• Dry cleaning isn't dry at all.

In fact, your clothes still get tossed into a machine and saturated. But instead of getting submerged in soapy water, the clothes (about 30 to 80 pounds worth) get put into a dry cleaning machine's perforated stainless-steel drum where they're washed with a solvent known as "perc" (perchloroethylene).

A typical wash lasts about ten to fifteen minutes. After the wash, the tank is drained of the dirty solvent and a rinse of pure solvent enters the chamber to flush out all the grease, grime and other stain-causing junk that soils clothes. This step is quickly followed by the extraction process (a spin drying cycle) which recovers approximately 99.99% of the solvent used. The dried clothes are then aired out and are ready to be pressed and packaged.

• Lengthen the time between stops to the cleaner by ...

• Steaming out any wrinkles yourself (either with a small travel steamer or the reliable standby of hanging your garment in the bathroom during a long shower).
• Airing out your suit overnight before stashing it back in its bag (to avoid trapping any residual moisture or telltale smells).
• Attempting to spot clean a small stain yourself. A little mud on the ankle or a splash of sauce at dinner doesn't always warrant a full cleaning.

• Things you don't want to see.

• Indentations. The garment was likely pressed carelessly, leaving imprints around collars, pockets or buttons.
• Puckering. If a garment is cleaned or dried at the wrong temperature it can warp the threads.
• Glossy fabric. Pressing the fabric too hard can crush the fibers making a garment look shiny (and cheap).