Whirlpool launches Prêt-Ã-Porter ‘dry-cleaning’ cubicle

Whirlpool, the white goods brand, has developed a new laundry product that aims to reduce consumers’ ironing load and dry-cleaning bills.

Called Whirlpool Prêt-à-Porter, the launch will be rolled out across Europe this month. It is one of Whirlpool’s key launches for the year and will be supported by a multi-million pound advertising campaign. The brand’s advertising is handled by Publicis and media is through Zenith Optimedia.

The Whirlpool Prêt-à-Porter is a fabric-freshening cubicle that helps to remove creases, wrinkles and odours from clothes. It will work on a number of fabrics including silks, wool, synthetics and dry-clean only garments.

The Prêt-à-Porter works by steaming the clothes to reduce wrinkles and break down odour molecules. It uses a combination of steam and a water repellent bag, called the Smart Steam System, to remove the creases and smells without harming the fabric. It also claims to have developed new technology called ” 6th Sense”, which allows it automatically to calculate the amount of steam needed to clean the item from the amount of water put in.

The product comes with two special hangers, which are designed to hold different types of clothing, and two weighted clips that can be attached to heavier garments. The Prêt-à-Porter can be folded away for easy storage.