Go to the Contact Us menu on this website and click on the location of your business. Please contact the distributor on that page under the "Dry Cleaning" Industry heading that will best suit you.

Please contact Enviro Tech International and your State EPA or Air Quality Management District for information and guidance on your particular area.  DrySolv can be used in all states and in all Canadian provinces, however state tax laws, regulations and permitting processes vary widely.  Below is a list of websites and general instructions to help guide you:

NEW JERSEY

Website: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/aqpp/.

- Click on "General Permits" link on the left side of screen.

- Follow the instructions on screen then click "Continue to Step 1."

- Follow the instructions on screen then click "Continue to Step 2."

- Click on "Permit" link for Non-HAP DryCleaning (GP-013) for instructions on requirements to run DrySolv

- Click on the "Online Application" (GP-013) to apply online for a permit to run DrySolv 

You can download an MSDS from the Enviro Tech International website on the DrySolv Products page, or contact us at info@envirotechint.com for a PDF copy.

DrySolv cleans as well or better than PERC in nearly all instances.  The chemical properties of DrySolv lend it to being superior in all cleaning categories.  DrySolv has a higher KB value (PERC = 90, DrySolv = 130).  KB is a measure of the ability to dissolve organic soils.  This means DrySolv is a better degreaser, but the KB does not directly relate to the aggressiveness of DrySolv on plastics and beads.  It is a chemical incompatibility that destroys plastics and beads.  The water-side stains are attacked quicker with DrySolv due to its better water solubility, viscosity, polarity and lower surface tension.  DrySolv "flows" better than PERC, eliminating chafing and static.  So it cleans better with a quicker cycle and with less energy.

The machine must be drained/pumped of all PERC. The still, base tanks and button trap must be scrubbed and cleaned. It is also good practice to clean out the condensing coils. Also, it is good practice to install new gaskets and seals if you have an older machine (Viton A/B or Teflon). The higher evaporation rate and vapor pressure of DrySolv will cause it to escape quickly if there is a leak. It is always best to have your distributor or a licensed DrySolv mechanic inspect your machine prior to the conversion or perform the conversion.  Speak with an Enviro Tech representative to set up an inspection of your equipment or to discuss the conversion process prior to working with DrySolv.

Order enough DrySolv to fill one base tank, plus 5 gallons for the water separator.  Lower steam pressure on the still to about 10-15 lbs. Lower drying temperature to about 120F.  Reprogram your machine to do the following:

• 1-minute fill
• 4-minute wash with circulation through the button trap- add cationic detergent(1-2 oz per 10lbs of clothes)
  
• 30-sec drain to still
  
• 1.30-minute extract to still
  
• 10-14 dry or set auto dry
  
• 5-7min cool down

No. A cationic detergent and the physical properties of DrySolv will suspend the dirt and carry it away to the still. The low boiling temp (158°F) will only allow for the DrySolv to distill, thus your machine will recover clear DrySolv by the end of each and every load.

You can NOT clean natural rubber in DrySolv. You can NOT clean suedes in DrySolv.  Any beads or trim should be tested if there is a concern by using a sample can of liquid DrySolv or the DrySolv spray can. Once you have established a trend you will not need to test every time. You can also reference the DrySolv compatibility chart located on the website if you know what the material is made out of.

DrySolv will distill at 158°F in your still using very little steam pressure. The distillation rate will be around 1.5 to 2 gallons a minute. The distilled DrySolv will be crystal clear and indistinguishable from your original solvent. This clear and rapid distillation process will allow you to use the same base tank for every load.  You can also use your second or third base tank for reserve storage of DrySolv if you prefer.

DrySolv by itself is not hazardous… but your waste may be hazardous due to the residual PERC remaining in the system or from non DrySolv spotting compounds, which often contain hazardous chemicals such as PERC or MEK. At some point the PERC will be flushed out of the machine reducing your cost, but proper waste handling procedures must always be followed.  “Drum Express” is a system designed by Veolia Environmental Services, a national waste hauler.  They will help DrySolv customers through the whole process step by step.  For more information visit their link on the website or contact your Enviro Tech representative.

Continue to treat your wastewater the same as you would with PERC and contact Veolia Environmental Services or your local EPA for more guidance.

You will likely get the same or better mileage with DrySolv than PERC as long as your machine is free of leaks and maintained properly.  DrySolv is more volatile and will escape easier from leaks in your machine, so it is very important to keep the machine tight.  If you are getting poor mileage, it is important to check the following items:

1. Gaskets are all tight, no leaks

2. Still is cooking down completely before draining out still.  DrySolv still bottoms should be the consistency of molasses.  If it's thinner, you are losing solvent in your waste.

3. Automatic water drain valves from the water separator should be disconnected and the water drained off manually.  If you are losing solvent here, you will notice that there are two distinct layers in the water.  The layer on the bottom is DrySolv.  Vapors can also escape through the automatic drain valve due to pressurization in the machine, so it is best to disconnect it altogether and install a manual valve to be drained when the machine is not running (not pressurized).

4. Filter housings should be completely disconnected and sealed off.  DrySolv can collect in the housings if the valves are leaky, causing what appears to be bad mileage. 

5. Still vacuum grenades should be checked also.  These can leak and cause DrySolv to escape the machine also contributing to poor mileage.

