Q. Are the chemicals used in dry cleaning
dangerous?
A. No. It's true that dry cleaning uses solvents or chemicals,
and they need to be handled responsibly. However, the "toxicity" of perc, the main cleaning solvent used by dry cleaners, falls in the same low
classification as many everyday compounds, including household ammonia or
bleach, gasoline, antifreeze, nail polish remover, and other widely used
products. Any of these products could be harmful if you drank them or
otherwise abused their use - but not when used with everyday, normal care.The industry handles the chemicals used in dry cleaning responsibly and
effectively. Thanks to voluntary changes implemented from within the
industry itself, over the past 15 years the industry's consumption of perk
has decreased by more than 809%. As a result, the dry cleaning industry
has reduced air emissions from an average plant from 326 gallons per year 25
years ago to an average of 11 gallons per year today - a 96.6% reduction.
The industry today uses equipment that recycles the solvent for reuse.
It is a completely enclosed, completely sealed process. Exposure of
the worker to the solvent is minimal, and customers' contact is even more
remote since properly dry cleaned and pressed clothes should have no
detectable levels of solvent, and therefore would not pose a health risk to
humans.
"For a solvent where the best evidence seems to be that it is not a
carcinogen, our efforts to be protective anyway are, I believe, extraordinary
for any industry, much less a mom-and-pop one like ours," said Bill Fisher,
CEO of the International Fabricare Institute, the leading association
representing professional dry cleaners.
Q. Does perc cause cancer in humans?
A. Based on the best available evidence it has seen, the International Fabricare Institute, the Association for Professional Dry Cleaners, believes
that perc is unlikely to be a human carcinogen, but at the same time
recognizes that there is no way to be certain. Because of this, the
industry has - as IFI has recommended - continued to reduce emissions and
exposures significantly over the past 15 years, while continuing to push
for credible scientific studies to resolve these issues.
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Q. Is there a danger to the public from wearing dry cleaned clothes?
A. No. Properly dry cleaned and pressed clothes should have no
detectable level of solvent, and therefore would not pose a health risk to
humans. Furthermore, the suggestion to air out drycleaned clothing
before use is unsubstantiated advice that only serves to generate an
alarmist attitude among the public.
The International Fabricare Institute tells the public and its members
that there should be no solvent odor in garments when the customer picks them
up, and if there is, the items should be returned to the cleaner to be
reprocessed at no charge.
Q. Are there alternatives to perc?
A. Yes, there are alternatives. Some of them are new to the
industry, while others, such as wet cleaning, are already being used to
supplement cleaners' use of solvent. In reality, professional cleaning
is much more than one process; depending on the fabric and fiber
content, an item may be professionally wet cleaned or laundered instead of
dry cleaned.
Which process your clothing is cleaned is will depend on the care label and
the experienced of your dry cleaner. Likewise, which solvent works best for
them is up to individual dry cleaners to decide for themselves. The
best evidence IFI ahs seen on perc shows that it is unlikely to be a human
carcinogen; current machines virtually eliminate discharge to the
environment; and perc is still one of the best solvents ever introduced to
the dry cleaning industry. Given these factors, perc should be
available as a choice to cleaners. (reprinted with permission
from "Fabricare" magazine, April 2003; ©
International Fabricare Institute.) |
