Dry Cleaning Cost in India: What Affects Pricing

Dry Cleaning Cost in India: What Affects Pricing?
Dry Cleaning Cost in India: What Affects Pricing?

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Dry cleaning has grown from a luxury item to a necessity in the life of an Indian household. The ever-changing lifestyle of people has necessitated the luxury of fabrics like dry cleaning and designer clothing with less time to spend on clothes.

Nonetheless, there is one question that remains constant and asks, ‘what is the cost of dry cleaning in India and how does this cost differ with respect to cleaners?’

The cost of dry cleaning a shirt may vary, with some dry cleaners charging ₹150, while others may demand ₹400 just to dry clean the same item. The cost of saree dry cleaning varies between ₹800 to ₹3,000 or even higher.

This is a detailed guide to understand the cost of dry cleaning in country “India,” factors influencing costs, charges on a garment-by-garment basis, city-specific variations, and how to select a dry cleaner without overpaying.

Wondering if your dry cleaning is worth the price?

What Is Dry Cleaning?

It is the method of cleaning that uses chemical solvent or solvents instead of water to clean clothes. It is totally different from regular cleaning of clothes, as regular clothes use water as the medium of necessary cleaning. But dry clothes use non-water based solvents that help in the technique of dissolving dirt on your clothes without any shrinkage.During the process of dry cleaning, we use perchloroethylene as the medium; however, nowadays we have the alternatives as well.

Dry cleaning is commonly used for:

  • Silk sarees

  • Woollen suits

  • Designer lehengas

  • Blazers and jackets

  • Embroidered ethnic wear

  • Winter wear and curtains

Read More: What is Dry Cleaning: Know About Its Process

Why Is Dry Cleaning Cost Higher Than Regular Laundry?

Customers are also wondering why it is really expensive to have their shirts and other materials dry-cleaning done as opposed to regular washing.

Main Reasons behind Increase in Dry Cleaning Services Charges:

  • Use of specialised cleaning agents
  • Imported machines and maintenance
  • Trained fabric care professionals
  • Hand Inspection and Stain Treatment
  • Controlled Drying and Finishing
  • Quality check and packaging

All these steps ensure fabric safety, longevity, as well as a premium finish, which has a direct association with pricing.

Shrink-free curtain cleaning!

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Dry Cleaning Cost in India: Average Price Range

Here is a general overview of dry cleaning charges in India:

Garment

Average Cost

Shirt / Top

₹150 – ₹350

Trousers / Jeans

₹180 – ₹400

Blazer / Jacket

₹450 – ₹1,200

Suit (2-piece)

₹700 – ₹1,500

Saree

₹800 – ₹3,000

Lehenga

₹2,000 – ₹8,000+

Woollen Sweater

₹400 – ₹900

Curtains (per panel)

₹500 – ₹1,500

Blanket / Comforter

₹800 – ₹2,500

Prices may vary based on fabric type, city, stain condition, and service provider.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have much time to invest in stain removal and cleaning, then you can seek professional help like Tumbledry Dry Cleaning Service for spotless cleaning with free pickup and delivery service.

Key Factors That Affect Dry Cleaning Cost in India

1. Fabric Type

Fabric is the biggest pricing factor in dry cleaning.

Delicate fabrics cost more, such as:

  • Silk

  • Wool

  • Velvet

  • Linen

  • Organza

  • Chiffon

These fabrics require:

  • Gentle solvent action

  • Lower machine agitation

  • Longer drying cycles

  • Manual finishing

This is why dry cleaning silk sarees or wool suits costs significantly more than cotton garments.

2. Garment Complexity

A simple garment costs less to clean than a complex one.

Examples:

  • Plain cotton shirt vs embroidered kurta

  • Regular saree vs heavy designer saree

  • Casual jacket vs structured blazer

Garments with:

  • Multiple layers

  • Heavy embroidery

  • Beadwork or sequins

require additional care, increasing the dry cleaning cost.

3. Stain Type & Condition

Not all stains are equal.

Difficult stains include:

  • Oil and grease

  • Makeup and foundation

  • Ink stains

  • Wine and food stains

  • Sweat yellowing

Advanced stain removal increases cost due to:

  • Pre-treatment chemicals

  • Extra labour

  • Multiple cleaning cycles

4. City & Location-Based Pricing

Dry cleaning cost varies across Indian cities.

