EcoHearth: Come Home to the Earth

So you’ve just stained that beautiful cashmere sweater made from free-range alpacas, and the only way that you can launder it is through dry cleaning. But wait, being eco-chic is not just about the clothes you wear, but also about how you clean them afterwards. Here’s what you need to know about finding an environmentally conscious dry cleaner.

Traditional Dry Cleaning
Around 85% of dry cleaners in the US use the chemical perchloroethylene, known as perc, in order to get out those pesky stains. The problem with perc is that it is a hazardous chemical. It is labeled as a carcinogen by the EPA and associated with other nasty neurological, liver and kidney risks as well.

While the vast majority of dry cleaners still use perc as their main solvent, many progressive dry cleaning companies have answered the pleas of ecologically concerned customers by switching to one of these laundering alternatives:, silicone-solvent based, liquid carbon-dioxide and wet. And compared to traditional methods, the silicone-solvent and liquid carbon-dioxide methods have been shown to clean just as well.

Silicone-Solvent-Based Cleaning
Most eco-friendly cleaners apply the same principle as regular dry cleaning in that they use an organic solvent. But instead of perc, companies like GreenEarth Cleaning use a silicone-based one called Cyclic Silioxane (also known as decamethylpentacyclosiloxane or D5). According to GreenEarth Cleaning, which uses the D5 solvent, it “degrades to sand, water and carbon dioxide, and poses no known threat to the environment or human health.” As a bonus, it doesn’t leave a chemical odor.

GreenEarth, in a joint venture with General Electric and Proctor & Gamble, is helping dry cleaners integrate this solvent worldwide. The count stands at 1,500 andmore are following suit daily. While there had been health concerns about the D5 solvent causing uterine cancer in female rats, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) concluded in 2008 that D5 posed no threat.

Liquid Carbon-Dioxide Cleaning
Another alternative to perc is liquid carbon-dioxide laundering. It uses non-toxic, liquid CO₂—the same as in your soda-—as the cleaning solvent, along with detergent. An added advantage is that the CO₂ that’s used is captured as a byproduct of existing industrial processes, which decreases the amount of this greenhouse gas going into the environment. Not only that, but only 2% of the CO₂ is lost into the air with each load of clothing. And carbon-dioxide laundering also uses less energy than traditional dry cleaning since it does not require any heating of the solvent.

While silicone-based solvents and liquid CO₂ each perform better than traditional perc, the costs to switch and install to the new method may be too much for many small companies. Liquid carbon-dioxide equipment costs about $40,000 for one machine.

One caveat: if your prospective dry cleaner offers liquid CO₂, ask if they use Solvaire machines. If they do, “just say no.” These machines replace perc with glycol ether—a possible kidney and neuro-respiratory toxin—as a solvent.

Wet Cleaning
A third perc alternative is wet cleaning. While this method does not perform as well as the previous two, it ends up being cheaper to own and operate than a normal dry cleaner and, surprisingly, it uses less water. One major disadvantage of the wet laundering process is the spotting agent used to pretreat the clothes. In California, according to the Western Sustainability Pollution Prevention Network, wet cleaning contributes to the environment about 150 gallons of perc and 40,000 gallons of trichloroethylene (TCE), which may be just as toxic as perc

Less Dry Cleaning
The best thing to do is to rethink your wardrobe so that you own fewer clothes that need to be dry cleaned. Also you can research which clothes labeled “Dry Clean Only” really aren’t; many companies label their clothes as such, when in actuality you can put them through the wash (or at least hand-wash them). Rayon and acetate are a few textiles that should never be washed. Wool and cashmere usually can be hand-washed, although they should never be placed in a dryer (they will shrink).

Dry cleaners aren’t always necessary for stain removal either. If you’ve got a wine or berry stain on your white shirt, you can remove it by soaking in white vinegar then washing normally. You can even put a damp towel in with your delicates in the dryer to remove stains and odors.

For regular washing, it’s great to use biodegradable detergent. Eco Nuts, Ecos, Seventh Generation and Faithful to Nature are several trusted eco brands.

Green Cleaning, Not Greenwashing
Of course, if you can’t simply wash your clothes, be sure to find a green dry cleaner in your area. Due to the cost of switching equipment and related costs, many environmentally friendly cleaners may not have made it to small towns, but in larger cities, you should be able to find them. However, don’t rely on signs alone; always ask what method of laundering they use. While there are certainly companies that offer these alternatives, there is still no regulation over dry cleaners that guarantees they are green when they say they are.

Armed with this knowledge, you can reduce the number of dry-clean-only items you own and buy; safely hand-wash those items that (despite the label) really aren’t dry-clean only; and find dry cleaners who walk the green walk, not just talk the green talk. If you do, you’ll be keeping the Earth as clean as your clothes—both for yourself and for many generations to come.

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