How Long Does Dry Cleaning Take?

When you have different fabrics in your closet that require dry cleaning, you may find yourself wondering, “How long does it take to get something dry cleaned?”

Virtually every dry cleaning business will have to answer the infamous “How long does dry cleaning take?” question at some point. Ultimately, it depends on the type of clothing that you need dry cleaned. Some articles of clothing require minimal care, making them easy to refresh at home, while others require professional dry cleaning.

Most people have probably used dry cleaning services at some point in their lives. You might even be familiar with the process of leaving your clothes at the shop, then coming back a few days later to pick them up when they’re nice and clean.

However, if you’re new to the dry cleaning experience or looking for information on how long to dry clean leather or how long to dry clean a suit, you may need more details. We created this guide to help you better understand how long dry cleaning takes after you drop your pieces off at your local dry cleaner.

Dry Cleaning Turnaround Time Estimates

Dry cleaning times vary depending on the type of clothing you need to have cleaned, the fabric each piece consists of, and how busy your local dry cleaning shop is when you deliver your laundry. In addition, requesting extra services, such as stain removal or repairs, will result in a longer waiting time.

You should also consider where your dry cleaning actually gets cleaned. Many dry cleaners send their customers’ clothes to a facility with all the equipment needed to complete the cleaning process. Transporting the pieces from one point to another will impact your dry cleaning turnaround time, too.

Related: Why Are Some Clothes Dry Clean Only?

How Long Does It Take to Dry Clean a Dress Shirt?

Taking dress shirts to a dry cleaner is quite common. As a result, dress shirts typically have shorter wait times than other articles of clothing. In most cases, your dress shirts will be ready for pickup or delivery within one or two days – or even on the same day.

How Long Does It Take to Dry Clean a Suit?

If you rarely attend formal events, you may wonder, “How long does dry cleaning a suit take?” Suits will take longer than the average dress shirt. However, suits generally don’t have unusually long wait times, either.

On average, your dry cleaner will likely finish refreshing your suit within two to three days. That said, if you need to get a tuxedo dry cleaned instead, you may have to wait as long as a week.

Related:

How Long Does It Take to Dry Clean Leather, Suede, or Fur?

Clothing made of leather, suede, or fur requires special cleaning methods since it’s easy to damage these types of fabrics. For this reason, you can expect clothing made with these fabrics to be ready within one to two weeks.

Related: Does Air Drying Shrink Clothes?

What Types of Clothing Should Be Dry Cleaned?

If you examine the clothing in your closet, you’ll notice that each piece comes with a tag or clothing label on the neck or near the waist that provides details on how to care for and clean the item. If the label suggests dry cleaning only, you’ll need to bring your garment to your local dry cleaner for care.

Some pieces have unclear instructions on proper care, though. If you’re not sure how to proceed, follow the general guidelines below to ensure that your pieces don’t get damaged in the cleaning process.

Silk and Delicate Fabrics

Typically, you’ll need to hand-wash delicate items. However, you can also bring these items to the dry cleaner to maintain their appearance and prevent damage.

Embellished Items

Clothing with embellishments like beads or sequins is tricky to clean and often requires a gentle touch. For this reason, we highly recommend taking your embellished items to a professional dry cleaner.

Professional Dry Cleaning in the Greater Sacramento Area

At Judi’s Cleaners, we’ve provided high-quality dry cleaning in the Greater Sacramento Area since 1984. In the decades that have followed, our family-owned business has earned the community’s trust by providing the most reliable dry cleaning experience around.