Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. It is used to clean fabrics that degrade in water, and delicate fabrics that cannot withstand the rough and tumble of a washing machine and clothes dryer. It can eliminate labor-intensive hand washing. Despite its name, dry cleaning is not a “dry” process; clothes are soaked in a liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), which the industry calls “perc”, is the most widely used solvent.