May 2008
Carcinogen-Free Dry Cleaning
By Jim Slama
Ever wonder why most clothes that come from a dry cleaner have a faint chemical smell? The aroma probably comes from the chemical perchloroethylene, better know as perc — the primary cleaning solvent used in a vast majority of the dry cleaners in America.
The World Health Organization calls perc a probable carcinogen, and some studies have linked perc with bladder, esophageal and other cancers. Even the staid Consumer Reports Magazine determined that there was an increased risk of cancer by wearing clothes cleaned with perc as little as once or twice a week. Perc is a known neurotoxin that has caused kidney and liver damage in tests on animals. It also has been shown to cause headaches, drowsiness, nausea and dizziness. The EPA has found that homes that contain clothes cleaned with perc may have higher levels of the toxin throughout the house, and that rooms where they are stored have especially high levels of perc.
In 2007, the California Air Resource Board voted to phase out the use of perc in dry cleaning due to its negative impact on air quality and public health. People who work in dry cleaning shops are exposed to it on a daily basis. It’s also in the water. A number of studies have shown that many water supplies are contaminated with perc due to improper disposal, either on the grounds of dry cleaners, or through waste disposal companies.
So what’s a green, health minded person to do? First and foremost consider hand washing sweaters, silks and other delicates that respond well to it. For those “dry clean only” items there are some options that will allow consumers to clean their fancy duds with high performance greener choices. A number of natural cleaning options in the Chicago area perform well — and skip the cancer causing chemicals.
A Pioneer in Green Cleaning
Chicago is home to one of the country’s leaders in natural clothes cleaning. Noam Frankel of Chicago’s Greener Cleaner is revered in the industry. He was the country’s first natural clothes cleaner in 1995 when he launched the business and has since gone on to create the Chicago area’s leading green cleaning business.
For over a decade, Frankel has been building his business in Chicago, first with the original store and plant on Broadway in Edgewater and later with another storefront in Wicker Park. Pickup and delivery service is provided throughout the Chicago area and there are drop off counters inside three Dominick’s locations in Chicago in Streeterville, the West Loop and the Ukranian Village. “We learned a lot of lessons in the early days. When we began, the wet cleaning technology was still new and it took some adjusting,” he says. “Fortunately now we have state of the art equipment, soaps, and conditioners that give us the capacity to clean far better than conventional dry cleaning.”
The Greener Cleaner uses a process called “wet cleaning,” which uses water with specialized soaps and conditioners. Frankel described how the wet cleaning process works. “The soaps we use coat and protect the fibers so fabrics can be immersed in water. They are then cleaned in a computerized washer and dryer programmed with temperature, time and mechanical action to meet the specific demands of the type of fabric.”
According to Frankel, the system is commercially viable because the garments get as clean or cleaner than those cleaned with perc. This was affirmed by a study from the Pollution Prevention Center at California’s Occidental College. “We examined a series of cleaners who switched from dry cleaning to wet cleaning and found the quality of cleaning to be comparable,” said Peter Sinsheimer, director of Pollution Prevention Center. “The biggest difference was that it costs less to process the clothes in wet cleaning.”
After a decade of wet cleaning, Frankel is bullish on wet cleaning’s quality. “It is so effective, especially on stains,” he says. “Water based stains come out in the wet cleaning process without pre-treating because of the effectiveness of the system. Even heavy duty oil based stains will come out so long as they are pre-treated.”
Getting the Perc Out in the Burbs
Out in Oak Park, IL, Byeong Chung has quietly started a revolution in the battle against perc. Her two Bright Cleaner shops use a non perc cleaning system called Pure Dry. According to Chung it is a modified hydrocarbon cleaning system that is non carcinogenic.
As a native Korean, Chung is sensitive to the peer pressure in the industry. She believes her two stores to be the first Korean run dry cleaners to convert to non perc cleaning in the Chicago area. This is a significant statement, since the Korean community is the single largest operator of dry cleaning establishments in the Chicago area.
Green cleaning purists agree that wet cleaning and carbon dioxide cleaning systems are the two most environmentally friendly alternatives to cleaning with perc. Yet Chung is pleased with her Pure Dry system. “Our customers like the results very much,” she says. “It cleans very well and the clothes don’t have the perc smell. Of course we attract many people who are worried about their health and want their clothes to be free of carcinogens.”
California Bans Perc
The California phase out of perc in dry cleaning in 2007 was a huge victory for those who recognize the harm of the chemical to consumers, garment care workers and the environment. “It was a process of education that finally convinced the California Air Resources Board to Act,” says Sinsheimer.
Essentially, California banned the purchase of new perc machines beginning in 2008. And it gave notice to the users of existing perc machines that they would need to replace them within 15 years of purchase — the useful life of a typical perc machine. They also created a fee on perc to fund a grant program which gives cleaners a $10,000 incentive to purchase wet cleaning or carbon dioxide based systems.
The final regulation was a compromise between industry groups that opposed an outright ban and environmentalists who were pushing for an immediate ban. “The Air Resources Board was very cognizant that it did not want to harm independent dry cleaning businesses,” says Sinsheimer. “The final regulation gives companies the full life expectancy of their perc machines, before they’re forced to buy a non perc alternative. With such a proposal it’s difficult for the industry to argue against it.”
Illinois’ environmental community may be interested in replicating the results delivered in California. Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, sees an opportunity. “Perc is becoming implicated in water pollution that can harm public health. Increasingly, there are better, greener, cleaner technologies and approaches. We should focus on solutions that reduce the use of perc and other cleaning agents that create pollution problems.”
For more information, visit greenercleaner.net, or call Bright Cleaners at 708-386-7700.
Jim Slama was the co-founder of Conscious Choice. He currently runs FamilyFarmed.org which connects local and organic food producers with consumers and trade buyers.
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