Due to my job, 75 percent of my closet is “dry clean only.” Needless to say, I was very excited when Dryel hit the market about eight years ago. This product promises dry cleaner results using your dryer at a remarkable savings. A few years later, a competitor appeared on the market, Dry Cleaner’s Secret.
I’ve used both products and, predictable, found pros and cons with each. The good news is that both Dryel and Dry Cleaner’s Secret can help you reduce your dry cleaning bill significantly. More than that, both make it incredibly convenient to do some of your non-dry cleaning garments. Here’s an honest assessment of both, broken down by consumer interest areas.
HOW THEY WORK: Both Dryel and Dry Cleaner’s Secret bring one of the main tools of professional dry cleaners to your home: steam cleaning. Damp pads of cleaning solution are in sealed envelopes. Put your clothing in the dryer, add the pad and your dryer basically steam cleans your clothes. Both products leave your clothes clean with a fresh scent. No cigarette smokes or perfume remnants remain. Clothes almost always come out without needed ironing and ready-to-wear. Dryel requires 30 minutes in the dryer; Dry Cleaner’s Secret only requires 20. For best results, remove the clothes just a few minutes before the timer goes off.
CONVENIENCE: By allowing you to do dry-cleaning at home, the convenience of either product can’t be overstated. You can literally pull an outfit out of the hamper, wrinkled and dirty, and 20 minutes later…you’ve got a fresh outfit. The convenience factor is so great that I find myself cleaning some clothes this way that don’t have to be dry-cleaned. It’s that easy. Dry Cleaner’s Secret gets the edge on this one. You don’t have to worry about the bag.
PRICE: Both are very close in price. After the initial purchase, you can do 24 pieces of laundry for $9.99. The same number done at a professional dry cleaner will easily cost near $50 or more. Your first purchase of Dryel will be a little higher. The starter set, which includes a bag and a stain removal kit, allows you to do 16 garments for $9.99. Once that starter set is purchased, both Dryel and Dry Cleaner’s Secret are $9.99. A good shopper can often find them on sale for $7.99 at CVS, Walgreen’s and Rite Aid. Both call for dry cleaning four garments per load. In my experience, this has held true for both Dryel and Dry Cleaner’s Secret if you’re cleaning pants, jackets, sweaters and other heavy items. If you’re dry-cleaning lighter items, you can often sneak in another item or two.
STAINS: Let’s face it. Most professional dry cleaners have problems with many stains. The same is true with Dry Cleaner’s Secret and Dryel. Both have instructions on stain removal, but the two products vary greatly. Dry Cleaner’s Secret suggests you the damp rag on the stain. Dryel’s stain-removal system is a little more advanced and has given me better results. It comes with a bottle of solution and an absorbing pad. You rub the solution on the stain with the pad located behind the stain. I’ve been able to get many tough stains out with this. In this category: I give Dryel the edge in this category.
WHEN THEY DON’T WORK: I don’t use either product with lined suits or with linen. I think these fabrics should be dry-cleaned and could actually be damaged by these products. The packaging on both products suggests you test a small area of the fabric first. I think you should just use common sense. Rayon is a go; silk is not. A man’s tie will do fine with either product. A sports coat? No. Leather? No.
In closing, it’s hard for me to choose one. I have both in my laundry room now. I probably use Dry Cleaner’s Secret more as I find it on sale more often. And it’s just a tad easier to throw your clothes in there without the bag. And you don’t have to worry about when the bag needs to be replaced. I do keep some Dryel on hand to take care of any stains.
