What is Wet Cleaning?
Wet cleaning is a professional, water-based alternative to dry cleaning. Computer-controlled machines, purpose-built detergents and specialised finishing equipment work together to clean wool, silk, cashmere and structured tailoring in water — gently enough for beading, flocking and heat transfers that solvent cleaning can damage. It has its own symbol under the international care-labelling standard ISO 3758: a W in a circle.
History
Wet cleaning was developed in Germany by Kreussler, working with Miele, and introduced to the trade in December 1991. It spread through Europe and the United States through the 1990s and is now used by thousands of professional cleaners worldwide. More than thirty years on, LANADOL remains the original system.
Two things separate it from simply washing clothes in water. The first is chemistry: LANADOL detergents are built around mild surfactants matched to fibre and colour protection, with a finishing agent that shields the fabric through drying. The second is control — the machine governs water level, mechanical action, temperature and cycle time to a program set for that garment class, and the finishing is done by hand on equipment designed for it.
That combination is why wet cleaning earned its own care symbol, a W in a circle, under the international care-labelling standard ISO 3758, alongside the P and F symbols used for solvent cleaning.
How it Works.
Inspection
Every garment is checked for fibre, construction, trims and existing damage, and every stain is identified before anything is applied. Loads are then sorted by fabric type, colour and weight.
Treatment
Stains are pre-treated according to what caused them — oil and grease need different chemistry from protein or tannin. The technician then selects the wash and dry program built for that garment class.
Wet Cleaning
The washer-extractor runs a program written for that garment class, controlling water level, mechanical action, temperature and cycle time. Drying is moisture-sensed and stops at the right residual moisture rather than running the garment bone dry — which is where most damage would otherwise happen.
Finish
Garments come out of the machine slightly damp and are finished by hand on tensioning equipment — a form finisher for jackets, a topper for trousers, a pressing table for the rest. This is where wet cleaning is won or lost, and where the fibre-protecting agent earns its place: a properly finished garment presses in a fraction of the time.
Why use Wet Cleaning?
Gentle on fibres
Mild surfactants formulated for wool, silk and delicate colours.
Water-based
No perc, no hydrocarbon, no solvent to store or recover.
Lower environmental load
LANADOL products carry the German Blue Angel environmental award.
Safer to work around
No solvent exposure for your staff, no residue against your customer's skin.
No solvent smell
Garments go back smelling clean, not chemical.
Simpler compliance
No solvent storage, no hazardous waste contractor, no vapour monitoring.