effort and imagination.

Historically, people held onto garments for a long time, but with cheap clothing now abundantly available, many societies throughout the world think of clothing as disposable. The staggering volume of new garments manufactured each year have made this paradigm shift possible.

Clothing Production

It's estimated that 80 to 150 billion garments per year are produced in the global fashion industry.

Cotton is the most commonly used raw material for fabric in the world, with 60% of women’s garments and 75% of men’s garments containing some cotton. Once the cotton fiber is harvested, it’s spun into a fabric which can be easily cut to specific design requirements.

The fabric is sold to clothing manufacturers, who manage the actual production and fabrication of the garments. Once production is complete, garments are shipped to a distribution center, where they are stored until needed at retail locations.

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The Typical Lifecycle of a Garment

After the garment is sold, it may be used once, dozens of times, or never at all, before it ends up being thrown away, repurposed, or recycled.

So how many times are garments generally worn? The majority of fashion purchases see the outside of the wardrobe just 7-10 times. 

As a result, Americans send 11 million tons of clothing to landfills ever year, all while continuing to purchase new garments at a frenzied pace. To put this in more relatable terms, the average American now generates approximately 82 pounds of waste just from clothes they throw away every year!

Adding to the concern, more than 60 percent of fabric fibers are now oil-based synthetics, meaning if and when our clothing ends up in a landfill, they don’t decay.

Despite these large numbers, a problem at such a massive scale does in fact start with actions at the micro level. How many times you wear your garments, and how you dispose of them once it’s time to let them go, both define the life of your garment.

Simply donating your used clothing instead of throwing it away makes a significant impact on the life of your garment, and there are incredibly convenient ways to make it happen.

With Rinse, clothing donations pickup is always free during any one of your scheduled pickups, and it is a great way to extend the life of your garments by giving someone else the opportunity to enjoy them. Another way to counteract the problem of excessive clothing waste is to increase the number of times you wear your garments. A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least 30 uses.

To get to 30 uses, it’s important to ensure the proper care and cleaning of your clothes. When washing clothes, use cold water, as it’s not only helpful in preventing color bleeding and fading but helps to preserve the strength and integrity of the fibers.

Additionally, you can switch from high or medium heat to low heat in the dryer, which also helps to increase the longevity of your garments and reduces the risk of shrinkage and malformation of clothes over multiple cleanings. Or working with Rinse or your local cleaner can help!

So next time you slip into your favorite garment, take a moment to consider not only where it came from, but also where it’s going. And when you choose to extend the life of your garments, you’re making a choice that benefits more than just your wardrobe.

Introduction

People are often reluctant to dry clean their clothing because it is more expensive than traditional laundry, but a professional cleaning service can be a great investment for your lifestyle and closet that saves you money in the long run.

Below we will explore the cost-effective conveniences that paying for a dry cleaning service yields for your garments, while also going over how much you should expect to pay.

How Much Does Dry Cleaning Usually Cost?

Several factors will determine how much your local dry cleaner will charge to clean your clothes, such as where you live, the type of garment, the fabric, and the size of your items. Often, there are additional services available, such as stain removal, hemming / alternations, and repairs.

Let's get into some approximate price ranges for the most common garments:

Men's Dress Shirts

Average Price: $2.50 - $5.00 per shirt

These are the most common garments cleaned at a dry cleaner. As a result, the pricing quoted for these tends to be a good indicator of how expensive the locale is. Note that women's dress shirts should have a similar price, but blouses will be more expensive.

Women's Blouses

Average Price: $5.00 - $10.00 per blouse

Blouses have a higher average cost to dry clean because they tend to be made of more delicate fabrics, such as silk or chiffon. These materials require additional care and attention to dry clean.

Suits (Two-Piece)

Average Price: $10.00 - $20.00 per suit

Most dry cleaners treat suits as separate pieces – jacket plus pants. (If you have a three-piece suit, then the vest is separate too.) However, you should not be paying more than $20 to have your favorite suit washed, whether your suit is linen, cotton, or polyester.

Dresses

Average Price: $10.00 - $20.00 per dress

The dry cleaning cost for dresses varies according to their material. Again, delicate fabrics such as silk and satin increase the difficulty of removing stains. More complex dresses (beading, sequins) add to the cost. Note wedding dresses will also be more expensive due to their size and weight.

Pants / Slacks

Average Price: $5.00 - $10.00 per pair

While the cost to wash your pants will also depend on the material, special requests can also influence pricing (think pressing or cuffs). Some dry cleaners also have separate pricing for women's pants.

