Could TOXIC fumes from your suits or dresses create a ‘cancer closet’?
You hit the grocery store… the gas station… the pharmacy… and the dry cleaners.
You’re getting back to your old routine… and it feels good to get out again and be able to take care of your own errands.
But there’s a hidden horror in that last one I just mentioned – because “dry cleaning” is a FAR CRY from “dry.”
It involves SOAKING your clothes in liquid chemical solvents!
Since the 1930s, the “go-to” has been a chemical called perchloroethylene, or “perc” or PCE for short.
And it still is today… despite the fact that it poses more than a few risks.
Here’s what you need to know.
A ‘Trojan horse’ for cancer-causing chemicals
According to the CDC, the clothes that you bring home from the dry cleaners still carry enough toxic residue to release small amounts of PCE into the air.
And that “off-gassing” is a HUGE problem, considering the fact that PCE potentially could give you cancer.
The EPA says it “likely” causes cancer in humans… and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) says it’s “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has taken it a step further… declaring that PCE is “probably” carcinogenic to us.
I’m talking about bladder cancer… multiple myeloma… non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma… and who knows what else??
The dry-cleaning industry itself has BALKED at these cancer claims. OF COURSE it has.
But that’s not the ONLY health risk that PCE poses. Not by a long shot.
The CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry warns that exposure to even LOW levels of PCE… over a long period of time… may cause changes in mood, memory, attention, reaction time, and vision.
And in the latest development, the EPA has determined that those neurological effects can occur when your dry-cleaned clothes merely TOUCH your skin!
Fortunately, California is the first state to BAN the use of PCE… and it’s given dry cleaners until the year 2023 to END all use of the chemical.
But that still allows them three LONG years to keep using it…
And you know that not EVERY dry-cleaning operation will toe the line.
Don’t WAIT for their compliance… and don’t EXPOSE yourself to the risks if you live in a state that WON’T ban this dangerous chemical!
There are, of course, alternative solvents, like trichloroethane (TCE)…
But TCE is known to DEPRESS the central nervous system… and even the EPA classifies it as a CARCINOGEN!
So how do you launder your garments WITHOUT destroying them… and ruining your health?
The first thing you should know is that some “dry-clean-only” clothing… even wool and silk… can actually be washed at home, by hand, using a gentle soap and cold water.
First, conduct a “patch test” on an area that’s less visible. And once your garment is washed, let it air dry inside… preferably flat so it keeps its shape.
If you’ve got a tough stain that you’d normally let the pros tackle, look for non-toxic removers you can use at home.
You can even make one yourself, using household staples like…
- distilled white vinegar, especially effective against tomato stains
- baking soda or cornstarch to absorb oil/grease stains
- hydrogen peroxide, a substitute for chlorine bleach
- citric acid from lemons or limes, also a natural bleaching agent
- rubbing alcohol for ink stains, and
- cold water for blood.
You’ll find these ingredients in natural packaged laundry products as well.
To find one that will pose the LEAST risks to your clothing and your health, search the Environmental Working Group’s database of laundry cleaners (including those for delicates) on its website.
To clearing the chemicals out of your clothes,
Sarah Reagan
