A Brief Dry Cleaning Primer
Dry cleaning is essentially any process of cleaning clothes that does not use water. In place of water, numerous organic and inorganic solvents have been used. These process actions, however, are quite similar to typical washing. Your clothes go into a ‘basket’ in a machine similar to a washing machine. Solvent is added and detergent in most cases is added to the solvent. The machine tumbles the clothes around like in conventional washers, agitating the clothes in the solvent, “washing” them. The solvent is then drained and then a rinse followed by a drying process follows.
Discovered in the late 1800′s by a Frenchman, Jean Baptiste Jolly (thus many cleaners call themselves “French Cleaners“) when he accidentally spilled kerosene on his tablecloth and noticed it had cleaned it, dry cleaning has gone through multiple evolutionary changes. From Kerosene to tetrachloroethylene or perchloroethylene (known as “Perc”) dry cleaning has nearly always been based in some form of petroleum solvent or synthetic petroleum distillate. Many cleaners today have put a marketing spin on this calling it “Organic” which is in essence true since petroleum is an organic substance. It implies “green” or environmentally friendly, which it is not. It is toxic, carcinogenic and a hazardous waste and must be handled with extreme caution.
The different dry cleaning processes today:
Perc: (perchloroethylene) The process long favored by cleaners uses perchloroethylene or Perc. It is inexpensive, cleans remarkably well and is relatively safe if handled properly. The problem comes when the safety guidelines are ignored. Residue can be left in clothes, causing a chemical odor; transfer to the wearer’s skin and absorbed into the blood system. It has been linked to several forms of cancer. Another problem comes from improper disposal causing contaminated ground water and a host of other environmental problems. Perc is in the process of being banned in most states.
Hydrocarbon: The favored substitute for perc is isoparaffin hydrocarbon. This is what the cleaner is probably using if he claims to be “Organic.” It, too, like perc, is a synthetic petroleum distillate. It has a slightly weaker cleaning ability but is just as toxic, as carcinogenic and as hazardous. You can expect this to be banned as soon as it comes under the public scrutiny.
CO2: (Carbon Dioxide) CO2 cleaning was hailed as the wonder process when it came onto the scene a few years ago. Being put to the test of regular cleaning revealed it to be a poor cleaner and far too expensive compared to other processes. Most garments cleaned this way had to be recleaned in another, follow-up process to get them to an acceptable condition. While environmentally safe, it is extremely expensive and yields poor results. Many cleaners that elected this process have since switched to another, more effective cleaning process.
Solvair: (Reformulated Rynex) This process uses Propylene Glycol Ether to clean. *”Based on a recent study by NTP (National Toxicology Program) on the glycol ether ingredient of a previous formulation for Rynex propylene glycol t-butyl ether (PGtBE), OEHHA has expressed concerns over its toxicity and carcinogenic potential. Of particular concern, was the presence of tumors in mice. Currently, there is limited toxicity data available for DPTB(the newer formulation). It has not undergone formal evaluation for identification as a TAC(toxic air contaminants)”. This method is not to be confused with CO2 cleaning: Solvair cleans with propylene glycol ether and rinses with CO2. * March 2008 California EPA Fact Sheet
GreenEarth (Methyl Siloxane): Discovered in a cosmetics plant where it is used in many personal care items like underarm deodorant and face creams, it has a mild degreasing effect, essential to any cleaning process. Odorless and colorless, it cleans very well when correctly used. GreenEarth is one of the most tested and validated cleaning agents on the market. Studies have found it is non-toxic, bio-degradable, and noncarcinogenic. It is growing in popularity in the western US and gaining ground in the east. It is mild on clothes and therefore able to clean the most delicate of garments; it does not fade colors and has a softening effect. GreenEarth is the choice among most ecologically concerned professional cleaners. This is the process chosen by Greensleeves for its quality, health factor and environmental safety.
Wet Cleaning: Considered the safest of all processes. Water is used in precisely controlled conditions allowing “dry clean only” garments to be ‘washed’ in this manner. The drying process is also carefully controlled to prevent any shrinkage. It is the overall choice for health safety and environmental friendliness by experts in the respective fields. Some cleaners tend to shy away from this process because it takes true professional qualification and ability to achieve a proper cleaning without shrinkage or other harm to garments. Greensleeves is a Professional Wet Cleaner and is staffed by certified professionals leading the field in Wet Cleaning. Educational Video on Wet Cleaning: wet cleaning
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Greensleeves, The Green Dry Cleaner
January 8th, 2009 at 7:34 am
When the green earth solvent is made, chlorine and dioxin are created and released. How is that green? Secondly, it bio accumulates, so as you are exposed
it is accumulating in your liver. No one has tested that. Mercury also bio accumulates. Canada has recently started reviewing this chemical.
You have done a great marketing job, but the reality is that green earth is untested, but probably not much more environmentally friendly than either perc or petroleum.
Honesty in your advertising would be a better policy.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:04 am
How dare you accuse me of dishonesty! Especialy when you advocate GreenEarth on par with Perc. Grow up and tend to your own business rather than make false accusations with skewed facts. Dioxin is a by product of chlorine not of GreenEarth production and if that is bad for the environement than you first better speak to the Supermarkets with the shelves full of Clorox and other chlorine products not to mention swimming pools that use ungodly amounts of chlorine to keep the water clear and than dump it into our water system.
When all the facts are taken into consideration – and I mean all the real facts, not the twisted concepts of competitors, GreenEarth is the best DRY cleaning method available today and the safest. Wet cleaning is better but it is wet and CO2 uses VOC’s in the detergents needed to actually make it clean and usually needs to be cleaned more than once or with a follow up method and this takes away that crown else it would be growing in popularity as fast as GreenEarth instead of losing ground AND it is not because of the cost.
As for the “bio accumulation” Canada is studying the effects because of deodorants and skin cremes that have the same substance in it not because of GreenEarth. That is how it was discovered, in a cosmetics factory where the workers noticed it was cleaning their hands. I repeat that: Greenearth cleans with the same substance that is used in deodorants and skin cremes! GreenEarth has virtually no residue to be absorbed and we are talking about a substance PUT into deodorants and skin cremes not some by product like VOC’s in nearly every other cleaning process.
When all the facts are taken into consideration – all the REAL FACTS and not malicious accusations and assertions – GreenEarth is the safest and most effective DRY cleaning process available today.
I’ve seen your attacks before Paul, tend to your own business and stop these childish attacks on others. Just because your CO2 process doesn’t rate top notch in my article doesn’t mean you have to dig up the BS and attack. CO2 has much to be desired and if I were like you I would be blasting the VOC’s in the detergents needed by CO2 and other negative aspects of that process.
By the way, what does Mercury have to do with anything in the article other than journalistic trickery of guilt by association? Much is revealed in that.
I wrote this article to help give people an understanding of all the different process so they can decide for themselves – and gave each process a fair shake not a biased opinion like some writers would do.
You say GreenEarth is untested? Read the article it is the most tested and validated cleaning process on the markete having come out shining after more than 200 different studies Why? ecasue someone like you comes along with malicious assertions. The makers do the test and guess what, It comes out like a star. Ever test the VOC’s in the CO2 detergents? I din’t think so.
Grow up Paul and tend to your own business rather than waste time slinging mud – November is over and the bad guys lost.