Smart Girl Dumb Questions Is Dry Cleaning … Really Dry?
Apr 7, 2026
Zachary Pozniak, an engineer-turned-operator who modernized Jeeves New York, and Jerry Pozniak, a veteran textile restorer for institutions like the Met, explain what dry cleaning really is. They talk about misleading care labels, when wet versus solvent cleaning works, museum-grade restorations, stain testing, and the limits of sustainable packaging. Short, surprising, and oddly comforting.
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Use Water When The Stain Is Water Based
- Do choose wet cleaning for water-based stains like body odor and blood even if the garment is labeled dry clean only.
- Zach says wet cleaning may shrink wool or affect color, so call the cleaner and get a wet clean release before proceeding.
Expect Closed Loop Solvent Recycling
- Avoid assuming solvents are dumped; professional dry cleaning should be a closed-loop, recycled system.
- Jerry explains modern machines distill and filter solvent so it's reused and not released into the environment.
Hand Cleaning A 90 Foot Mural Overnight
- Jeeves cleaned a 90x30 foot Lincoln Center mural stained by grease from a downstairs panini press.
- Jerry describes two nights on cherry pickers hand-cleaning the linen, wool and silk mural with volatile solvent and white cotton towels to lift the oil.