That said, it’s expensive and inconvenient. I’ve spent at least $30 a month, and don’t even get me started about what a time-waster it is to drop it off and pick it up. So, when I discovered that there was an at-home dry cleaning kit, my curiosity was piqued, and I wanted nothing more than to review the product and have it work out. Here’s how it went.
At Home Dry Cleaning
The kit I purchased was the Dryel Dry Cleaner Starter Kit ($10.99, target.com). While cutting corners when it comes to clothing (especially expensive clothing) still makes me nervous, I figured it was worth the potential money saved if the kit worked. To be safe, I started with some blouses and t-shirts that I was fairly confident couldn’t be messed up. Then, I did the unthinkable (for me, at least): I used the kit with a silk blouse and a dress that has a silk liner with a delicate overlay. Here’s how it works: While the clothes were a little wrinkled, they smelled fresh and clean, and the stains were completely removed. I was still a little worried about shrinkage, especially in the cotton t-shirt, but the process didn’t impact any of the items’ sizes at all. Also, I like that the kit is very small because it would be perfect for cleaning clothing while traveling (so long as you have dryer access).
Drawbacks
My only critique is that the refill kits ($11.29, target.com) come with the spray, pen, and dryer sheets, but I think you’d really only need more sheets. The pen and the spray bottle come with much more product than I could imagine using on just four loads of laundry. But if that’s the (much smaller!) price I have to pay to dodge the dry cleaners, so be it. While I still wouldn’t trust super delicate pieces or vintage clothing—more because of the roughness of the dryer than the quality of the kit—I will definitely be implementing this into my laundry routine.
