Dry cleaning alternatives
Are you concerned about the environmental effects of dry cleaning? There are good reasons to be. Dry cleaning with perchloroethylene, or perc, is associated with environmental and health risks. Concerns over perc have opened the door for alternative dry cleaning methods that include wet cleaning, liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), and Green Earth. As with any dry cleaning technology, these processes require properly trained personnel in order to obtain acceptable results.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
The standard solvent used in dry cleaning is associated with health and environmental risks. The majority of commercial dry cleaning businesses in the U.S. use that solvent, percholoroethylene, or perc, according to the National Cleaners Association.
Health risks from short-term exposure to perc range from eye, skin, nose, and throat irritation to adverse effects on the nervous system, including dizziness, fatigue, headaches, lack of coordination, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage. Perc has also been identified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Note: As with all health effects, the potential for an increased risk of cancer depends on several factors, including the level, frequency, and duration of exposure. Also important is the way the exposure occurs, as well as the individual's overall state of health, age, lifestyle, and family traits.
Environmental risks from perc, which is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a hazardous air pollutant, may result when the chemical escapes and evaporates into the air upon use or from equipment leaks. In older dry cleaning systems, perc may still be directly vented to the outdoors. It can remain in the atmosphere for several weeks and break down into other toxic chemicals, some of which are suspected to contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.
Perc is also classified as a pollutant in water regulations, and its disposal is regulated as a hazardous waste. It can affect the environment if it enters the ground in liquid form through spills, equipment leaks, or improperly handled waste. It can potentially contaminate surface water, groundwater, and drinking water, and it is known to be toxic to plants and aquatic animals.
Some people are at a higher risk of exposure than others. Everyone may be exposed to some level of perc in the air and drinking water, and people who get their clothing dry cleaned may be exposed to slightly higher than average levels. These amounts, however, are not expected to be hazardous to the average person's health, according to the EPA. People at higher risk would be those who work with the chemical in dry-cleaning facilities and those living in or near buildings with perc dry cleaners, because the vapors can pass through the floor, ceiling, and wall materials of the shop. High levels would be of special concern for occupants who are often home, such as the elderly, young children, or pregnant women.
ALTERNATIVE DRY CLEANING METHODS
Here’s how they work and where to find a cleaner in your area:
• Wet cleaning uses water as the main solvent in specialized machines, along with specially-formulated detergents and additives. The process is one of two methods considered environmentally preferable by the EPA.
Where to find it: While there are 100 percent wet cleaning operations, an increasing number of professional dry cleaning operations are incorporating wet cleaning into their businesses. Check with your local cleaner, or consult the Occidental College directory for a zip-code searchable database.
Note that wet cleaning is not covered by textile-care-labeling regulations. So if your garment is labeled “dry-clean only" and you opt to have it wet cleaned, the clothing manufacturer would probably not be liable for any damage.
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) is captured from the production of other industrial chemicals, as well as natural sources, and used to clean clothes in high-pressure machines. This process is the other method considered environmentally preferable method by the EPA.
Where to find it: Check for local listings on the FindCO2.com Web site.
• Green Earth involves a silicone-based solvent known as siloxane, or D5, which is used in machines specifically modified to work with this solvent. While Green Earth is marketed as an environmentally friendly process, the EPA has not determined whether the solvent can be labeled as safe for health or the environment until further testing is done. Some studies have shown siloxane can cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Where to find it: Cleaner locations are listed on the GreenEarth Siloxane Web site. You can also check for listings in your local phone book.
Beware of green claims. Since there’s no standard definition of an environmentally friendly cleaner, and no EPA approval of a product or process, professional cleaners can call themselves “green” regardless of the process they use.
Note: When you take items to the cleaners, show your cleaner where the stains are—-don’t make the cleaner guess. Explain what the stain is and whether you tried to clean it (and what you used).
HOW TO CUT DOWN ON TRIPS TO THE CLEANERS
• Wash your clothes at home. Some types of garments can be washed at home, if you choose to ignore the “dry-clean only” care label. But, keep in mind that alternative methods of cleaning aren’t always covered by textile-care-labeling regulations. So if your garment is labeled "dry-clean only" and you wash it at home, the clothing manufacturer would not be liable for any damage. Here are some guidelines:
Plain (no embroidery, embellishments, fancy stitches), solid-color sweaters can often be hand washed or machine washed on a gentle/delicate setting. Be sure to turn cotton and cashmere inside out. If you have a top-loading machine, you can often extract excess water from hand washing using the spin cycle only. It’s best to lay sweaters flat to dry, because that allows you to reshape them.
Lightly colored plain-weave rayon and silk blouses labeled “dry-clean” or “dry-clean only” have been successfully hand washed in Consumer Reports tests. Note that deep or saturated colors had a tendency to bleed, or lose color, with washing.
Washable wool labeled as such can be both machine washed and dried.
Note that angora sweaters and structured or lined garments (e.g. suits or coats) should be sent to a professional cleaner.
• Extend the time between cleaning by blotting up spills right away, using a clothes or lint brush, and wearing undershirts.
• Don't iron stained garments. That heat-sets stains.
• Hang up clothes immediately after you've worn them, give them a day off between wearings, and air them out before returning them to the closet.
• Try steaming a suit by hanging it in the bathroom while you shower to remove the wrinkles.
• Buy clothes that don't need dry cleaning. And save money at the same time.
If you do have your garments perc-cleaned, we suggest airing them before wearing.
DRY CLEANING LEGISLATION
Dry cleaner emissions and other environmental releases are regulated by a variety of laws:
The National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulates perchloroethylene, or perc, emissions from dry cleaning facilities. The emissions standards for perc were strengthened in July 2006 for all dry cleaners that use the solvent. The rule includes a number of measures, including a phase out of perc use at dry cleaners located in residential buildings by the year 2020.
The EPA also regulates environmental releases of perc under a variety of laws including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (disposal), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund).
Some state and local governments are also phasing out or banning certain types of older perc machines, and changing where cleaners may be located. To find out about the dry cleaning laws in your state, contact your state environmental protection agency.
Perc exposure to workers in dry cleaning shops is regulated by The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA is expected to propose a new, lower limit in the near future.
“Dry-clean” labeling is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which oversees the cleaning guidance on all garment care labels. The agency is proposing changes that would allow the "dry-clean only" label to also apply to environmentally preferable cleaning technologies.
RELATED LINKS
Cutting back on dry-cleaning can save you money 3/09
How to cut your dry-cleaning costs 11/08
A "perc" you can do without 3/07
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