You can spot the same way as you did with PERC, however some spotting agents may contain PERC and will affect your still residue and your waste stream. DrySolv-based spotting agents are available from Enviro Tech that are non hazardous, will not contaminate your waste and are specially designed to work hand-in-hand with DrySolv for optimal performance.  Post-spotting is recommended in some cases because DrySolv by itself will remove many spots leaving mainly "steam offs" after cleaning.  These can appear as white powdery spots that can be steamed or blasted off with air.  Stains such as coffee, wine, urine, etc. will have to be removed using traditional methods.

Yes, it is possible that DrySolv escaping from your machine can get to your steam pipes (hot side only) and cause them to rust.  It is important to paint your steam lines with a high temperature Rust-oleum type of paint, such as the aerosol types available at your local hardware store for painting barbecue grills.  This will prevent rusting of your steam pipes.  Of course the best way of preventing this is to keep your machine tight, but painting is recommended in all cases as a preventative measure.  These paint spray cans can be bought for as little as $5.00 each. 

It is also possible that if you are not drying your clothes properly with DrySolv, that residual solvent in the clothes can get to the press heads in your pressing equipment.  This is a very rare instance. A simple means of preventing this from being a concern is to make sure you are drying the clothes as recommended to 120F, and then allowing the clothes to lay out or air out for 10-15 minutes.  This will ensure that even if the clothes weren't completely dry that they will have no DrySolv whatsoever by the time your pressers get ahold of them.

Static and lint are greatly reduced with DrySolv because of the shorter cycles and lower drying temps. Productivity is also increased because of these same factors.

24-36 minutes.  It really all depends on how well your machine dries and condenses solvent.  Some machines work much better than others.  Bowe-Permacs seem to get some of the best performance of available machines, although Columbias, Unions, Firbimatics and others all get excellent cycle times and mileage as well.

Yes, it smells like a solvent, but it is 100% volatile and the odor will be off the garment before it gets to the presser.  Some have noted that it kind of smells like alcohol or like gasoline, but it is all subjective.  It is also important to note that DrySolv odor is detectable at very low concentrations of 6-10ppm in air, whereas PERC is not detectable to the human nose until concentrations of at least 50-60ppm.  So if you're not smelling DrySolv, you're not being exposed to it.  Not the case with PERC.  If you do smell DrySolv, it doesn't mean you're being heavily exposed.  With PERC, it does.  The DrySolv odor is strong at higher concentrations and it will make you want to get fresh air.  One of the dangers of PERC is that it's odor is tolerable at high levels, whereas DrySolv is not so you are far less likely to overexpose yourself to it. 

Yes, with a short 2-minute wash cycle.  Leathers will come out very supple and clean.  Do not clean suede with DrySolv, however.

We call this cycle a “splash cycle. It works well on fancy beads and trim. It consists of a 1-minute wash with a cooler, yet extended dry cycle.

The simple answer is NO. Multiple tests by the EPA, Factory Mutual, independent laboratories,and most recently the DLI; have all proven that DrySolv has no flash point and therefore is not flammable. The flammability limits on the MSDS are characteristic of many “non-flammable” solvents. The flammable limits are a ratio of vapor to air in which DrySolv could produce a flash (This ratio is 3.8 to 9.5 % by volume in air).  If the solvent and air ratio are within this limit then theoretically it could flash, yet there are many more factors that must be at play. One such factor is that you would need a very high ignition source, such as a welder’s torch. Another is that the air would need to be stagnant to create this situation.  In a dynamic, moving dry cleaning machine this would never happen.  If all the conditions were right and you created this flash it would also immediately be put out by the bromine within the formulation. The main thing to take away from this issue is that DrySolv is not flammable, yet there exists a miniscule potential for creating a flash.  With over 15 years of running in vapor degreasers, and three and a half years in many different types of drycleaning machines, we have never seen this flash occur and thus the EPA in the federal register has recently listed DrySolv a “non-flammable, organic solvent.”

DrySolv is non-flammable and has no flashpoint (ASTM D-56 TCC, ASTMD-92 COC, ASTM D-93 TCC).

DrySolv is non-hazardous  (DOT, OSHA, NESHAP, RCRA, HAZCOM, Clean Water Act)

DrySolv is not a hazardous air pollutant and does not contribute to global warming. (NESHAP, Significant New Alternative Program-SNAP approved(Federal EPA), Not Title V)

“EPA considered the possible impacts of nPB if it were to pollute soil or water as a waste and compared these impacts to screening criteria developed by the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC, 1998) Available data on the organic carbon partition coefficient (Koc), the breakdown processes in water and hydrolysis half-life, and the volatilization half-life indicate that nPB is less persistent in the environment than many solvents and would be of low to moderate concern for movement in soil… The EPA believes that nPB would not be sufficiently toxic to aquatic life to warrant listing under the Toxics Release Inventory (40 CFR part 82).”

DrySolv does not have a hazardous decomposition or hazardous polymerization.

DrySolv biodegrades relatively quickly in the environment, HOWEVER it must still be treated with the same precautions as any other solvent, even PERC, to prevent it's escape into the environment.

DrySolv is non-flammable and safe to use in many applications. Enviro Tech International recommends that safe work practices be implemented whenever handling chemicals of any kind to minimize exposure levels and prevent toxic effects. Please refer to the DrySolv Material Safety Data Sheet available for download on this website for more specific information on workplace exposure levels, toxicity and personal safety recommendations or contact Ray Roccon at rroccon@envirotechint.com for more information.