IS DRY CLEANING TOXIC? Investigating the Environmental Impact
THANK YOU FOR THE HANGERS!
One of the biggest trends we have seen over the last few decades is the development of environmentally friendly practices for businesses. Nearly every business has the ability to do something to make their everyday functions greener, and dry cleaning is no different. Indeed, many have asked the question: “Is dry cleaning toxic for the environment?” The answer is that it really depends on how you do it. To truly understand the steps taken to make dry cleaning more environmentally friendly, looking back at how dry cleaning started in modern history helps. Surprisingly, the idea of dry cleaning was discovered by accident. In 1825, a maid accidentally knocked over a lamp and spilled kerosene on dirty linens. The maid’s employer, Jean Baptiste Jolly, found that once the kerosene had dried, it had actually cleaned the linens. He tested his theory further, and after being proven right, he opened the very first dry- cleaning service in Paris.
As you can imagine, kerosene is incredibly flammable and dangerous to work with. It may have been a strong cleaner, but the risk of an explosion or fire afterward always lingered. Eventually, Michael Faraday, a prominent chemist, discovered perchloroethylene (PERC) which was a much less flammable way to dry clean. Though it’s never been proven, some believe that PERC is a carcinogenic agent. It’s an organic material, so dry cleaners claim they’re an “organic dry cleaner.” That phrase is more or less made up. We can claim whole foods are organic because they’ve been certified. Organic dry cleaners aren’t certified and just claim to be organic. At Janet Davis Cleaners, we use DF- 2000 as our dry-cleaning solvent. It was made in a lab by Exxon Mobil Corp. and is designed to be safe for use and for humans. It’s a big improvement over PERC and is much more environmentally friendly. When used with modern machinery, it sits in a pan and leaks into another pan so there are never any issues.
Keep Going!
Our team is truly shocked ! We cannot believe how many hangers we have received after we put out the call to return your hangers to us in late 2021. You are helping us save both the environment and some money as the hanger shortage continues and prices increase. Thank you to those who have continued to return your hangers. And please keep it up!
So, that brings us back to the question: Is dry cleaning toxic? The answer truly depends on the methods and processes followed by each specific dry cleaner. In our case, the systems and processes we use have a minimal impact on the environment and are checked by the state every year.
Inspired by Saveur.com
SUDOKU
This dip tastes great with bread, crostini, or crackers and will be a hit at any summer gathering. Grilled Corn and Ricotta Dip
INGREDIENTS
• 6 ears of corn • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1 1/2 cups ricotta • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced • Chives and scallions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp thyme, finely chopped • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 2. In a large grill pan, cook the corn until charred on all sides. Let cool, then cut the kernels from the cob. 3. In a food processor or blender, purée two-thirds of the kernels with the cream, ricotta, flour, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in remaining whole kernels. 4. Pour into an 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top, and dot with butter. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours, until bubbly. 5. Garnish with chives and scallions before serving.
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