Giving conventional dry cleaning the scrub
August 16th, 2007 by Eric
I’m a jeans-and-t-shirt kind of guy. On special occasions I’ll throw on a button-down shirt and when my wife insists I’ll strangle that button-down with a fifteen-year-old necktie from high school (which usually draws a surprising number of compliments). So most of my apparel is machine-washed-cold and tumble-dried. But twice each decade, when I do give the local dry cleaners some business, I’ve always thought that the evidence of my caffeine addiction was magically removed by a little fairy with a wand in the back room. Not so. In fact, dry cleaning is no dryer than that what we do at home. According to our good friends at the Union of Concerned Scientisits:
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.
So, not only are they lying about the method of cleaning (I’m not really angry about that), but they are using a chemical that is dangerous to the environment and the people who use it.
But in today’s increasingly environmentally conscious society, new methods of dry cleaning that eliminate the use of “perc” are becoming more and more popular. Many dry cleaners are now using “wet-cleaning,” CO2 cleaning, and silicone cleaning as eco-friendly alternatives. But even then, the trip to the shop might be a bit superfluous:
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.
So throw that shirt in the washer on “gentle” and you’ll probably be okay. But if that makes you a bit nervous, check out this list of environmentally-friendly dry cleaners before you set out on your quest to remove Grandma’s spaghetti sauce.
Photo c/o this fine photographer
Share This
Add this to your favorites