Wet Cleaning and Dry Cleaning Alternatives

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Wet Cleaning and Dry Cleaning Alternatives

_http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/wetclean_

(http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/wetclean)

 

A Reader Writes The Green Guide:

 

It has been quite a while since you addressed environmentally safe dry

cleaning alternatives. Can you please help me wade through all the possible

choices? No one in my area seems to use " wet cleaning " as recommended by Green

Peace. But I have found a cleaner that uses DF2000 and cleaners that use Green

Cleaning Technology.

 

The Green Guide Responds:

 

Of the 35,000 dry cleaning business in the U.S., 85% still use the toxic

solvent perchloroethylene (perc) known to cause headaches, nausea, dizziness,

and which has been linked to reproductive problems, including miscarriage and

infertility in men, as well as disorders of the central nervous system. If

these health risks aren't enough, the International Agency for Research in

Cancer has labeled perc a probable human carcinogen, as has the EPA in a recent

Cleaner Technology Substitutes Assessment. Due to this extensive laundry-list

of health concerns, and many other environmental concerns such as air and

water pollution, dry-cleaning consumers can make a significant contribution by

choosing healthier, greener alternatives to perc.

 

The best alternative to dry-cleaning is the method of professional cleaning

known as " wet cleaning " which was introduced in the mid 90's. Wet cleaning is

a system using water and non-toxic, biodegradable detergents to clean

sensitive fabrics such as wool, silk, linen or rayon. Wet cleaning systems use

computer-controlled washers and dryers, and occasionally hand-washing, to wash

and dry garments before " finishing " with ironing or steam pressing. Wet

cleaning, while resulting in no toxic air or water pollution, and having no

adverse

health affects, has also been recognized by the EPA as a viable financial

alternative for dry cleaning businesses. In regard to performance, a study done

by the Center for Neighborhood Technology concluded that 90% of customers

rated wet cleaning as " good or excellent. " However, in a 2003 article on dry

cleaning alternatives, Consumer Reports was less impressed with wet cleaning

methods that " left the lambswool jacket severely pilled " and shrank a linen

blend skirt " from a size 14 to about a size 10. "

 

In addition to wet cleaning, several other perc alternatives are currently

available nationwide. Among these, liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), also used for

decaffeinating coffee, provides one good alternative to Perc with no reported

adverse health risks. In this cleaning technology, developed under an EPA

contract in 1994, CO2 is captured from existing industrial and agricultural

emissions, and as a result, will not contribute to global warming. In fact,

Hangers Cleaners, a national chain specializing in CO2 cleaning, won a National

Environmental Award in 2002 from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.

Unfortunately, unlike wet cleaning, the detergents used in CO2 cleaning do

contain some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and CO2 cleaning systems costs

are almost double that of wet cleaning systems making them a less viable

financial alternative for small businesses. Regarding performance, Consumer

Reports in the above article listed CO2 cleaners as offering the best results

in

tests for shrinkage, discoloration, and preservation of texture even in a

comparison with Perc results.

 

Other dry cleaning alternatives, including hydrocarbon solvents and

siloxane, appeal significantly to dry cleaners as similar in process and cost

to

perc. These solvents are labeled as greener options because they are recognized

as less toxic than perc, however, both the EPA and the Coalition for Clean Air

have determined that these solvents can't be labeled safe for health or the

environment until considerably more testing is done. Hydrocarbon solvents,

such as DF2000 and comexsol, may be toxic or contain VOCs, and the EPA has

noted concern over the high flammability of these petroleum-based chemicals.

Siloxane solvents such as GreenEarth, while not chlorinated themselves, are

currently manufactured using chlorine, and may release dioxin emissions. Again,

as

with hydrocarbon solvents, siloxane is extremely flammable. Also, the EPA

notes that siloxane may be a carcinogen.

 

In making a choice on dry cleaning alternatives, it is important not to base

decisions entirely on labels such as " green cleaning " or " green technology " .

These terms can mean a variety of things, and while " green cleaning " is most

often a term which refers to a 100% wet cleaning method, some cleaners may

be using these labels to indicate any non-Perc system, including the riskier

siloxane and hydrocarbon alternatives, and in some instances cleaners might

label themselves " greener " or " earth friendly " even if perc is still used in

the process. Be sure to ask your cleaner what specific methods and chemicals

they use before making your decision. Also, keep in mind the specific needs of

your garments: even though wet cleaning methods are definitely the safest and

most environmentally friendly, in the case of an expensive tailored wool

jacket or a brightly colored rayon blouse, CO2 cleaning might be the best

choice, while silks will likely do perfectly well with wet methods.

 

Resources:

 

For the EPA's list of wet cleaners and CO2 cleaners nation-wide see

_www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/garment/gcrg/cleanguide.pdf_

(http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/garment/gcrg/cleanguide.pdf)

 

For locations of Hangers Cleaners: _www.hangersdrycleaners.com/index.html_

(http://www.hangersdrycleaners.com/index.html)

 

For information on GreenEarth Siloxane cleaners:

_www.greenearthcleaning.com/_ (http://www.greenearthcleaning.com/)

 

An overview on the risks of Perc is available from Greenpeace at

_www.greenpeaceusa.org/multimedia/download/1/544231/0/424_

(http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/multimedia/download/1/544231/0/424)

 

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