You have seen the signs and claims as much as I have. Nontoxic! A sense of relief issues forth and we, more or less, feel we are safe. It doesn’t matter what product we’re talking about, or what service, the fear or measure of security is there once we see the nontoxic claim.
Being a dry cleaner (Greensleeves) of a truly nontoxic and environmentally safe process and plant, and, I’ll admit, a bit of an environmental sentinel, I see the signs everywhere on dry cleaners. Nontoxic! I know better but the public does not and it irritates me to see these dry cleaners hanging out these nontoxic signs with utter impunity. One store (or more) I’ve seen actually has a picture of Rainbow Trout swimming into a dry cleaning machine as a demonstration of how safe their solvent is. The sign says, “So safe even Rainbow Trout can live in it.”
First their solvent is Isaparafin Hydrocarbon, a toxic synthetic petroleum distillate - like virtually all petroleum related substances. Second, it is devoid of any free oxygen, a must for any fish to live in since fish need oxygen and they obtain it from the liquid they are ’swimming” in - their form of breathing.
This assaulted my sense of dignity as an environmentally safe dry cleaner that goes to great lengths to make sure every aspect of our plant and process is safe for the environment and, at the same time, gives us an outstanding cleaning without harming the environment, the person who wears it or our employees that do the cleaning. The picture of those trout got stuck in my head. I knew the claim was ridiculous but how could they get away with it?
Looking into it I found some rather disturbing “loopholes” in the country’s labeling laws. Unless a substance is proven to be toxic through official studies and tests, it is considered nontoxic and can be so labeled. The substance can be a deadly poison but unless it had been officially designated a toxic substance through proper studies it can be labeled, advertised, broadcast to the whole world that it is nontoxic.
Caveat Emptor. Buyer beware, read between the lines. Read the labels and get to the details. Look for substances you don’t know and put the item back on the shelf. Almost absurd advice in today’s world of products with so many chemicals or so many unfamiliar names that even a qualified chemist can’t tell you if everything in the product is safe 0r n0t. And that’s just the way corporate America wants it.
The Good News. The internet has opened so many avenues of awareness to the common people like you and me that we can find out the real deal in a matter of seconds - if we take the time to look. There are so many watchdog sites that are out there spreading the news and opening the truth to everyone that we have little excuse for purchasing a product or service that isn’t safe for us.
One refuge of truth and a site I heartily recommend is focused on safety for products in the arts but covers many products and services. Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety and the offer fact sheets on many substances here: http://artscraftstheatersafety.org/datasheets.html
There are many other similar sites out there and if you can’t find information on the substance or service you are looking for, write to some of the people that run these sites, they’ll be glad to help. Or write to me and I’ll do whatever I can to find the information for you.
The important thing here is to not use or stop using any service or product that has toxins in it. It most certainloy is not good for your health.
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
Produced by:
Greensleeves Garment Care LLC
(888) 221-3422
