Are organic dry cleaners really better for the environment?
Fri, Oct 30 2009 at 5:24 AM EST
Read more: GREEN BUSINESS
Q: Every day my baby spits up all over my clothes, rendering them unwearable until they make a trip to the dry cleaner. Lately, I’ve been seeing organic dry cleaners pop up all over town, so I’m thinking of trying that. Are these dry cleaners truly better for me, for my baby and for the environment or is it all a hoax?A: First things first. If your baby is spitting up all over your clothes every day, maybe it’s time to take the hint and stop wearing dry clean-only clothes. I, for one, never get dressed unless I absolutely must leave the house, so if my clothes get dirty, I can throw them in the washing machine. That’s the great thing about sweats and old T-shirts.
Now, let’s get down to business with organic dry cleaning. The truth is — it ain’t so organic. Or it is, but not what we think is organic.
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DiggSee, chemists define anything organic to be anything containing carbon, and those things aren’t necessarily good for you. You see, dry cleaning really isn’t dry – it just means that instead of water being used to clean the clothes, a chemical solvent is used in its place. The substance used in most dry cleaners to clean clothes is perchloroethylene (try saying that 10 times fast, or at all), otherwise known as perc. The EPA has classified this handy little cleaner as a probable cancer-causing chemical.
Many organic dry cleaners use a solvent called DF-2000 (sounds totally organic, right?) to clean clothes instead of perc. A derivative of gasoline, DF-2000 is only slightly less harmful than perc.
I have a lot of organic dry cleaners in my town, so I decided to stop in and ask them what they use to dry clean the clothes. There are six cleaners that are all “organic” in a one-mile radius of my house alone! At the first couple of places I went to, the clerk behind the counter couldn’t even answer my question. A manager was summoned to tell me, that indeed DF-2000 was used in their facility to clean clothes in a “healthier” way. Another told me that perc was used to clean the clothes in their establishment, and the sign “organic” in the window only meant that they operated in an environmentally responsible way – meaning that they recycle those toxic perc containers, I guess.
But the clerk in the fourth store I visited was only too eager to answer my questions. In his store, they were actually using a method called wet cleaning, in which water is used to clean the garment, but in a computerized machine that prevents shrinkage and wrinkles. Prices there, however, were a bit steeper.
I went home to do a bit more research, and found out that wet cleaning actually works great for most garments and is actually a much greener alternative to either perc or DF-2000. Another alternative? Carbon dioxide cleaning, which turns CO2 into a liquid to clean clothes.
Bottom line is this: If you’re looking for a greener way to dry clean, try finding a dry cleaners that uses a truly greener method here. If you can’t do that and must use a traditional cleaner, try letting your clothes air out in your garage or on a clothesline before taking them into the house. Seem annoying? Save yourself the trouble, and avoid buying dry clean-only clothes altogether.
Got a question? Submit a question to Mother Nature and one of our many experts will track down the answer. Plus: Visit our advice archives to see if your question has already been tackled.
Photo: Sandralise/iStockPhoto
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Comments(3)
Posted By Debra Baida - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 5:54 PM ESTAsk the questions
One of the most important lessons to take away from this article is that we (collectively) owe it to ourselves to, as Chanie did, ask business owners about their practices. This is the best way to begin making more mindful and informed decisions as consumers.
Posted By Rachel Rich - Fri, Oct 30 2009 at 2:43 PM ESTEasy to understand, knowledgeable post
Hi Chanie,
I enjoyed your post and thought you did a nice job of presenting the information about "organic" cleaners in way that is easily digestible. I did want to point that the newest green garment care option, Solvair Cleaning, was not included. It is most similar to CO2 cleaning. You can learn more information on our website: http://greenclothingcare.com/
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!
Rachel Rich, Consumer Communications Manager, Solvair
OrganiCare Fine GarmentCare Centers
Enter your comments hereHello I'm the owner of OrganiCare Fine GarmentCare Centers located in Phoenix, AZ. I agree with not using perc. and looking for a cleaners that uses alternatives to perc. Wet Cleaning is offered at both of my plants, we can clean any type of fabric in water! We will be changing out our DF 2000 or hydrocarbon dry cleaning machines for CO2 next summer. Co2 and Wet Cleaning are the only real organic green technologies of cleaning garments dont be fooled by your neighborhood.... More