Page 90 - Natural Health (February 2020)

STEPS TO HEALTHIER
LAUNDRY

From professional wet cleaning to home steaming and even a

stint in the freezer, your clothes, health and planet will thank
you for rethinking your laundry routines

WORDS ANNA BLEWETT

1 AVOID PERC a threat to ground water and the ground to research conducted by Electrolux around
Dry cleaning emerged in the 1930s as a itself.” Choose not to use traditional 65 percent of us are unaware of the beneits
magical method to clean delicate and heavily- dry cleaning and you end support for a of professional wet cleaning, so there’s
embellished garments that were too sensitive system that harms vulnerable workers scope for the services to grow.
to be laundered. Less marvellous, is the and environments.
liquid solvent widely used to dissolve stains
and dirt. Perchloroethylene, also known as 2 TRY WET CLEANING
tetrachloroethylene or ‘PERC’, is classiied Of course, some clothes are just too delicate
as an irritant and a carcinogen. It’s banned to trust to your home washing machine, but
in France, Denmark and parts of the US, but there is another way; the past two decades
still widely used in the UK. While risks to the have seen the spread of PERC alternatives
occasional dry cleaning that promise to be 100
customer are low, there’s percent toxin-free.
some evidence to suggest The most accessible is
troubling levels of PERC GreenEarth, a trademarked
can accumulate in clothes method from the US that
that are regularly cleaned As the technology uses a silicone-based liquid.
using the solvent. Once GreenEarth is used as
more, those working in the has become standard at national dry
dry cleaning industry or more afordable, cleaning chain Johnsons,
dealing with contaminated which has 190 stores
land or ground water cleaning services around the UK, as well as
can become exposed to ofer wet cleaning at independent businesses.
the toxins. “In terms of Find your nearest at
human health, it seems greenearthcleaning.com/
the occasional user of dry store-locator. Another
cleaning is at minimal risk,” alternative is wet cleaning,
conirms Dr Paula Owen, a a laundering method that
sustainability specialist and uses intelligent machines
founder of eco consultancy Green Gumption (most commonly the Woolmark-approved
which advises clients including Thames Water Electrolux Wet Cleaning System) and for
and the Energy Saving Trust. “The acute a delicate wash that uses minimal energy,
toxicity of PERC is moderate to low, which water and detergent. Garments are returned
means there are risks, but they’re low. It’s softer and brighter than with PERC, and free
the people who work in the industry who are from chemical odour. As the technology has
most at risk. The smell of PERC is horrible become more afordable, cleaning services
and from an environmental point of view ofer wet cleaning, so speak to your local
PERC doesn’t deplete the ozone, so it’s more provider to learn what’s available. According

90 NATURAL HEALTH