Getting a Greener Dry Clean

"The most important thing you can do for a more sustainable wardrobe is to buy less and wear it more. That means taking good care of your clothes. You probably already mend instead of tossing when you can. You've probably already upped your laundry game, using efficient appliances, skipping dryer sheets or replacing them with dryer balls, and using nontoxic laundry detergent. But what do you do when labels command, "Dry clean only"?"

"The 'dry' in dry cleaning refers to the fact that no water is used. But dry cleaning is not actually dry. When clothes are dry-cleaned, they are soaked in a solvent that breaks down dirt and oil. But that liquid is a chemical solvent. That chemical is usually perchloroethylene, known as "PERC." Perhaps "dry cleaning" sounds better than "chemical cleaning.""

"The Environmental Protection Agency has banned PERC dry-cleaning machines from residential buildings and evaluated PERC under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act . People have known since the 1970s that PERC is a dangerous chemical: California completed its phase-out of PERC in dry cleaning facilities in 2023. , , and other states have followed with restrictions or phase-outs of their own."

Buying fewer garments and wearing them longer reduces the environmental footprint of a wardrobe. Taking good care of clothes through mending, efficient laundering, dryer balls, and nontoxic detergents extends garment life. Some items labeled 'Dry clean only' require chemical solvents instead of water. Dry cleaning typically soaks garments in solvents rather than using water-based detergents. Perchloroethylene (PERC) is the common dry-cleaning solvent and is toxic. Regulatory action has restricted PERC use: the EPA banned PERC machines in residential buildings and states including California have phased out or limited PERC in dry-cleaning facilities. Improved equipment like closed-loop systems and on-site distillation can cut solvent use and waste.

Read at Earth911