Are there green dry cleaners?
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 09.17.07
Contrary to what its name implies, dry cleaning involves washing clothes in a liquid solvent to remove stains. In about 85 percent of dry cleaning shops this solvent is perchloroethylene (or “perc”), a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers both a health and environmental hazard.
Dry cleaning is not always necessary; clothing makers often place the “dry clean only” label on tags because they can list no more than one cleaning method and can be held liable if an item is damaged when the owner follows the listed procedure. Yet many of these items can be safely washed at home, either by hand or using a washing machine’s delicate cycle. For clothes that must be professionally cleaned due to their size, fabric, decorations, or other factors, there is no perfect solution, but you could consider using a cleaner that offers one of the following perc-free methods.
The EPA has a PDF list of drycleaners that use two alternative methods – wet cleaning and CO2 cleaning.
Wet cleaning uses water, along with computer-controlled washers and dryers, specialized detergents that are milder than home laundry products, and professional pressing and finishing equipment. The EPA considers it one of the safest professional cleaning methods; its benefits include “no hazardous chemical use, no hazardous waste generation, no air pollution and reduced potential for water and soil contamination.”
Carbon dioxide (CO2) cleaning uses non-toxic, liquid CO2—the same form used to carbonate soda—as the cleaning solvent, along with detergent. The CO2 is captured as a by-product of existing industrial processes, thereby utilizing emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere; since only about two percent of the CO2 is lost into the air with each load of clothing, its impact on global warming is minimal. CO2 cleaning also uses less energy than traditional dry cleaning, which involves heating the solvent.
Not all cleaning methods advertised as “green” are as environmentally benign as they may seem. For example, a solvent called DF-2000 being touted as an “organic” dry cleaning fluid is actually a petroleum product. It is indeed organic in the same way gasoline and perc are organic: it contains a chain of carbon atoms. The word “organic” has a much different meaning when it comes to food that’s been certified organic by the USDA.
so this post helps me exactly how?
I saw a dry cleaner in Sacramento advertising that they were green and didn't use "Perc". I don't live in the area, so I didn't check it out further, but I thought it was an interesting idea. I'm glad to read more about what makes it different.
thanks--some friends and i have an ongoing dialogue about drycleaners. there are several in our neighborhood that call themselves "organic drycleaners" or "environmentally-friendly", but with little clarity on either of those labels. as with all other "responsible" purchasing decisions--asking questions is the most important thing we can do! it shows interest in responsible products and helps businesses guide their products/services towards what shoppers want.
I suppose, you could look at the linked PDF and see if there are any dry cleaners using more responsible cleaning methods. You could also contact your state representative and see if the state legislature has any plans on banning Perc like California did earlier this year.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16816627/
Or you could do what I do and refuse to buy any garment that says Dry Clean Only on the label.
Hurray for CO2. It will also save/lengthen a lot of lives in the dry cleaning business. Perc is horrible stuff, and dry cleaners are often new immigrants/family businesses less likely to follow hazard precautions.
It helps us realize that, should we need a delicate garmet cleaned, there are options that pollute less than traditional dry cleaning.
My phone book has cleaners that advertise eco-friendly cleaning services. Now I can ask them what they mean by that and find the one that is best for me.
Peter, are you saying you already knew everything written in this blog article? If so, great! Maybe you should be writing for TreeHugger. Or are you saying you don't have any clothes marked "dry clean only" and therefore have no need for dry cleaning?
Personally, I learned that not all clothes marked "dry clean only" really have to be dry cleaned. I also learned that the EPA maintains a list of dry cleaners that use alternative (presumably more eco-friendly) methods. That was worth the 20 seconds it took me to read the blog.
Even the CO2 and other green cleaners use alot of energy to clean our clothes, plus they charge alot to do it. I used to take my clothes to the dry cleaner all the time. But I realized that most of the time the clothes were not stained or dirty, they just needed to be freshened up. I tried a d-i-y dry cleaning product (Dry Cleaner's Secret) I found at the supermarket. It worked great, I would recommend it.
I went to a convention called TexCare over the past weekend. They introduce a lot of new ideas for the drycleaning industry.
They had two nPB-based solvents being showcased that directly replace PERC: Fabrisolv, and Drysolv. This solvent does all the work PERC does but it's not hazardous or anything.
My family's been dealing with PERC for years and I hate the stuff. I smelled the Fabrisolv and it smells like normal rubbing alcohol. I think it's gonna be the most practical option for replacing PERC.
There seems to be another option missing from this great article. GreenEarth Cleaning. Our green dry cleaner (Greensleeves Garment Care) uses both Wet Cleaning and GreenEarth. Reference to the EPA site is helpful but it’s a list from 2003. What also was missed is that CO2 cleaning requires the use of V.O.C. (volatile organic compound) as a cleaning agent to help the cleaning process with CO2. This process releasing CO2 into the air. How is this better? It might be an improvement, but not the savior for the dry cleaning industry.
There seems to be another option missing from this great article. GreenEarth Cleaning. Our green dry cleaner (Greensleeves Garment Care) uses both Wet Cleaning and GreenEarth. Reference to the EPA site is helpful but it’s a list from 2003. What also was missed is that CO2 cleaning requires the use of V.O.C. (volatile organic compound) as a cleaning agent to help the cleaning process with CO2. This process releasing CO2 into the air. How is this better? It might be an improvement, but not the savior for the dry cleaning industry.
If you want to Dry Clean your garments using a environmentally friendly method, you can google DIY Drycleaning or go to the website that has just the best eco tips - www.ecobites.com
This link will help you with your eco drycleaning... http://ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/1133-diy-dry-cleaning
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