Why is Dry Cleaning Hazardous?
Dry Cleaning is the practice of cleaning clothes in machines, much like your washer at home, but with industrial solvents. The vast majority of cleaners use a chemical called perchloroethylene, or “Perc” for short. Perc is a suspected human carcinogen, is toxic, has been found in large quantities in drinking water supplies, and is a highly persistent chemical in the environment. And yet 75% of the industry still uses Perc, even after several states have initiated a ban on the solvent. The “mainstream” alternatives are not much better. They are highly flammable, have health and environmental issues of their own, and are far less effective cleaners than Perc.
So How can a Cleaner be Green and Still Have an Effective Operation?
The options for a cleaning solvent that is truly green are limited. DrySolv is the only alternative with the cleaning attributes of Perc, but with a much greener profile.
- DrySolv is NON-FLAMMABLE, showing no flashpoint in multiple tests and test methods.(ASTM D-56 TCC, ASTM D-92 COC, ASTM D-93 TCC).
- DrySolv is NON-CHLORINATED.
- DrySolv is NON-HAZARDOUS for transport. (DOT, OSHA, NESHAP, RCRA, Clean Water Act)
- DrySolv is NOT A HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANT, is SNAP approved, and does not contribute to global warming. (NESHAP, Significant New Alternative Program-SNAP approved (Federal EPA).
- The USEPA states that DrySolv’s main ingredient is less persistent in the environment than many other solvents, is of low to moderate concern for movement in soil, does not warrant listing under the Toxics Release Inventory and is not prone to bioaccumulation. (USEPA - Federal Register May 30, 2007).
- DrySolv DOES NOT have a hazardous decomposition or hazardous polymerization.
So Why Else is DrySolv Truly “Green?”
DrySolv, in our opinion, is the greenest chemical available on the market. That's not to say that it's perfect. Nothing is and everything has its drawbacks, but it's all in how you define being Green. We believe that the sum total of all of the benefits of DrySolv over the other options, including wet cleaning, make it the greenest solution available for dry cleaning. You can get the highest cleaning performance with much less…well, less everything.
- 50-75% less energy used than in perc or alternative machines
- 25-50% less time needed to process clothing
- 50% Less waste production
- No Filter waste
- 95% Recyclable
- Less environmental impact, biodegrades in the environment and does not bioaccumulate or contaminate groundwater
- No chemical residue left on clothing
- Less solvent usage
- Non–Hazardous complimentary products
- Can be used with existing machinery
- Breaks down in soil and water into non–hazardous compounds
So “Dry Clean Green with DrySolv.” Your planet will thank you and so will your customers.