City Type

Price Level

Metro cities (Mumbai, Delhi)

High

Tier-1 cities (Bangalore, Pune)

Medium

Tier-2 cities

Medium–Low

Higher rents, labour costs, and logistics in metro cities contribute to higher prices.

5. Local Dry Cleaner vs Branded Chain

Parameter

Local Dry Cleaner

Branded Chain (e.g., Tumbledry)

Pricing

Low–Medium

Transparent & standardised

Fabric expertise

Limited

Professional

Stain treatment

Basic

Advanced

Damage liability

Rare

Covered

Hygiene standards

Inconsistent

High

Pickup & delivery

Limited

Available

While local cleaners may charge less, branded dry cleaners offer consistency, garment safety, and accountability.

6. Cleaning Technology & Solvents

Different dry cleaners use different technologies:

  • Traditional solvents

  • Hydrocarbon cleaning

  • Eco-friendly solvents

Green dry cleaning costs more but offers:

  • Better fabric compatibility

  • Reduced chemical residue

  • Environment safety

Premium brands invest in advanced technology, influencing pricing.

7. Pickup & Delivery Convenience

Doorstep pickup and delivery saves time but adds logistics cost.

However, for busy professionals and families, the convenience often outweighs the slight price difference.

Dry Cleaning Cost by Garment Type (Detailed)

Shirts & Tops

  • Regular cotton shirt: ₹150 – ₹250

  • Stained or delicate shirt: ₹250 – ₹350

Suits & Blazers

  • 2-piece suit: ₹700 – ₹1,500

  • 3-piece suit: ₹1,200 – ₹2,000

Sarees

  • Cotton saree: ₹800 – ₹1,200

  • Silk saree: ₹1,500 – ₹3,000

  • Designer saree: ₹2,500+

Lehenga & Bridal Wear

  • Simple lehenga: ₹2,000 – ₹4,000

  • Heavy bridal lehenga: ₹5,000 – ₹10,000+

Home Furnishings

  • Curtains: ₹500 – ₹1,500 per panel

Comforters & blankets: ₹800 – ₹2,500

Hidden Costs in Dry Cleaning You Should Know

Dry cleaning cost can increase during:

  • Wedding season

  • Festive season

  • Winter months (jackets & woollens)

High demand often leads to slightly higher prices, especially for premium garments.

Common Mistakes That Increase Dry Cleaning Bills

  • Delaying stain treatment

  • Ignoring care labels

  • Using perfume or deodorant directly on fabric

  • Dry cleaning garments unnecessarily

Proper garment care can reduce dry cleaning frequency and costs.

Dry Cleaning vs Laundry Cost Comparison

Service

Cost

Best For

Regular Laundry

Low

Daily wear

Dry Cleaning

Medium–High

Premium & delicate garments

Using dry cleaning only when required helps optimise clothing care expenses.

Is Dry Cleaning Worth the Cost?

For expensive, delicate, and structured garments, yes.

Benefits include:

  • Longer garment life

  • Fabric shape retention

  • Better hygiene

  • Professional finish

In the long run, professional dry cleaning can save replacement costs.

Why Choose Tumbledry for Dry Cleaning?

  • Tumbledry is among India’s most trusted dry cleaning chains, offering:

    • Advanced fabric-care technology

    • Transparent pricing

    • Professional handling

    • Doorstep pickup & delivery

    • Nationwide presence

    With Tumbledry, you get the right balance of cost, quality, and convenience.

Get 20% off on first order with Tumbledry

Conclusion

Understanding how much it costs to dry clean in India gives you empowerment to better care for your garments. Unless you’re dealing with fabrics that are specific to particular cities and specific providers of service in India, it’s important to note that good dry cleaning chains will guarantee garment safety in the end.”

Rather than choosing a dry cleaning service based on price alone, try choosing a service based on value, expertise, and trust, given that one’s garments are important and need to be treated with care.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not necessarily purport to reflect the values or views of Tumbledry.

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Curtain Cleaning by Fabric Type

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Our 7 Step Process For Spotless Shining Shoes!

Seven Step Process 2

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  • Inspection

    Shoe material analyzed to decide the cleaning methodology.

