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Despite what labels say, dry cleaning is not the only answer.
Some cleaners are phasing in an alternative process called professional wet cleaning, which has been around for over 50 years. Wet cleaning involves customized treatment for each garment using soap and water. Depending on type of fabric and construction, clothing is either machine-washed in water with special computerized machines, steam cleaned, or hand washed; then it is machine- or air-dried, pressed and finished.
Wet cleaning can be used on almost any garment, and, on average, prices are the same as at a dry cleaner. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis of wet cleaning revealed it to be equally effective as, and financially competitive with, dry-cleaning processes. Consumer Reports has found that old-fashioned machine and hand washing of clothing, even those labeled "Dry Clean Only," "often work well, can save a lot of money, and avoids exposure to health hazards." See Handwashing Tips, below.
Another less toxic alternative to dry cleaning, using carbon dioxide (CO2 ), has recently been developed. CO2 gas, a benign, inexhaustible resource – often used to decaffeinate coffee – is liquefied in a high-pressure washing machine. After washing, the CO2 returns to a gaseous state, and dirt is the only thing left to be disposed of.
What you can do
Buy clothes that are hand or machine washable.
Share this information with your cleaner. Ask them if they are aware of the health effects of and alternatives to perc. Request that they consider switching to wet cleaning.
Use these directories of environmentally responsible cleaners that use wet cleaning and CO2 technology. Call your area cleaners and ask if they use alternatives to perc.
If you cannot find a green cleaner, have clothes dry-cleaned only when they are dirty. Frequent a cleaner that is a drop-off site or is located away from residential areas, and uses modern machinery. If your clothes smell of perc, take them back to be better-dried. Hang them in the grarage, on a well-ventilated porch or outside for a few days to allow the perc to fully off-gas.
Write to the Federal Trade Commission. Request that they update garment care labeling requirements to reflect new cleaning techniques. Connie Vecellio, Bureau of Consumer Protection FTC, CRC-240, Washington, DC 20580.
Handwashing Tips
Consumer Reports magazine offers some guidelines for handwashing, instead of dry cleaning, your clothing.
Handwash plain-weave rayon in cool water, squeeze rather than wring, and lay flat to dry.
Cool-water wash solid-colored silks by hand.
Wash sweaters in cold water by hand or machine; cashmere and cotton do best in the washing machine, inside-out; dry sweaters flat, except cotton, which can be machine-dried; send angora to a professional cleaner.
Structured or lined garments also belong at a professional cleaner.
Extend the time between cleanings by blotting up spills right away; airing out clothes; using a clothing or lint brush; and wearing undershirts or dress shields.
For more information about green cleaning and the dangers of perc, see:Greenwashing: How Clean is Dry Cleaning, Perchloroethylene Profile
Posted by Tim on 03/22 at 04:11 PM
Check out http://www.ecovian.com/s/green-dry-cleaners-wet-cleaning for a more complete list of green dry cleaners/wet cleaners