Green Alternatives to Dry Cleaning

There is no question that dry cleaning is very effective. However, the use of chemicals in the process poses a lot of risks. Regular exposure to the solvents used in dry cleaning has been proven to be harmful to one’s health. Remnants of it on washed garments can cause irritation in people with sensitive skin and induce eye problems in others. According to studies, 85% of traditional dry cleaners use the toxic chemical perc when dry cleaning. The University of California reported that this chemical can cause several side effects. These include dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, nausea, fertility problems, liver problems, and kidney damage. This substance is also considered hazardous to aquatic animals. If you are a nature lover, you may want to consider other dry cleaning alternatives. Some of these are practical ways of doing your laundry while others use less hazardous chemicals. In Houston, Texas, these are often referred to as green dry cleaning alternatives as they aim to preserve the environment. The Green Earth Process This method replaces dry cleaning chemicals with nontoxic, silicone-based solvents. Special green dry cleaning machines use salixane which degrades to water, sand, and carbon dioxide. It is chemically inert so no chemicals interact with your garments. This method is now offered by the growing number of green dry cleaners Houston has to offer. Steam Cleaning Not all clothes that say “Dry Clean Only” on the label needs to be washed in dry cleaning Houston shops. It usually just means that you should never put them in washing machines. In fact, it’s generally to carefully hand wash them. You can then throw the garments in the dryer for steam cleaning. This is done by setting the dryer to medium heat and throwing in a damp towel along with the clothes. Carbon Dioxide Cleaning As can be surmised from the name itself, this process uses liquid carbon dioxide instead of perc. Carbon dioxide, a nonflammable and nontoxic gas, naturally occurs in the environment and is essential to growing plants. The green dry cleaners Houston has to offer use specialized machines which pump-in CO2. Clothes are placed in it for 5-15 minutes of green dry cleaning.