  • Dismantling

    The laces, sole, and other removable parts are separated to be cleaned individually.

  • Deep Cleaning & Stain Removal

    Any spots or stains are removed with German organic chemicals.

  • Deodorize (Anti-bacterial Treatment)

    All the bacteria, viruses and bad odor is eliminated.

  • Drying

    Shoes are Air Dried, Blow Dried, or Sun Dried depending on the skin type.

  • Shoe Nourishment

    Shoe skin is nourished & enriched with our unique natural oil based polish

  • Assembly

    Once polish is dried, our experts reassemble all shoe parts and pack them for delivery.

Try it once to feel the difference

Carpet Cleaning

Carpet Dry Cleaning Service by Tumbledry

An intense, deep-cleaning of carpets to restore their original glory

We specialize in dry cleaning of Persian rugs, silk & Turkish carpets, and all other premium, imported rugs of nylon, wool, cotton, polyester and olefin.

  • 100% carpet fabric color & luster preserved
  • Eco-friendly, pet and child-safe detergents
  • Anti germ treatment & deodorization
  • Mold damage reversal
  • Complimentary border pasting

WOOLENS DRY CLEANING​

shutterstock 1658641876

Our Woolmark approved Lagoon system is the world’s most advanced and eco-friendly technology for dry cleaning woolen garments – sweaters, coats, furs, shawls, pashmina, and jackets.

Your woolen garments will be delivered stain free, and will retain their original texture, smoothness, fluffiness, shape & size. Our advanced systems and processes ensure zero shrinkage.

For expensive and delicate woolens like furs & pashmina, we use special eco-friendly chemicals from Germany which are of neutral ph, and form a protective covering around wool fiber to maintain its shine & lustre after dry cleaning.

CURTAIN CLEANING​

curtain dry cleaning and laundry service

Premium curtain dry cleaning service service with facility to remove the curtains from rods and install them back after dry cleaning.

  • Processing as per curtain fabric type (silk, velvet, blackout etc)
  • Zero shrinkage guaranteed with our Italian technology
  • 99% stain removal promise
  • 100% shine & lustre maintained with our German organic chemicals
  • Crisp, wrinkle free steam iron
  • Complimentary curtain ring replacement

Leather Dry Cleaning

Leather Dry Cleaning at Tumbledry

Professional leather dry cleaning for jackets, bags, purses, clutches, wallets, belts, shoes, boots and stilettos.

Protect your leather items from dirt, dust, oil stains, perspiration, dehydration, mold & mildew.

Our expert leather care technicians inspect each item with utmost care to assess the color, shade, and type of leather, and accordingly decide the most appropriate treatment.

Complimentary conditioning and polishing to ensure smooth & shining finish

Shoes/Bag Cleaning & Restoration

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Experts in dry cleaning of Sports, Canvass, Leather, Suede, Nubuck Shoes, Sneakers, Boots, Sandals and Canvass, Jute, Leather & Suede Bags

    • Gentle chemicals and conditioners to maintain the color & fabric.
    • Mink & Lanolin Oil Nourishment
    • Spotless cleaning of laces, straps, insoles, and inner lining
    • Disinfection with our German deodorizers

Following Restoration Services are also available:

    • Sole pasting
    • Inner sole replacement
    • Damaged collar replacement
    • Inner lining replacement
    • Heel replacement
    • Sole replacement
    • Re coloring
    • Laces replacement

Haute CouturE Dry CleaniNG

Men Dry Cleaning 4 min

Want to restore the glory of your haute couture? Look no further than Tumbledry!

We have a separate team of processing experts who handle your most expensive silk, bridal & designer wear for dry cleaning. Each Haute Couture article is given a customized treatment in our state of the art dry cleaning facility.

Our team has more than a decade experience of dry cleaning most delicate and expensive silk sarees, including: Banarasi silk, Kanjivaram/Kanchipuram silk, Baluchari silk, Bomkai silk, Tussar silk, Chanderi silk, Dharmavaram silk, Banglori silk, Mysore silk, and Patola silk.

Be it Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Masaba Gupta, or Sabyasachi Mukherjee – we have got tons of experience dry cleaning fashion articles from most popular designer houses. We understand the nuances of the make and design, as well as the fabric structure used by these designer houses – and this enables us to give the perfect treatment to these haute couture articles