Dry Cleaning

Do You Know What Solvent Your Dry Cleaner Uses?

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Dry cleaner with signage in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY

Headed back to work and using dry cleaning services again? If you live in Suffolk County NY, you may have noticed that you have access to information that others do not. Thanks to Legislator Kara Hahn, as of 2019, Suffolk County dry cleaners must provide signage on their methods. The Local Law to Increase Awareness of Dry Cleaning Chemical Use (Local Law 15-2016) requires dry cleaners to post a sign in the window and on/near the counter, that lists the types of solvents/methods they use. The sign, produced by the Suffolk Health Department, is color-coded and provides an easy-to-understand guide showing both the health and environmental impacts of the method in use-- helping empower YOU as the consumer to make the best choices. If a sign is not displayed in visible locations at your dry cleaner, you can notify the County Health Department at 631-854-2501.

 Most dry cleaners still use PERC, which is classified as a likely human carcinogen, a nerve toxin, and can also damage the liver and kidneys. It can vaporize into the air, so some states prohibit PERC use in storefront dry cleaners located below apartment dwellings. In California, all PERC machines must be out of use by 2023.

 There are several alternatives to PERC:

  1. Hydrocarbons: petrochemical based solvents that studies have found to be eye and skin irritants, and to cause headaches and dizziness at high doses. It is yet undetermined whether hydrocarbons cause cancer.  *NOTE* Typically, if a dry cleaner is using hydrocarbon they advertise it as “organic.” Do not be confused by this—the word organic in this context is referring to the chemistry of the substance being carbon based, not that the cleaner is chemical-free. Use of this word in dry cleaning ads is prohibited in Suffolk County.
  2. Wet cleaning: clothes washed with a commercial grade detergent in a specialized machine. Generally considered the greenest of all the options.
  3. Greenearth, or liquid siloxane: Degrades into silica and has no human health effects, though studies found lab animals developed tumors if exposed to high concentrations.
  4. Liquid CO2: Pressurized CO2 in a specialized machine; sometimes may also use some detergent as well.
  5. Butylal or K4- there is insufficient toxicological and health information to determine the safety of butylal on human health, but data so far is promising that it does not pose an environmental hazard. 

 Green Inside and Out is happy to have helped develop and drive support for this signage law, and is working to do the same in Nassau County. Want to help? Write your Nassau legislator.

Want to find a greener dry cleaner on LI? Check out our Dry Cleaning resources and download our "green paper" called “Defining Green Dry Cleaning” produced in collaboration with Prevention is the Cure.

The Green side of the Golden Gate City

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Clary Sage Organics
Earthsake
Muir Woods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my recent trip to San Francisco, I visited some shining examples of the area’s trademark eco-friendliness. At Earthsake (www.earthsake.com) in Berkeley, I was able to order a great quality organic cotton mattress, that does not contain toxic fire retardants. They offer natural latex mattresses, bedroom furniture, and organic cotton linens for both adult bedrooms and kids’ rooms.

After dining at the vegan restaurant Greens in Fort Mason (www.greensrestaurant.com), with a lovely view of the famed red bridge, I headed to Clary Sage Organics (www.clarysageorganics.com). There I encountered a full array of unique organic cotton and sustainably made clothing, some bearing the store’s own label. The owner, Patti, has been highly committed to promoting sustainable clothing for years, and the store also features wellness formulas and body care products, for natural beauty inside and out.

San Fran city has also made efforts to help dry cleaners to switch to less toxic cleaning methods, and has committed to providing 100% of the city’s energy needs with renewables by 2020. Of course not forgetting the magnificent Muir Woods nearby with its stand of gigantic sequoia trees, the City by the Bay is a treehugger’s dream.

Go Green Expo 2009, New York

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The Go Green Expo in New York, organized by Bradford Rand, took place on April 8-19 at the Hilton in NYC. While I saw numerous inspiring exhibitors selling all kinds of green goods and services from green job training to make-up, my two favorite vendors were Mr. Ellie Pooh (mrelliepooh.com) who make paper from elephant poop, thereby saving the lives of elephants in Sri lanka who would otherwise be killed for eating people’s rice paddies, and also reuseniks.com (reuseniks.com) who sells reusable dry-cleaning garment bags so you don’t have to take a plastic one every time—so simple yet so brilliant.

Speakers at the Expo included Mariel Hemingway, the Lazy Environmentalist Josh Dorfman, renowned eco-journalist Jim Motavalli, Ken Rother of Treehugger, Sarah Beatty of Green Depot, and even Nigel Barker the photographer who has dedicated his talents to documenting the issue of government sanctioned Canadian seal slaughter.

Of all the speakers, the one I found most inspiring was Mattie Kahn of Teens Turning Green (teensturninggreen.org), a young woman who spoke with remarkable confidence and passion about her groups’ activities to raise awareness among teens, through such efforts as a green proms campaign. She said a small group of representatives planned on going to Albany to lobby for a bill to ban Styrofoam—good luck Mattie!

For more info see gogreenexpo.com

Brian Howard, Daily Green, Seth Leitman, author of "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle", and others discuss emerging battery technology
(R-L) Seth Leitman, author of "Build Your Own Electric Vehicle", Andy Neal, a friend, and Brian Howard, Daily Green, discuss emerging battery technology
Dennis from PA with a reusable dry-clean bag
Dennis from PA with a reusable dry-clean bag