December 14, 2015

An Eco-Friendly Dry Cleaning Alternative


Dry cleaning is another means of laundry. This is often done in garments like the wedding dress, gowns, carpets and other delicate fabrics. Instead of regular soap and detergent, it used non-water-based solvents to eliminate dirt and stains.


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Petroleum-based products like gasoline and kerosene are the first solvents used in dry cleaning. However, these solvents are highly flammable and can cause fire or worst, explosion. Because of this concern, dry cleaning industry searched for another solvent and switched to tetrachloroethylene or perchloroethylene or simply known as PERC.

Unfortunately, PERC was considered as carcinogenic and can cause neurological, kidney and liver damages. Furthermore, proper handling is necessary to prevent contamination of drinking water and the environment.

Aside from PERC, there are other solvents that can be used as dry cleaning fluids like hydrocarbons, Dibutoxymethane, Liquid silicone, Brominated solvents, Supercritical CO2, and Glycol ethers.

As a chemist, I know that these dry cleaning substances can bring danger not only to humans but with the environment too. I was happy to encounter a website that offers a dry cleaning alternative, the West Boulevard Cleaners in Vancouver.

The West Boulevard Cleaners in Vancouver has an eco-friendly, solvent-free cleaning system which does not only give extra care for the fabric but with Mother Nature as well.

The solvent-free cleaning system uses only water and biodegradable detergents which leaves no hazardous waste nor possibility of polluting water, soil and air. Without dangerous solvents, wet cleaning will be safer for fabrics, human and the environment.

Though there are some fabrics that requires dry cleaning only way of cleaning, West Boulevard Cleaners ensures that their system can take extreme care of the garments being sent to them even cotton, wool, silks, suede and leather.

Let's help save Mother Nature!