Coats / Outerwear

Average Price: $15.00 - $30.00 per coat

Materials like leather and suede will be more expensive to dry clean. In addition, the size of the coat or jacket will also influence the quote you receive. Larger garments require more time and solvent to clean, increasing the dry cleaning cost.

5 Ways Dry Cleaning Can Save You Money

It Helps Your Polished Pieces Last Longer

While there are items that you can take care of at home, certain upscale pieces such as your silk dress or structured wool blazer are best left in the care of a professional dry cleaner. Pieces that aren’t properly cleaned before being put away can carry undetectable odors that attract insects and moths. These pests can eat certain fabrics, including wool, cashmere, silk, and cotton, gradually ruining your favorite items. Sensitive fabrics may also fade in color or stretch in shape in a washing machine or dryer. By using a professional cleaning service, your pieces will last much longer so you won't have to replace them as often, ultimately saving you money.

Care tip: Familiarize yourself with different fabrics and the appropriate treatment for each material. For instance, cashmere can often be hand-washed with a gentle laundry soap. Before doing so, it's always good to double-check the clothing label to see if hand washing is appropriate. Other fabrics like silk require professional dry cleaning.  Our guide on which pieces can be dry-cleaned provides an in-depth breakdown.

It Can Treat Stubborn Stains

Besides helping your pieces maintain their color and shape, dry cleaning can help treat stubborn stains like grass, which you might not be able to remove using traditional laundry means. A professional service might be able to salvage your favorite sweater or slacks so you don't waste money on different detergents, home dry cleaning kits, or DIY treatments just to end up with a slightly faded but still visible mark. Furthermore, if you don't pre-treat stains or if you use the wrong cleaning agent, you might cause further damage to your clothing. Either way, you can be left having to replace these pieces altogether and wasting money on your wardrobe.

Care tip: Food stains can affect fabrics differently than sweat residue. In some cases, you might be able to apply a DIY treatment. Know when to treat the stain yourself and when to visit a dry cleaner with our summer stains guide.

It Adds Professionalism to Your Workplace Attire

First impressions are extremely important. Being smartly dressed will help you make your mark at a job interview or client meeting – which can lead to financial gain down the road. An inexpensive way to elevate your office style is to ensure that your pieces are always freshly pressed. You don't need to spend a lot to create a chic ensemble: well-tailored and maintained pieces create a professional look that will help you get ahead in the workplace. To keep your business attire looking top-notch, leave your suit or dress shirt with the dry cleaners. Even if you work in a creative or casual environment, a creased shirt can make you look sloppy. Unsightly wrinkles, stains, or smells on worn clothing detract from your professionalism. A trusted service will help you take care of these smaller details so you can focus on the big picture and impress your boss or client.

Care tip: Besides taking care of your basic clothing maintenance needs, most modern dry cleaners provide additional options such as alterations or repairs. Take advantage of their services to ensure your office outfit is always as impressive as your portfolio.

Get Discounts for Multiple Pieces

You tend to get deals at Costco or warehouse retailers because you buy larger quantities in bulk. This concept can also be applied to dry cleaning. Some shops will have specials such as "5 shirts cleaned for the price of 4". If they don't or if your order is particularly large, they may be open to quoting below sticker price – no harm in asking!

Care tip: Test out the dry cleaner before sending a large order their way. You want to make sure they do quality work before putting your entire closet in their care.

It Avoids the Usual Damages Caused by Washing Machines

Delicate clothes are called delicate for a reason – they are easy to ruin when washing. Recall that materials like silk, suede, leather, and wool do not do well in washers or dryers. Save yourself from the heartbreak of ruining your favorite pieces and take them to the dry cleaner.

Other large items, such as comforters, may simply not fit in your washer (king-size comforters definitely will not), leaving you with few alternative wash options.

Care tip: Always make sure your washing machine is filled to an appropriate level. Overloading it will result in a poor wash and will likely require another cycle.

Dry Cleaning with Rinse

While you save on short-term costs doing laundry at home, your finest attire requires professional care to keep them looking as fresh as the day you bought them. And that's a worthwhile investment. If you want to make a good investment in your clothing care, you should strongly consider dry cleaning.

One last tip we'd like to share is to use a dry cleaning or laundry service for your convenience. For instance, Rinse has years of experience dry cleaning all types of garments, using efficient techniques, and with transparent pricing. Did we mention we pick up and deliver your laundry and dry cleaning from and to your doorstep?

Contact us at Rinse today to see our skill in action.