Dry Cleaning uses a solvent called Perc which stands for perchloroethylene, a chemcial that the EPA considers both a health and an environmental hazard. The Occidental College’s Pollution Prevention Center conducted a study which said that 85 percent of the more than 35,000 dry cleaners in the United States use perchloroethylene as a solvent in the dry cleaning process. Perc is a synthetic, volatile organic compound (VOC) that not only poses a risk to our health,but also to the environment. Some of the side effects of exposure to perc are dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, nausea, and skin and respiratory irritation. Prolonged exposure to perc has been linked to both kidney and liver damage, and cancer. Perc has also been described as a “probable” human carcinogen by California’s Proposition 65.

The most frequent way we are exposed to perc is through breathing in the chemical aroma that lingers on your gear after a good dry clean. Perc can also enter the body through drinking water contamination & skin exposure. This is not only a health hazard and environmental justice issue for dry clean employees, but for consumers who bring home clothes laden with the familiar perc stench. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that clothes dry cleaned with perc can raise contamination levels in a home being highest where the clothing is stored, usually in a bedroom closet close to the bed where people spend a lot of time breathing in deeply. Not good. Nursing mothers exposed to perc may excrete it in their milk, placing their infants at risk.

Perc is a chemical that is not only hazardous for people in ‘the biz’ , and those that patronize ‘the perks’ of conventional dry cleaning,…but the population can be affected as well by air, water, and soil contamination during the cleaning, purification, and waste disposal phases of dry cleaning, according to the EPA.

The altenatives:

Hand Washing and a good press.

Wet Cleaning- A safe, energy-efficient method of cleaning “Dry Clean Only” clothes that uses WATER as a solvent—not chemicals—and a combination of natural soaps & conditioners. Wet cleaning works by laundering clothes in a gentle and controlled environment. When you have your clothes professionally wet cleaned, they are gently laundered in a computer-controlled washer and dryer . These special machines can be customized to accommodate variables such as time, temp, and cleaning action, which allow machine operators to tailor the wash according to the type of fabric.

Because wet cleaning is free of Volatile Organic Compounds, VOC’S, it eliminates all the health risks normally associated with conventional dry cleaning. Another added benefit is that the equipment and operating costs are lower, as it does not involve operating an energy sucking solvent recovery system. Wet cleaning does have a disadvantage…it produces waste water. However, it is still the most energy-efficient method of effectively and naturally cleaning your clothing as it actually saves more water than dry cleaning. BUT… how well does it really work?

According to Peter Sinsheimer, director of the Pollution Prevention Center at Occidental College who has been studying the effects of perc dry cleaning and its alternatives for over ten years, just about everything item that can be dry cleaned can also be wet cleaned. Occidental College did a comparison study between the two cleaning methods, performed by dry cleaning establishments that agreed to switch from dry to wet cleaning, and found no major differences in quality.

Co2 or Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning- This is a method that uses pressurized liquid CO2 instead of perc, and is mixed with other cleaning agents. Carbon Dioxide is a non-flammable and non-toxic gas occurring in nature, and it becomes a powerful liquid solvent under high pressure. During this process, clothing is placed in a special air-free machine. The chamber pressure is elevated by shooting CO2 gas, and then liquid CO2 is also pumped into the chamber. Clothes rotate in a 5-15 minute cycle that occurs at room temperature. The liquid CO2 solvent dissolves fats, oils, and dirt that are trapped in the clothing. At the end of the cycle , the liquid CO2 returns to the storage tank, to be reused if possible. The remaining CO2 is released in the air.

Even though CO2 is a main green-house gas, no new Carbon Dioxide is generated, so it is not a contributor to global warming, says Sinsheimer. Liquid CO2 companies recapture the CO2 already generated by other industrial manufacturing processes, and is then recycled into the solvent for dry cleaning purposes. Main concern: while the CO2  is cheap and abundant, a normal investment for a machine is very high- usually around $40k and for this reason, few dry cleaneres adopt this method.

Hydrocarbon methods- Green? not even close. Hydrocarbon is a petroleum-based solvent, carrying all the health, safety, and environmental concerns of petroleum, the least of which is the fact that it’s a major source of greenhouse gases.

