Is Dry Cleaning Bad for the Environment? (+ Green Alternatives)

Some clothes shouldn’t go in your washing machine (unless you’re happy to play Russian roulette with them). So, to clean them or get rid of nasty odours, you need an alternative like dry cleaning.

Is dry cleaning bad for the environment, though? And is it toxic?

I’ll show you why I try to avoid it as much as possible and what you can choose to do instead.

What is dry cleaning, exactly?

Despite the name, it’s not actually dry. Dry cleaning is the process of cleaning clothes without water, using a liquid solvent instead (in most cases, perchloroethylene, known as PERC).

Dry cleaning is especially used for delicate fabrics (like velvet, silk, wool, or suede), clothes with embellishments, and to get rid of stains and odours.

What are the negative effects of dry cleaning on the environment?

If you read some articles (= written by dry cleaners), you might have been led to think that, just because it doesn’t involve water, dry cleaning has a lower environmental impact than washing clothes. 

Unfortunately, it has lots of negative effects on the environment and even health-related risks. Its biggest problem?

PERC, the solvent used instead of water. Overall, the main environmental problems with dry cleaning are: 

• Air pollution – PERC releases volatile organic compounds into the air via evaporation, contributing to smog
• Water pollution – PERC contaminates the soil, groundwater, and consequently, drinking water too, affecting both wildlife and people (more on that soon)
• Hazardous waste – Dry cleaning generates a lot of waste, like cooked muck, used PERC, waste sludge, contaminated packaging, and more. These are tricky to dispose of safely and aren’t biodegradable. So, they’re going to stick around and keep contaminating the environment for YEARS
• Energy use – Due to its process and big machines, dry cleaning requires more energy than doing the laundry
  
• Carbon emissions – According to GreenMatch, a load of laundry emits 3.3kg of CO2. Dry cleaning? 5.3kg… per garment! So, definitely bad news for the climate, too

Is dry cleaning toxic?

Yes. Unfortunately, dry cleaning is bad for the environment and toxic, too.

Once again, this is mainly due to PERC, the most common solvent for dry cleaning.

While its health risks aren’t to do with wearing dry-cleaned clothes, they involve exposure to PERC through air, soil, or water. The longer you’re exposed to it, the higher the risks.

For example, some of the health risks of dry cleaning and PERC exposure are dizziness, headaches, sleepiness and confusion, nausea, difficulty speaking and even walking, and irritation to your skin, eyes, and respiratory system. 

Long-term exposure can also damage your nervous system, vision, liver, and kidneys, and it might cause certain types of cancer, too. 

Most eco-friendly dry cleaning alternatives

Dry cleaning is bad for the environment, but what can you do if you need to clean clothes that shouldn’t go in the washing machine? 

Here are some safer and kinder options, from different types of dry cleaning to DIY solutions.

Green dry cleaning alternatives (professional services)

Look for green dry cleaners near you. They might offer:

• Wet cleaning services – Instead of chemical solvents, this involves biodegradable detergents, water, and specialised equipment. As well as bypassing PERC, it uses 20% less electricity and 14% less natural gas than traditional dry cleaning 
• Liquid CO2 cleaning – It uses liquid carbon dioxide as a cleaning solvent. Don’t worry, though: it won’t worsen your carbon footprint. On the contrary, it uses recycled CO2, reclaimed from industrial processes
• Silicone-based cleaning – Patented by GreenEarth Cleaning, this process involves a biodegradable and non-toxic solvent instead of PERC
• Ozone treatment – These cabinets aren’t a green dry cleaning alternative to wash clothes, but they do get rid of both bacteria and odours 
• Additional eco-friendly dry cleaning alternatives – For example, some dry cleaners use solar panels to reduce their environmental impact

How to dry clean at home and reduce the impact of your clothes 

You can use DIY dry cleaning kits. While their environmental impact is lower than commercial dry cleaning, though, they often include toxic chemicals, and you might not achieve the same results. So, to get rid of pesky stains, consider professional green dry cleaning alternatives.

As for taking care of delicate clothes that would normally be dry cleaned:

• Wash them less – This will reduce the need for dry cleaning and help your clothes last longer. A win-win! How can you do that? To freshen them up after wearing them, leave them by the window for a few hours or spray them with some homemade natural spray (store-bought fabric fresheners are FULL of nasty chemicals). You can also put them in a plastic bag and leave them in the freezer overnight to kill bacteria, especially those that cause bad smells. Oh, and store them tidily, without cramming them at the back of your wardrobe or on “the chair”
• Hand-wash them – Most “dry clean only” garments can be hand-washed (but still, proceed with care, and avoid hand-washing manufactured pleads, suede, and structured and lined items in particular). Use cold water and a delicate detergent
• Use a steamer – It’ll kill bacteria and remove wrinkles
• Steam your clothes without a steamer – My favourite method? Hanging them in the shower and letting the steam work its magic

Wondering why I care so much about helping you look after clothes in an eco-friendly way?

Because, at Project Cece, we brought hundreds of fairtrade brands in one place to help eco-conscious consumers make ethical choices more easily... but how you treat your clothes after buying them makes a big difference, too.

In fact, the most sustainable thing you can do with your clothes is… love them, take care of them, and rewear them as much as possible!

So, is dry cleaning bad for the environment? Yes, I’d say it is.

But while you might not always be able to avoid it altogether, you can look for green dry cleaning alternatives or DIY it at home.