Dry cleaning commonly uses perc, a probable carcinogen, but there are safer alternatives like wet cleaning. However, many cleaners falsely advertise themselves as green by using terms like "organic" or "environmentally friendly" without actually being safer - this is called greenwashing. To avoid greenwashed cleaners, research the methods used by local businesses and ask about their chemicals and cleaning processes. Wet cleaning is the safest option where available.

1. Are your clothes being greenwashed?
Posted on Nov 29, 2012
Have you ever walked into a dry cleaner and been bothered by the smell? Your
nose knows: that unpleasant aroma could actually be toxic.
For the last fifty years, dry cleaners have used perchloroethylene (perc) as their
most common cleaning product. Perc is a probable human carcinogen that can cause
nervous system, liver, and kidney damage. Dry cleaning workers are at most risk,
but when we take dry cleaned clothes home, we expose our families to this toxic
chemical as well. Perc also can pollute the soil and groundwater around dry
cleaning shops when improperly managed.
Circles represent number of surveyed garment cleaners in that area.
View Garment Cleaners in Massachusetts in a full screen map.
The good news is there are several alternatives to perc. The bad news is that
each may have their own health and safety concerns, and it can be tough to figure
out which is the best choice. A process called wet cleaning is the safest known
method of professional garment cleaning, but many companies that make other dry
cleaning products advertise themselves as green or environmentally friendly, even
when they’re not. This is a practice known as “greenwashing.” There are steps you
can take to avoid greenwashed cleaners and keep your family and yourself healthy.
What You Can Do:
Do your homework. Learn about the different methods garment cleaners use to
clean clothes below, and find out which ones your local garment cleaners use on
the map above. Don't see your local cleaners? Contact us to find out how you can
help add them.
Take the pledge. Pledge to switch to wet cleaning if it is available in your area,
or to talk to your local garment cleaners about converting to wet cleaning.
Spread the word. Share this post with friends and family, and ask them to take
the pledge. Or why not host a "greenwashing" workshop? Gather a group of friends
and neighbors, and someone from the AHT team will explain what greenwashing is
and how to avoid being tricked by it. Contact us if you're interested in hosting a
workshop.
Have a conversation. Talk to your local garment cleaners about how they clean
clothes. Here are some questions to get you started: What process or chemicals do
you use to clean clothes? What do you mean by “green,” “organic,” or
“environmentally friendly?” Is wet cleaning available at this store? (And make sure
you clarify with them that you don’t mean laundry) Would you consider converting
to wet cleaning?
If a business is greenwashingtheir services, they may simply be putting a trendy
“green” label on what they do, and yet are still using something that can be
harmful to themselves and their customers. Even well-meaning shop owners are

2. often taken in by deceptive marketing that convinces them to use materials that
may not be completely safe. There are no laws concerning how to use terms like
“green,” “eco-friendly,” or even “organic,” so greenwashing is popping up
everywhere.
To help separate the “green” from the “greenwashed,” here is a rundown of
garment cleaning options:
Professional wet cleaning: safest known method; water-based process; uses
biodegradable soaps; no known negative environmental or health effects.
Hydrocarbons: petroleum-based; most widely used alternative to perc; negative
impacts on the central nervous system; creates hazardous waste.
Siloxane (GreenEarth): silicone-based; linked to cancer; negative impacts on the
central nervous and reproductive systems.
Propylene Glycol Ethers: petroleum-based; negative impacts on the central nervous
system.
N-Propyl Bromide (nPB): easiest replacement for perc; linked to cancer; negative
impacts on the central nervous and reproductive systems.
Want to know more? The Toxics Use Reduction Institute has the scoop on perc,
converting a business to wet cleaning, and more.