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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

You can always tell a garment that has come back from the dry cleaners. There’s that faint smell that seems to linger on the item, and in the closet. The smell comes from the solvent used in the dry cleaning process and, chances are, it’s not particularly good for you or the environment.

Perchloroethylene (PERC) is the most common chemical fluid used in dry cleaning. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 28,000 U.S. dry cleaners use perc, which is the only airborne toxin emitted from the dry cleaning process. Scientists with the EPA say that acute exposure to perc can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headache as well as a loss of coordination, and have identified perc as a “possible to probable human carcinogen.”

The state of California, which declared Perc a toxic chemical in 1991, has been more explicit. The state’s health officials say that the chemical can cause esophageal cancer, lymphoma, cervical and bladder cancer - Nasty stuff!

Interestingly enough, the Dry Cleaning Industry, says Perc is safe for dry cleaning because when clothes are properly cleaned there’s no chemical residue on the fabric and as long as the equipment doesn’t leak, there’s no danger to the environment. Ummm, given these somewhat contradictory pieces of information, what can a wary consumer do?

Going natural is the only the way to go and using the age-old method of actually drycleaning your garments DRY! ...Salt, vinegar, bran and clay are just four cleaning agents used in the past to care for garments that could not be laundered.

Some of the DIY methods require a little space and could prove quite messy. Choose an outdoors location or an easy to clean room such as a tiled bathroom, and protect your hair with a scarf.

Eco Alternatives: Clothes can  be wet cleaned - your “dry” cleaners may offer that option. Another option to dry cleaning with perc is using liquid carbon dioxide as the solvent, along with detergent. This is a relatively new technology that uses high pressure to convert carbon dioxide gas to liquid form. It then becomes a carrier of biodegradable soaps, the same way water does in a washing machine. Minimal carbon dioxide is lost into the air.
Another idea is to wash the garment by hand - despite what a label might say, many clothes can be washed this way. Always wash and rinse handwashing in blood heat water. If you change the temperature a number of things will happen. You can set the soap in the fibres or if the water's too cold then the fibres will stiffen and if it's too hot, they'll go soft and fluffy. Use a mild biodegradable detergent, like dissolved castile soap or soap nuts.  Be sure not to twist or wring out wool or silk. For stains in wool or silk, try spot cleaning with vinegar or lemon juice, testing for dye color fastness first. For mold stains, oil of cloves kills the spore and you only need the tiniest amount. A quarter of a teaspoon per litre of water. Carefully press water from the fabric. Lay wool items flat on a towel and shape before drying. Silk and rayon garments should be hung up.

A 'greener' approach to drycleaning would be to experiment at home with the following DIY "recipes". And this process is no more or less effective than what they do at the dry cleaners.
Correct clothes care will help avoid frequent dry cleaning. Brush clothes to remove lint and surface dust and occasionally air them outside.

General Purpose Dry Cleaner
Put unprocessed wheat bran in a large bowl and stir  while adding one drop at a time of white vinegar, until the mixture clumps together like a lump of brown sugar(it should not feel wet). Place in an old pillow case, put the garment in, tie off the top and shake. The vinegar will help break down the grease, oils and skin cells which build up on clothes, and the bran will act as a mild abrasive. Shake it out and it's done.

Water mixed with fuller's earth (an absorbent clay with a gentle cleaning action) will remove grease and oil from materials such as felt. Mix the fuller's earth with water to form a paste. Spread it on the article. Let it dry, then remove with a stiff brush.

Light + Delicate Items
Place the item on a clean towel, rub all over with French chalk, giving extra attention to marked areas. Roll the item up in a towel and leave it for 3 to 4 days. Unwrap and brush lightly to remove the chalk.

Leather Jackets
Give a leather jacket a facelift by covering with a paste made from pipe clay (fine white pure clay) and water. Use just enough water to make the clay spreadable. Rub in one direction only, from the bootom to the top. Allow the paste to dry, then shake the garment until all the clay has dropped off.

Woollens
Salt applied with a linen pad is suitable for cleaning woollen dresses and skirts. Lay the garment on a table and sprinkle a thin layer of salt over. Spread evenly with fingers, then with a linen pad ( a piece of linen folded several times), rub the salt into the cloth in long sweeping movements towards the hem. (A circular motion may roughen the surface.) Place the garment on a clothes hanger and brush it vigorously with a stiff clothes brush. Cuffs, collars and hems may need a repeat treatment.

For white or light-colored wool, can substitute ground rice for the salt, however leave the rice powder on for several hours.

Dry Cleaning Woollen Coats
The following method is not recommended for pale-colored items.
Mix together 9 oz (250 g) of flour + 5 1/2 oz (150 g) bran (the flaky outer husks of the wheat grain).

Heat the mixture in the oven, turning frequently to prevent from burning. When the mixture is as hot as possible without burning, spread over the fabric of the garment.

Fold the hot garment in a towel and put aside.

Two or three days later, unwrap the garment, shake it energetically and bruch with a clothes brush to remove all traces of the mixture.

Suits
Men's suits tend to be better made than most female's clothes and the fabrics handwash really well. All you have to do is follow the rules. Handwash in blood heat water, don't use harsh detergent but use a biodegradable gentle soap (castile) that is dissolved or soap nuts, rinse in the same temperature water that you washed in. Be sure not to twist then lie flat and in the shade to dry, not in direct sunlight.

EPA’s FAQ on dry cleaning http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/garment/ctsa/factsheet/ctsafaq.htm