Here’s a great article to help our customers understand the lowdown on which dry cleaning methods are best for people and the planet.
If you are like many Americans, you’re bound to have a few items around the house that can’t be laundered in the weekly wash. And while you may have detected the faint whiff of chemicals when you picked up your freshly dry cleaned sweater last week, perhaps you didn’t think much of it. But it’s something to be concerned about.
Are Your Clothes Full of Perc?
Perc is a synthetic, volatile organic compound (VOC) that poses a health risk. Minimal contact can cause dizziness and nausea. Perc has been identified as a “probable” human carcinogen. It can enter the body through inhalation or dermal exposure from clothes brought home.
What Are Your Options?
The good news is that there are nontoxic cleaning alternatives like professional wet cleaning and liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) cleaning.
1. Professional Wet Cleaning
This is a safe, energy-efficient method using water as a solvent with special conditioners. Clothes are laundered in computer-controlled machines that gently clean fabrics. Because it is free of VOCs, it eliminates health risks and is safe for "Dry Clean Only" garments.
2. Liquid CO2 Cleaning
This method uses pressurized liquid CO2. It is nonflammable and nontoxic. However, the machinery is extremely expensive ($40,000+), so few cleaners adopt it.
Beware of "Greenwashing"
Some methods claim to be green but aren't:
- Hydrocarbon: A petroleum-based solvent. Not truly organic and is a greenhouse gas source.
- GreenEarth (Siloxane D-5): Created by Dow Corning. Studies have linked D-5 to increased cancer risk in rats, and its manufacturing releases carcinogenic dioxin.
- Solvair: Uses dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether (DPnB), a suspected neurotoxin. Better than perc, but not truly non-toxic.
Conclusion: Next time you spill coffee on your “Dry Clean Only” sweater, choose a cleaner that uses Organic Wet Cleaning to protect your health and the environment.