The Salt Lake Tribune: Ditch the Dry Cleaning Thing and Go Green
Filed under: Earth911 - December 31, 2008
By Mary Jane Butters
When it comes to clothes, I’ve always been a wash and line-dry gal. Even my most delicate farmgirl frills are the sort that’ll come clean with good old-fashioned soap, water and sunshine. I suppose that’s why I never really figured out the whole dry cleaning thing. It was a mystery to me. Since I’d heard there were harsh chemicals involved, I tried to avoid clothes that needed that kind of maintenance. But that’s not always practical. What if you see something in a store that you fall in love with, but the label says it requires dry cleaning? You desperately want to buy it but don’t want to give up your green values. What to do? Don’t lose hope. With a little hands-on care, most fabrics can be cleaned at home. And if you simply can’t schedule a few moments at the sink to wash your own, a new commercial cleaning method may allow you to give in to your passion for finicky fabrics and clean them with a greener conscience, as well.
First things first: What is dry cleaning and why is it so bad?
Despite its name, dry cleaning doesn’t actually dry. Instead of using water, the process utilizes solvents to remove stains from clothing. According to the article “How Dry Cleaning Works” published on Howstuffworks.com, a 19th century Frenchman discovered dry cleaning when his maid spilled kerosene on his stained tablecloth and it came clean (if you can call a kerosene-soaked cloth clean). These days, kerosene has been replaced with a solvent called PERC (perchloroethylene). Less flammable, yes. Safer? No way. Consumer Reports states that PERC is “a toxic solvent that, besides cancer, has also been linked to liver and kidney damage in animals and nerve damage in humans.” In 1996, they tested consumer exposure to freshly dry-cleaned clothes and found enough PERC in them to significantly increase cancer risk for people who frequent the cleaners. PERC isn’t confined to clothing, either; it’s also a contaminant of the soil and water we all share. And this is supposed to be gentler on fabrics than simple soap and water? Yikes!
What dry cleaners don’t want you to know is that many items marked “Dry Clean Only” can be safely washed at home. Silk, wool, linen, you name it. That said, though, it’s always a good idea to test a hidden flap of fabric or an item you’re not crazy about. Get it wet and see if the dye bleeds, and note how it looks and feels once it’s dry. Of course, the most important rule of washing delicates is to do it as little as possible. The less you wash, the longer your clothes will look new. But at some point, washing is unavoidable, and there are lots of little tricks and tips when it comes to doing it yourself—each depending on exactly what kind of fiber you’re dealing with. There is a fantastically comprehensive and easy-to-follow hand-washing tutorial under the “Laundry” link on a Web site called DomestiCity. As for soap, I recommend using an all-natural variety like Dr. Bronner’s or Soapods. Soapods are the shells of nuts from the soapnut tree, long used in India to clean fine silks and linens. You put the shells in a little cotton bag and submerge them in your wash water to create the gentlest of suds.
If you don’t have the time to hand-wash or you’re petrified that your favorite fabric won’t survive the sink, you might consider the new professional antonym to dry cleaning: wet cleaning. Don’t let the “wet” scare you; your un-washables won’t be subjected to water. This process uses liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) —a wet form of the air we exhale— to coax even the most gossamer garments and structured suits into cleanliness. At its best, wet cleaning is nontoxic and environmentally safe. Truly green cleaners use biodegradable soaps and conditioners in high-tech, pressurized washing machines that handle your clothes with the utmost care. The trouble with the wet-cleaning revolution is that some cleaners are sneaking in under the green label even though they’re using pre-treatment chemicals that are every bit as toxic as the PERC used in dry cleaning. Just like everything else, you’ve gotta ask questions. Find out what treatments and detergents your prospective cleaner uses so that you can make an informed decision. Here are two online resources for finding greener cleaners: FindCO2.com and Earth911.com (search “wet cleaning” with your zip code). Your regular dry cleaner may even be weighing an investment in wet-cleaning equipment —or they may not be aware of the option— so be sure to voice your interest in greener cleaning and urge your friends and family to do the same. If enough people speak up, local businesses will eventually follow suit.
MaryJane Butters is an organic lifestyle expert and the editor of MaryJanesFarm magazine. Write to her care of United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or e-mail everydayorganic@maryjanesfarm.org.