Clean and green: how to pick a dry-cleaner that's good for the environment – and you
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Loading... - Sussane Poulsen
- 13 Jul 2022
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A dry-cleaner once described their job to me as “being the original recycler of clothes”. While the description may not be entirely accurate, I agree with its sentiment.
Whenever I collect freshly pressed clothes from the dry-cleaners, I find a renewed sense of enjoyment in each garment. Given the immense amount of resources it takes to produce clothes, anything that joyfully extends the life of them is absolutely worth doing.
However, traditional methods of dry-cleaning can be bad for the environment – or for you. Here, experts explain what to look for in a dry-cleaner.
What’s the rub?
Like many things involving chemicals, dry-cleaning has evolved over decades from something that can be hazardous to something regulated to protect people and the environment.
The process involves a chemical solvent that garments are washed in, without water, to remove dirt and stains. For a long time, perc (short for perchloroethylene, otherwise known as tetrachloroethylene) was the most commonly used solvent in dry-cleaning. Perc has been found to cause damage to the liver and kidneys, impaired memory, dizziness and headaches. It is also considered a potential carcinogen.
According to the president of the Dry-Cleaning Institute, Mark Ryan, “all solvents are safe to use when operated in a well-maintained system and certified safe handling of solvent practices are in place”. This is in line with Aicis’s stipulation that dry-cleaning “can be viewed as essentially an enclosed process” (meaning emissions and waste disposal are carefully managed).
But Aicis says people working with the chemical may still be at risk depending on how it’s transferred to the machine, how filters are cleaned and how waste is removed. Disposal of perc should always be through a licensed waste contractor. Read More...
