A Greener Cleaner

 

 

'The Fountain of Youth For Your Clothes'
 
Definitions of Dry Cleaning solvents:

Definition of Dry Cleaning

Green Earth Cleaning
  • A Greener Cleaner (licensed affiliate 2002)

 

Perchloroethylene
  • Ford Cleaners
  • Cathy's Cleaners

        *Under New Management

              January 2012

  • Mastercraft
  • Susan's Cleaners
DF-2000 (Hydrocarbon)
  • Cascade Cleaners

BE AWARE!

In Washington a high school sophomores science project about the chemicals that remain in drycleaned clothing prompted a university study. A Georgetown University professor assisted the student with this experiment. They sewed squares of wool, cotton, polyester and silk into the lining of several mens jackets and then had them cleaned in 7 different drycleaners who had no knowledge of the experiment.

The research team determined that perc stayed in the fabrics and that the levels actually increased with repeat cleanings, particularly in wool.
WHAT ARE YOUR CLOTHES CLEANED IN? FOUR OF THE CLEANERS IN CENTRAL OREGON CLEAN YOUR CLOTHES IN: perchloroethylene; your dry clean items are completely submerged in this toxic solvent!  Why should You be concerned? Did you bring home a load of freshly dry-cleaned clothes this week from the other cleaner in town? Then you may also have brought home headaches, nausea and an increased risk for cancer. Health effects associated with exposure to perchloroethylene include depression of the central nervous system; damage to the liver and kidneys; and impaired memory, confusion, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and eye, nose and throat irritation. Repeated dermal exposure may result in dry, scaly and fissured dermatitis. There is increasing evidence of human carcinogenicity. The uncontrolled use of PERC has the potential to cause widespread harm to the health of the workers, the people living near dry cleaning shops, the general public, and the global environment. Because significant adverse health effects have been discovered, many countries and States within the U.S. have imposed stringent regulations for the control of PERC exposures and emissions.


PERC has been a known animal carcinogen since the early 1990s, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently found adequate evidence to classify the solvent as a possible human carcinogen. In 1995 the IARC classified PERC in group 2A, meaning that it is probably carcinogenic to humans. IARC also has recently classified dry cleaning in group 2B, meaning that it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Cancer mortality research is continuing at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and other research organizations. In December 1991, the EPA began regulating PERC as a hazardous air pollutant under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. Until the 1980s it was legal for dry cleaners to pour used PERC down the drain. According to a government study, perc now contaminates up to 25% of U.S. drinking water and makes up more than 50% of the Superfund clean-up sites.      A Greener Cleaner uses the revolutionary environmentally friendly Greenearth solution!