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Use liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂) dry cleaning as a nontoxic professional dry cleaning alternative. CO₂ cleaners use the same process as standard dry cleaning except that liquid carbon dioxide is used as the solvent, which eliminates the need for toxic cleaning chemicals.

How to find liquid carbon dioxide(CO₂) dry cleaners

CO₂ cleaning is provided by local commercial dry cleaners that have converted their equipment to CO₂ washing machines. This method leaves your clothes as clean and soft as standard dry cleaning, but without the toxic residues. Unfortunately, due to the high cost for cleaners to switch to CO₂ machines, CO₂ cleaning is not as widely available as other dry cleaning options, but, we've compiled two lists to help you find one of these green dry cleaners in your area.

CO₂ dry cleaning directories

The directories below allow you to search for liquid carbon dioxide cleaners by location:

• http://www.epa.gov/oppt/dfe/pubs/garment/gcrg/cleanguide.htm: A state-by-state listing of CO₂ cleaners.
• CO₂ dry cleaners finder: State-by-state links to CO₂ cleaners throughout the country.
• Urban and Environmental Policy Institute: Search their "greener cleaner" listing with your zip code.

CO₂ dry cleaning specialists

Some companies have capitalized on the growing demand for greener dry cleaning methods by establishing multiple locations and franchises. Below is a sampling of companies operating across the US.

• Blue Sky Cleaners: Operating in Seattle and the Bay Area, Blue Sky Cleaners uses reclaimed CO2 to safely and effectively clean clothes.
• Green Apple Cleaners: Locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
• Hangers Cleaners: Owned by Cool Clean Technologies, Hangers Cleaners offers an effective, environmentally safe alternative to traditional dry cleaning processes. They do not have a national website, so your best bet is to do a web search for "Hangers Cleaners" with your city's or town's name.

Before you buy

From a survey of three cleaners, the average cost to pants via CO₂ was $6 and dress shirts $5.80, so it's not as affordable as conventional dry cleaning methods.

Liquid carbon dioxide dry cleaning (CO₂) helps you go green because…

• The need for toxic solvents and hazardous waste disposal in dry cleaning is eliminated.
• Carbon dioxide from industrial emissions is captured and converted into a liquid carbon dioxide solvent. The CO₂ solvent is non-flammable and exists naturally, so the solvent does not pose any health risks to the cleaners or the customers.[1]

Standard dry cleaning, despite its name, is neither a dry nor "clean” process. Approximately 85 percent of commercial dry cleaners use perchloroethylene (perc) as the liquid solvent in their cleaning method. Perc, which is also known as tetrachloroethylene, has been known to cause short-term side effects such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Prolonged inhalation exposure is linked to chronic kidney, liver and reproductive damage, and may also increase the risk of cancer.[2] An individual cleaner only uses about 140 gallons of perc per year, but when this is multiplied by 30,000 businesses it amounts to approximately 4.2 million gallons of perc that are used annually. [3]

All solvents, both industrial (e.g., dry cleaning) and non-industrial (e.g., paint thinners), release greenhouse gases. Dry cleaning solvents comprise approximately 6 percent of hydrocarbons emissions of overall solvent emissions and also contribute to carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.[4]

CO₂ cleaning is a closed system; the used liquid carbon dioxide and detergents are filtered within the system, which can be recycled for numerous cleanings. At the end of the cycle, the CO₂ is pulled from the clothing along with the dirt, so there is no need for heat or drying. At the end of the cycle 98 percent of the CO₂ is recovered and reused. A small amount of CO₂ is emitted into the atmosphere.[5] Though the CO₂ cleaning agents are all nontoxic, some of the detergents used may contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs).[6]

External links

• Micell Technologies
• Cool Clean Technologies: Cool Clean Technologies is a leader in CO2 cleaning technology, providing machines that effectively and safely use CO2 to launder clothes.
• Co-op America - Green "Dry" Cleaning
• Plenty Magazine - Lean, Green Cleaning Machine