GreenEarth Drycleaning

For years, there has been no choice but to clean clothes in solvents which have been based upon carbon chemistry. The results, for customers, have been less than satisfactory with a harsh feel and risk of damage to the fragile garments, leathers and curtains.   Recently we have found a new solvent -- liquid silicone!

How Dry Cleaning Came to Be!

Drycleaning is a term that is applied to washing fabrics in a liquid other than water.  Legend has it that drycleaning was discovered accidentally in France during the late 1800's. Apparently, someone spilled turpentine on a tablecloth that had numerous stains that could not be removed by washing, but which came out in the areas contacted by the turpentine. Thus, the idea of "washing" fabric in a liquid other than water was born.

Turpentine and some other early liquids used in drycleaning posed threats, however. Most were flammable at relatively low temperatures and gave off vapors that were dangerous to breathe. In the 1930's, perchlorethylene (or perc for short) was introduced to the industry as an alternative solvent. Although also carbon based, it was a superior cleaning agent and rapidly became the solvent of choice for the drycleaning industry around the world.

The Challenges Posed

Perc, however, is heavily regulated by Environmental Protection Agencies and other government bodies around the world due to environmental and health concerns. As a result of ongoing expenses and surcharges attached to buying and disposing of the product and the public policy issues associated with using the solvent there have been many attempts to find alternative solvents that would be more suitable for the drycleaning industry, to better meet the needs of customers and to better protect the communities in which we live.

Seizing the Moment

An inventor was handling a chemical used in cosmetics and realized it was removing the fats and dirt from his hands. He wondered if that chemical could remove fats, oils, and dirt from clothes. Lo, and behold, it did! While the chemical has been around for a long time, no one had found a way to use it as a solvent to dryclean clothes. The process of doing so was patented and now forms one of several baseline patents for the GreenEarth Cleaning System.

This solvent was not just an alternative solvent, but it was a solution to many of the problems being encountered by the drycleaning industry.   This solvent also meets the consumer needs as the ingredients are the same as those used in deodorants, hand creams, and other personal care products.

Ready to Go

The system was introduced to the entire drycleaning industry in June 1999. By October 2000, machines and detergents were ready and GreenEarth began to offer this remarkable drycleaning process to the drycleaning industry in the U.S. and Canada.

In 2005 this system was introduced into New Zealand and Australia through the efforts of local drycleaners.

WHY IT'S BEST

The GreenEarth Cleaning solvent used to dryclean your clothes is chemically inert. This means it does not chemically interact with your clothes in any way. Rather, it carries detergent to your clothes and rinses away suspended dirt and oils trapped by the detergent.

Because it is chemically inert, it is more gentle on your clothes. Wools do not come out looking "washed out," dry, or full of static. Silks and acetates are treated more gently. Colors remain bright and intact. Drycleaners who have seen the GreenEarth system in operation say the garments come out looking like they have been "in a mineral bath," with a soft and gentle feel. The solvent is safe for all buttons and trim of any kind. Leathers and curtains become easy to care for in this process and are returned feeling soft and renewed and maybe best of all, because it is odorless, there is no “drycleaning smell” returned with your garments, in your shoulder pads, cotton sweaters or doonas.

GreenEarth Drycleaning Solution

The performance of the GreenEarth Solution has been outstanding. All who have seen it, including experienced drycleaners, industry regulators, and customers, believe it is superior in every way. "It really is good for everybody!"