Dangers of dry cleaning

I’ve never liked the smell of clothes that have just been picked up
from the dry cleaners. And now I know why. Behind that “fresh”
fragrance there’s an unmistakable chemical aroma that can cause
headaches, nausea, memory loss, and possibly even cancer.

Perchloroethylene (often called “perc”) is the toxic chemical
solvent that does the cleaning in dry cleaning. Studies have shown
that perc is a carcinogen, which may affect major organs, as well
as the central nervous system.

One study found that a bag of dry cleaning left inside a car for only
fifteen minutes permeated the air inside the car with 350 parts per
million of perc. (100 parts per million is considered the maximum
safe level.)

The solution? Just put dry cleaning in the trunk for the ride home,
and then remove clothes from the bag and hang them up in an open area like a porch, patio, or garage to allow them to air out. If you put the clothes directly into a closet, the fumes can collect in the confined space and be absorbed by other clothes.

Another alternative is “wet cleaning” – a specialty service that’s
offered by more and more dry cleaners. Using milder soaps,
washing machines with controlled agitation, and dryers that can
control humidity levels, many “dry clean only” garments can be
wet cleaned.

The use of perc has been phased out in some countries, such as
Canada, Japan and Germany, and we may see the day when
commercial cleaners in the U.S. stop using it too. Until then, we’ll
have to take matters into our own hands – or car trunks as the case may be.

Sources:
“Wet Cleaning – Wave of the Future” Greenpeace USA,
greenpeaceusa.org
“Dry Cleaning Dangers” Wellspring Media, wellmedia.com