Suits, jackets and tailoring
Structured garments with canvas and shoulder pads come out clean and back in shape with tension finishing.
Professional wet cleaning
The solvent free alternative to dry cleaning for suits, wool, silk and delicates.
Girbau wet cleaning washers, dryers, finishing and chemistry as one system.
Programmed, installed and serviced Australia wide.
Everything a dry cleaner does, with water instead of solvent
Wet cleaning is a professional, water-based process for the garments people used to think only a dry cleaner could handle. Tailored suits, wool coats, cashmere, silk, beaded evening wear, down jackets and delicate household textiles all clean safely in water when the machine, the chemistry, the drying and the finishing are engineered for it.
That is the difference between a wet clean and a gentle wash. A Girbau wet cleaning washer holds drum speed, water level and temperature to a program, doses specialist detergents and conditioners automatically, and hands the garment to a moisture-sensing dryer and tension finishing that put it back exactly in shape.
For dry cleaners it means leaving perc behind. For hotels, aged care and laundries it means bringing garment care in house. Aqualogic supplies the complete system alongside our commercial washers, dryers and finishing equipment.
97%
Of garments can be wet cleaned
50%
Less wear on delicate garments
30%
Energy saved per cycle
0
Solvents on site
What makes a wet cleaning machine different
Programmable drum speed
From a near-still soak to a full extract, set per program so wool never sees agitation it cannot take.
Precise water levels
High float for delicates, low for suits. The garment floats instead of tumbling.
Cool, controlled temperature
Cold and warm programs hold temperature to the degree, so no felting and no colour loss.
Dosed specialist chemistry
Wet cleaning detergents, conditioners and finishers dosed automatically for repeatable results.
Moisture-sensing drying
The dryer stops at set residual moisture, ready for finishing, never bone dry.
How it works
The wet cleaning process, step by step
01
Sort and pre-spot
Garments are classified by fibre, construction and soil, then spotted with water-based agents before washing.
02
Wet clean wash
A programmable Girbau washer runs the right water level, drum speed, temperature and dosed chemistry for that class of garment.
03
Controlled dry
A humidity-sensing dryer brings the garment to residual moisture at low heat, protecting fibres and dimensions.
04
Tension finish
Form finishers, toppers and presses restore shape, remove creases and give the crisp result a customer expects.
Trusted by Australia's busiest laundries
Leading Australian businesses in accommodation and care environments trust Aqualogic to keep their laundries running.
What you can wet clean
From tailored suits to silk and down
Wool, cashmere and knitwear
Cold water, near-still drum action and no over-drying keep wool soft and stop felting.
Silk, lace and evening wear
Beaded and delicate pieces are floated, not tumbled, and water lifts stains solvent leaves behind.
Uniforms and workwear
Hotel, hospitality and corporate uniforms cleaned in house with a fast, reliable turnaround.
Down, technical and outdoor wear
Down jackets and membrane garments cleaned and re-lofted without solvent damage to coatings.
Household textiles
Curtains, blankets, bedspreads and doonas that are too big or too delicate for a standard wash.
Wet cleaning vs dry cleaning
Why operators are moving away from perc
| Factor | Wet cleaning | Dry cleaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning medium | Water plus specialist chemistry | Solvent (perc or hydrocarbon) |
| Water-soluble stains | Removed: sweat, food, drink, body oils | Often left behind without pre-spotting |
| Oil-based stains | Removed with pre-spotting | Removed |
| Odour on garments | None, fresh finish | Solvent odour common |
| Site requirements | Water, drain, power, ventilation | Solvent storage, licensing, extraction, waste disposal |
| Staff exposure | None from solvents | Regulated exposure limits |
| Customer positioning | Eco friendly, solvent free | Traditional |
| Typical turnaround | Same day, two hour possible | Same day to next day |
The complete system
Four parts, supplied as one package
Wet cleaning only works when every stage is designed for it. We supply, program and commission all four together.
Wet cleaning washer extractor
A Girbau Genius washer with variable drum speed, precise water level and temperature control, a Care Plus drum that protects fibres and the Genius Wash system that adapts water and chemistry to each load.
- 450G extraction for faster, gentler drying
- Care Plus drum protects delicate fibres
- Automatic dosing, programs per garment class
Moisture-sensing dryer
A dryer that reads residual moisture and stops at the set point, at low temperature, with reversing drum action.
- Residual moisture control
- Low temperature programs
- Reversing drum for delicates
Finishing equipment
Form finishers, trouser toppers, utility presses and spotting boards from Pony restore shape and crispness.
- Form finisher for jackets and coats
- Trouser topper
- Utility press and spotting board
Chemistry and training
Professional wet cleaning detergents, conditioners and finishing agents, plus hands-on training for your team.
- Detergent, conditioner and finisher set
- Spotting kit
- Operator training and Laundry Education support
Making the switch
Already a dry cleaner? Transition without rebuilding
Wet cleaning does not ask you to change your business model, just improve it. Around 80% of stains are water soluble, so most of what comes over your counter cleans better in water than it ever did in solvent.
- Compact, programmable machines, no heavy foundations or building works
- Specialist training for your team, on site, from the first load
- Lower water, energy and chemical use than the solvent machine it replaces
- No perc storage, licensing, waste contracts or solvent odour
Connected laundry
Monitor every cycle with Girbau Sapphire
Sapphire, Girbau's remote management platform, lets you watch the whole washing process in real time, from loading through to disinfection and energy consumption. Fewer errors, full traceability across every cycle, and the documentation quality auditors and customers increasingly ask for.
