Celebrating Weight Loss

Dry cleaning has been a fundamental feature of how we care for our clothes for decades. However, the environmental cost of the process is high. Perchloroethylene, or perc, the most common solvent used by modern dry cleaners, has been classified as a possible carcinogen and hazardous environmental material by the US EPA. While low levels of perc are not thought to be dangerous for the average dry clean customer, alternative methods of dry cleaning, or at least achieving results similar to dry cleaning, have been developed.

Liquid CO₂. When CO₂ is compressed under high pressure, it transitions from a gas to a liquid. Liquid CO₂ is an effective solvent that can be added to a vacuum chamber where it can safely mix with clothes to dissolve soils and grease.  

CO₂ obviously is not without its own environmental consequences, however, as most of the liquid CO₂ is reused from cleaning to cleaning, the amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere by this process is quite limited.

Liquid silicone. Liquid silicone is also sometimes used as replacement for perc. Liquid silicone has the benefit of degrading into sand, water and CO₂. Liquid silicone is also chemically inert, so even as it removes dirt and grime from clothes, it does not interact with the clothes themselves, thus leaving no residue. However, liquid silicone is not as efficient of a solvent as perc, requiring a more intensive cleaning process. In addition, the production of liquid silicone requires the use of chlorine, which has as its byproduct, dioxin, which is a known pollutant.

Wet Cleaning. Wet cleaning is one technique designed to mimic the effects of dry cleaning,  Wet cleaning uses many traditional cleaning methods and solvents, but employs newer and more specialized technology, along with higher quality solvents to ensure that each garment is treated just enough to ensure a sufficient clean without causing unnecessary wear to the items of clothing.

No solvent is without its own environmental impact. However, by carefully controlling the amount of solvent needed for each garment, as well as combining the solvent with the cleaning power of water allows for this process to have a much smaller environmental impact, although precision cleaning means a decrease in efficiency in the cleaning process, which cost will be passed onto the customer.

Finding the right solution for your dry cleaning needs should mean not only looking for which cleaner will get your clothes clean for cheap, but also which cleaner will clean your clothes in the most sustainable way.