Dry cleaning is often the go to option for delicate and more expensive clothing. In fact, when in doubt, you should consider having that dress or shirt dry cleaned. If the instructions on a particular article of clothing are in another language or it’s a custom made without a label, having it dry cleaned is the best way to ensure it doesn’t get damaged.
Non-toxic dry cleaning is a step above normal dry cleaning. It ensures the fabric stays fresh and isn’t damaged. If you haven’t heard about non-toxic dry cleaning, here’s a guide for you:
What’s the difference between traditional dry cleaning and non-toxic dry cleaning?
The term dry cleaning was coined mainly because the clothes don’t come in contact with water. Other liquids are used to soak the clothes and clean them since water can damage some fabrics. Wool, leather, and silk in particular don’t react well to water. Heavily embellished articles of clothing can also get ruined in the washing machine.
Traditional dry cleaning services use a chemical called perchloroethylene, also known as perc. It’s a solvent that removes dirt and other stains from your clothes effectively, but at a price. Perc is bad for your health, the environment, and your clothes too.
Perc health implications
Short-term exposure to the chemical leads to palpitation, fatigue, headaches, and dizziness. Long-term exposure causes more severe issues like neurological damage, kidney issues, liver diseases, and cancer.
Perc is bad for the environment
Though perc is an organic compound, it’s toxic and negatively impacts the environment. When exposed to the environment, perc contaminates the air and oxidizes with a half life of 96 days.
When absorbed by the soil, perc passes through the layers of soil, eventually contaminating ground water.
Non toxic dry cleaning
Organic dry cleaners don’t use perc in their cleaning process. They use silicone based solvent that includes hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide. They are non-toxic and don’t have any health implications while being gentle on fabrics too.
At NY Organic Dry Cleaners, we believe in playing our part in caring for the environment, therefore, we use an Eco Green Cleaning process, which is the best in the industry. Your garments will come back feeling soft, clean, and it won’t have that nasty scent.
Keep your expensive clothes free of damage done by perc. NY Organic Dry Cleaners offers organic dry cleaning, laundry pickup, and wash and fold services in NYC. We use organic products that maintain the texture and color of your clothes while getting rid of bacteria and stains. We’re open 24/7 so give us a call at 718-459-7770.
