Dry cleaning is often the best way to keep your clothes clean, looking good and in great condition. For some fabrics, it's an optional but effective way of caring for them, while for others, it's an essential part of their upkeep.

Because getting to the dry cleaners can be a bit of a hassle, especially if you don't live nearby, people often save up a few garments so they can take them in at once. Sometimes, this can even save you money if there's a bulk deal available.

If you're taking a load of clothing to be dry cleaned, make sure you minimise the risk of damage by preparing your laundry beforehand.

Check pockets thoroughly

Although a dry cleaner will often notice anything that's been left in pockets, they're busy people and you shouldn't take it for granted.

It may not sound like a big deal, but items like pens and keys can easily damage clothing when they're left in pockets. During the dry cleaning process, you may end up with torn patches, so avoid it by giving all of your pockets a proper check.

Keep everything zipped up

Zippers are sharp, and they're liable to damage either the garment they're a part of or others around them. Even just bundling clothing together in a bag to take to the cleaner's can be the source of damage.

There's a simple solution to this problem, though: zip them up. When zippers are in the closed position, there's a much lower risk of those sharp metal teeth causing damage to fabrics.

Double-check your fabrics

Dry cleaning is perfect for delicate fabrics that can't be washed in a normal machine, like silk and wool. Because of this, you might think anything is suitable for the process, but that's not quite true.

The main issue is plastic-based synthetic materials, some of which can be damaged if they're dry cleaned. Go through all the clothing you're planning to take in and check the materials. If there's anything you're not sure about, keep it separate and ask about it when you get to the dry cleaning company.

Deal with stains quickly

Unlike the other items on this list, this one isn't something you can do just before you take your clothes for cleaning.

Although dry cleaning is great at getting out stains, it's not magic. If stains have been left to set into the fabric, there's a higher risk of them being left after cleaning. Do your best to minimise the appearance of stains quickly and you'll have a higher chance of dry cleaning success.