Have you ever wondered how green is drycleaning is? That all depends on what is being used to clean your clothes. If your drycleaner is like 85% of the 35,000 drycleaners in the US, perchloroethylene (PERC) is the main solvent used. PERC is a volatile organic compound (VOC) and has been associated with the following symptoms: skin, eye, nose and throat irritation, reduced fertility, headaches, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness. There is also a link to liver and kidney damage, and cancer in people who have exposed to PERC on a long-term basis. It is, of course, most toxic to those who work with it at the drycleaners but the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that PERC residue have been found in homes where clothes that have been drycleaned are stored.
There are several alternatives to PERC but there are varying opinions about how environmentally friendly they are.
1. GreenEarth is a silicone-based solvent made from siloxane (also known as D-5). While no chemicals are involved in the dry cleaning process, recent research revealed that female rats that came in contact with D-5 were at a higher risk of uterine cancer. It is worth researching this product further before using it in place of PERC.
2. Wet Cleaning involves using water, biodegradable soaps and conditioners along with computer-controlled washing machines. Again, there seems to be some disagreement as to whether this type cleaning is as effective as drycleaning. It is definitely non-toxic and worth checking into.
3. Liquid carbon dioxide is pressurized CO2 that has the advantage of being a non-toxic, efficient method of cleaning clothes. It is the one dry cleaning method that really does seem to do what it says it will do. The one disadvantage is that the CO2 cleaning machines are more expensive than the standard dry cleaning machines and therefore may be more expensive for the consumer.
While these are the three main environmentally-friendly alternatives that the dry cleaning industry is using to replace PERC, here are few more suggestions that you can try at home:
- Hang up your clothes immediately after you have worn them, air them out before putting them back in the closet, and don’t wear them two days in a row.
- If possible, treat spills immediately.
- You can hand wash some dry clean only clothes.
If dry cleaning is the only option your have for some special garments, be sure to discuss green alternatives with them so you can be as well informed as possible. Try to choose the greenest possible choice for own health and for the safety of the environment.