Some cleaners that employ the hydrocarbon method claim they offer “organic,” cleaning which Sinsheimer says is misleading. “It’s the same thing as petroleum,” he says. “It’s also a VOC, though it’s not as toxic as perc.” If your cleaner dares to claim Earth-friendliness at any level, be sure to get the skinny on the methods and chemicals they use. Don’t be fooled by the catch phrases  “green,” “organic,” or “environmentally friendly” just because they say that they are.

The GreenEarth Method- uses a silicone based solvent called siloxane or D-5, which has similar base ingredients as deodorant and shaving creams. D-5 degrades to water, sand, & carbon dioxide. Chemically it is inert, meaning your clothes do not come into contact with chemicals while they are being cleaned.

D-5’s creator, Dow Corning, did a study revealing an elevated risk of uterine cancer in D-5 exposed female rats, which has led the EPA to consider that it may also be a carcinogen. Additionally, manufacturing D-5 requires chlorine which releases carcinogenic dioxin into the air.

Beware of Solvair machines. They use glycol ether as a solvent which according to the EPA is a suspected neuro-, respiratory, and kidney toxin, as well as a possible hormone disrupter. These Solvair machines only RINSE the clothes in liquid CO2, so businesses using them may identify themselves as liquid CO2 cleaners, notes Sheldon Bray, president of the Carbon Dioxide Dry Cleaners Alliance. The Alliance does not allow Solvair cleaners to be members.

So there you have it folks…a ‘titch of information just to get your wheels spinnin’…use it to y our advantage and wake up !!!  let’s not support the use of dangerous chemicals on our clothing anymore. IT IS UNECESSARY!

change is good

peace-

Whatever your preconceived notions may be of going ‘green’..please listen up, put your busy schedule aside, & actually DO something. Whether you participate because you are genuinely concerned or whether you are just trying to impress someone I don’t really care, just do it. You may even end up liking the way you feel knowing you are making a difference.

This is a call to action, people. I know it can be pretty depressing to ponder all the environmental problems we are currently trying to tackle, I know this, and I usually hear people mention how overwhelming it feels to try & make such big changes, but I choose to turn it around and find the good. You just HAVE to. What did your mom always tell you?….”every cloud has a silver lining…you just have to find it”. Wake up!! and make the decision to make changes in your life, because without clean water, food, & air, we would all be dead.

The green movement has made great strides in leaps and bounds during the past couple of years. People are becoming more aware of how their lifestyles & many unsound business practices do affect the resources we depend on to survive. Our water, air, soil, and food are constantly under fire from pesticides, hormones, chemical run-off, car exhaust fumes, factory sludge, air pollution, & improperly disposed chemical garbage, among many other toxic offenders. These are the facts and they aren’t pretty. If you are feeling a bit lost, have no fear. I have made your struggle a bit easier by handing you common-sense suggestions on a silver platter…

FOOD – Only 2% of leftover food is recycled, as compared to 50% of used paper, and 33% of used metal. “The largest segment of the waste stream still going into the garbage is food waste,” said Mindy S. Lubber, Regional Administrator for EPA New England. “Because food decomposes so fast, it can leach into groundwater and cause contamination. ”

Stop by your local soup kitchen and donate leftovers. Whatever leftovers you have will be appreciated. One year I collected hundreds of take-out sauces, ketchup, dips, that I found in my kitchen & took 2 huge bags of it down to the local food line. It was all I had, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of dumping it in the garbage when someone down on his/her luck may gain a little pleasure from a little tidbit that we all usually take for granted. One mans garbage is another mans treasure….

Compost your leftovers and food scraps. I recently set up my compost bin. Set up took about 10 minutes and was the best thing I ever did. No longer do I shake my head with regret while condemning certain food items to the trash. Egg shells, squeezed lemons, tea bags, carrot tops, anything once living can go, EXCEPT animal products such as cheese, bones, oils, and meats. These accepted items are considered ‘greens’ and are 1/2 of the composting equation. Not only are you reducing waste, but you are also making nutrient -rich soil to use in your yard or garden. Find out more about it at www.composting101.com.

Check out a new non-profit called replate.org. Their campaign focuses on leaving leftovers on top of public trash cans (in doggie bags) where they can be easily spotted by those living on the street in search of food. If this seems a bit unsavory just bag it up, it’s no biggie… it’s better than throwing it away to rot. Seek them out, you may be able to start a campaign where YOU live.

