While many people use dry cleaners Minneapolis MN residents often wonder what dry cleaning really is. In fact, most people have no idea what happens to their items once they drop it off at the counter. Dry cleaning is a method of cleaning fabric that does not use water. Instead other chemicals are used to remove stains, smells and refresh the fabric. Many of those chemicals are toxic and possibly lead to cancer. Thankfully, in the last few decades alternatives to carcinogenic chemicals have emerged and are being used by more and more dry cleaning services.
Why Use Dry Cleaning?
Many fabrics are either too delicate for residential washers and dryers or degrade if wet. Other fabrics are not able to be washed because they are part of a pillow, bed comforter or curtain. For those types of fabric an alternative to traditional washing is needed to maintain appearance. By using certain chemicals fabrics like silk, wool and leather can be spot treated and refreshed with water never touching them. Pillows and any other item with stuffing can be cleaned without the stuffing becoming lumpy and moldy as it would after a traditional round of washing.
What Chemicals Are Used?
Many chemicals are used during the dry cleaning process. The most important ones are solvents. These are the chemicals that act as water. Many of these are toxic and have led to cancer when breathed by lab mice in research studies. Detergents are also used to remove dirt and have similar chemicals as household laundry detergents. There are a slew of other chemicals used by dry cleaners and Minneapolis MN residents would be remiss to not explore them and their effects on humans.
Is There An Alternative?
The good news for Minneapolis MN folk who must use dry cleaners is that thanks in part to Federal regulations and heightened coverage by the media new, less toxic forms of solvents and detergents are emerging and being adopted by the dry cleaning industry. Companies using the newer, greener chemicals are proud and will gladly explain to any customer how the chemicals are different from standard chemicals. Many people buy do-it-at-home dry cleaning kits and while they may work for light cleaning they still have toxic chemicals and must be treated the same. It is recommended to lessen the effects of the chemicals on one’s lungs that freshly dry cleaned fabrics be aired-out overnight.
Dry cleaning is readily used in today’s society and more and more designers are including ‘dry clean only’ tags on their merchandise. The extra price of paying a dry cleaner may be annoying, but even more annoying is the damage dry cleaning chemicals have on the environment and everyone who comes in contact with them. Improved legislation is helping to change the accepted dry cleaning norms, but change is slow. By demanding green dry cleaners Minneapolis MN citizens can make their voices heard.
Many fabrics require dry cleaners that may or may not use harmful chemicals.