- Real time monitoring of every cycle
- Traceability records per load
- Early alerts before issues become breakdowns
Why Aqualogic
What you actually get with a wet cleaning system
Solvent free, from day one
No perc, no hydrocarbon, no solvent storage or waste contract. A cleaner site and a cleaner story for your customers.
- No solvent licensing or disposal
- Lower insurance and compliance load
- Marketable eco friendly positioning
Better results on the stains that matter
Water removes the sweat, food and drink stains that make up most of a garment's soil, and solvent misses.
- Brighter whites and colours
- No solvent odour
- Fewer re-cleans and complaints
Programmed for your garment mix
We build and load the programs, set the dosing and dial in the dryer so results repeat from the first week.
- Programs commissioned on site
- Dosing calibrated to your chemistry
- Dryer moisture set points tuned per class
One supplier for machines, chemistry and service
Aqualogic supplies the washer, dryer, finishing and detergents, installs them and keeps them running.
- Installation and commissioning
- Preventative maintenance programs
- 24/7 urgent repairs, local parts
Who runs wet cleaning
Dry cleaners and laundromatsReplace perc, add a garment care service and a solvent free story.Hotels and hospitalityGuest valet and uniforms cleaned in house, same day.Aged care and healthcareResidents' woollens and structured clothing cared for on site.Central laundriesAdd a garment line to a linen operation without solvent infrastructure.
Google Reviews
4.8
Verified Google reviews
The equipment has been excellent, and the after-sales support has impressed us just as much.
Bubble Tub Laundromat
Laundromat, Lidcombe NSW
This is our fourth machine Aqualogic have supplied and installed, and we have always been delighted.
Keith Somerville
Laundrowash, Unanderra NSW
The equipment has been excellent, and the after-sales support has impressed us just as much.
Bubble Tub Laundromat
Laundromat, Lidcombe NSW
This is our fourth machine Aqualogic have supplied and installed, and we have always been delighted.
Keith Somerville
Laundrowash, Unanderra NSW
The regular maintenance and prompt responses keep our laundry running smoothly without any disruptions.
Coffs Coast Holiday Parks
Holiday parks, Coffs Harbour NSW
Wet cleaning FAQs
Professional wet cleaning is a water-based process for garments that would traditionally go to a dry cleaner. A programmable washer extractor with precise drum speed, water level and temperature control, specialist detergents and conditioners, a humidity-controlled dryer and tensioning finishing equipment together clean wool, silk, suits, leather trims and structured garments safely, with no solvent.
No. Dry cleaning uses a solvent, usually perchloroethylene or a hydrocarbon, in a closed machine. Wet cleaning uses water with gentle mechanical action and specialist chemistry. Both target the same garments; wet cleaning does it without solvent handling, solvent storage, licensing or the odour that comes home with a dry cleaned suit.
Yes. Structured jackets, tailored trousers, wool coats and knitwear are the core of a wet cleaning workload. The key is a washer with very low drum speed and precise water level, a dryer that stops at residual moisture, and a form finisher or tensioning press that restores shape. That is exactly what a Girbau wet cleaning system is built for.
Yes. Silk, cashmere, lace and beaded garments respond well to wet cleaning when the machine can run a near-still soak with controlled temperature and a low-speed extract. Many delicate garments come out brighter than they would from solvent, because water lifts water-soluble stains such as sweat, food and drink that solvents leave behind.
Perchloroethylene is a regulated chemical with handling, storage, disposal and workplace exposure obligations, and many landlords and councils now restrict it. Wet cleaning removes solvent from the site entirely, lowers insurance and compliance cost, is easier to staff, and gives you a story customers actively look for: eco friendly, solvent free garment care.
A wet cleaning washer extractor with programmable drum speed and water level, a moisture-sensing dryer, a set of professional wet cleaning detergents and conditioners, and finishing equipment such as a form finisher, trouser topper and utility press. We supply the full system as a package and program it for your garment mix.
A complete entry system for a small dry cleaner or hotel valet, washer, dryer and finishing, generally lands in the mid five figures installed. Larger throughput systems with multiple machines and automated finishing run higher. Finance and rental options are available and we quote each site individually.
Wash cycles run from 15 to 40 minutes depending on the program, followed by 20 to 40 minutes of controlled drying and a few minutes of finishing per garment. Same day turnaround is standard and many operators offer a two-hour service for suits.
Very. Hotels use wet cleaning for guest valet and staff uniforms, keeping the service in house instead of sending it out. Aged care and healthcare use it for residents' woollens and structured personal clothing, where thermal disinfection and gentle handling both matter.
Not when the machine, chemistry and drying are set up properly. Shrinkage comes from heat, agitation and over-drying. A wet cleaning system controls all three: cool water, near-still drum movement and a dryer that stops at set residual moisture, then tensioning finishing that restores the original dimensions.
Often, yes. If you already run a programmable Girbau washer we can load wet cleaning programs and add the right chemistry, dryer settings and finishing. If your existing machines lack the drum speed and water level control needed, we will recommend the smallest system that gets you there.
Yes. Every system we install comes with hands-on training in garment sorting, program selection, spotting, drying and finishing, plus ongoing support through our Laundry Education program. Wet cleaning is a skill; we make sure your team has it before we leave.