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"My girlfriend and I have different views on dry cleaning. I have my shirts dry-cleaned after each wearing. My pants I dry-clean after two or three uses. She says this is unnecessary and that I should just wash everything. I like my method because I don\u2019t have to press anything and it is relatively cheap. Who\u2019s right?\n\nListen to the lady, for the most part. Many shirts, especially the cotton dress and casual shirts most of us wear regularly, should be laundered. A good laundry will press your shirts properly, and you can have them folded or put on hangers, as the dry cleaner probably does. Now, when you say dry cleaning is relatively cheap, do you mean you have a relative who is a dry cleaner? Because dry cleaning is an arm and a leg and maybe a crotch more expensive than laundering. My cleaner charges $5.50 to dry-clean a man\u2019s shirt (this is Manhattan, guys) and $2 for a laundered shirt on a hanger. Dry cleaning costs 175 percent more, and according to my esteemed cleaner, It\u2019s not suitable for the type of soiling that occurs with a man\u2019s shirt. It\u2019s not as good at removing perspiration and the oils that occur around the neck. Proper laundering will give you cleaner and longer-lasting shirts.\n\nTo decide whether your pants should be washed or dry cleaned, consult the care label. Generally, woolens should be dry-cleaned. Many cottons can be washed, although sometimes manufacturers suggest dry cleaning to avoid problems with color or size changes. In any case, cleaning pants every two or three wears seems a little over-the-top, but if, for example, you work in a smoke-filled restaurant (try to find one of those), I could see it. Dry cleaning does not extend the life of any garment. It can eventually deteriorate the fabric, and it can make short work of buttons. Dry cleaning should be done only when the garment is soiled. If it\u2019s crispness you\u2019re looking for, have your pants pressed (considerably cheaper than a full cleaning), get a home steamer and steam them yourself on a hanger (that takes a minute), or get a trouser press that will crisp them up for you in a matter of minutes on a daily basis. The trouser press is the anal retentive\u2019s best friend. You can get one from the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog or from other purveyors of fine haberdasher gimmickry."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.gq.com/story/dry-cleaning-pants-shirts>