Rockandwrapitup.org is another like-minded non-profit putting leftover food to good use. This non-profit organization collects leftovers on a bigger scale from sporting events, concerts, & political rallies. They have worked with over 500 bands to re-distribute nourishment and reduce needless food waste. If you are organizing an event, please give rockandwrapitup.org a shout.

Save a tree, I dare you.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, in 2008 each office worker living in our industrialized world will burn through more than 10k sheets of paper. This equates to 1.2 trees *per person* every year. Half of the Earth’s forests have been logged, & only 1/5 of old-growth forests remain intact. Here’s what YOU can do to help shrink your paper footprint at home and work:
-If each household replaced ONE roll of conventional toilet paper with a 100% recycled roll…this would save 423,900 trees.
-Purchase recycled paper.
-Print ONLY when absolutely necessary, and keep records in your computer.
-Narrow your margins. This is a tiny act that can actually save hundreds of pieces of paper every year. You can also sign the petition to encourage Microsoft to decrease standard margins in Word from 1.25 inches to .75 inches. changethemargins.com.
-collect your extra scrap paper in a box under your desk, and shred important documents. Take these to your recycle center once or twice a month.
-END JUNK MAIL by registering on greendimes.com OR catalogchoice.org
-go to forestethics.org to sign a petition to Congress to enact a Do Not Mail registry
-patronize only paper-product companies that use sustainable practices at nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
-learn more at: environmentalpaper.org, www2.edf.org/papercalculator, & panda.org [type *paper toolbox* into the search box]

Green Habit

Old habits die hard, especially when it comes to cleaning your abode. We learn how to clean from our mothers who only had chemically-laden toxic
cleaners at their disposal. In this day and age we have countless natural cleaners available, but the most effective AND affordable choices are probably already in your kitchen cabinet. Why switch? Old containers of toxic cleaners can emit toxins into the air. Also, don’t forget that these chemicals get deposited into the environment when you flush them down your sink or toilet… Read on:

Alka-Seltzer Tablets – talk about versatile. To clean your commode: Drop in 2 tabs, let sit/fizz and use toilet brush…works great. To clean glass baking dishes drop 3 tabs in hot water and let sit, rinse. To whiten whites: soak your white cotton items in a gallon of warm water and two tabs to brighten. To freshen your fridge: dissolve a tab in a cup of water and let fizz inside fridge. Repeat for tougher odors.

Lemon Juice – dissolves soap scum and hard water deposits. Grind up a peel in your garbage disposal to cleanse the drain. Add baking soda to half a lemon (sans juice) and use it to scrub out your sink and tub…then take a bath to relax in your clean tub (100% pure & natural bath salts found locally through www.naturalsundae.com)

Baking Soda – add to laundry to absorb nasty odors, create a paste water/lemon juice to clean sinks, counters, & bathtubs.

Borax – Mix 2 cups with 25 drops lavender essential oil and sprinkle on carpet (using an empty spice bottle) to absorb odors. Let sit 10 minutes and vacuum.

*Distilled White Vinegar-*get your streak-free shine *naturally* using 1 part vinegar and 1 part warm water. Can use on floors, mirrors, glass (not marble). Can also be added to laundry to soften fabrics, but don’t fret, the odor fades as the liquid dries.

Essential Oils – pressed from flowers, herbs, grasses, & citrus fruits, these aromatic oils have antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti fungal properties. The germ killing possibilities are endless: to freshen laundry, add 30 drops to wash cycle. To freshen your air add 1 tsp to 1 cup purified water (or go to www.naturalsundae.com), add to baking soda for naturally effective carpet cleaner, add 2 drops to toilet water to freshen bathroom,
Powdered Oxygen Bleach – this eco-friendly version of bleach releases oxygen to clean, & is made by treating soda ash or borax with hydrogen peroxide so it is non-toxic and effective.

Ok, so that didn’t hurt did it? If you take the time to try and care more about the resources which we all often take for granted, and upon which we depend for life you may find that you feel like a million bucks, even if you didn’t start out caring at all. You may just surprise yourself and find new inspiration to help carry you through this little journey called ‘life’. Now get going . . .

For more eco-friendly cleaning tips please check out:

www.planetgreen.discovery.com

www.thedailygreen.com

www.greenlivingideas.com

www.naturalsundae.com