Garment and Textile 

Care Program

Frequently Asked 

Questions About

Drycleaning

1. Why is EPA interested 

in drycleaning?

Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment

Garment and Textile Care Program has been

working in partnership with the drycleaning

industry to reduce exposures to perchloroethylene, or "perc," the chemical solvent used by

most drycleaners to clean garments and textile products. Approximately 85% of cleaners

use perc as their primary solvent. The primary

focus of these questions and answers are the

potential health and environmental concerns

associated with perc.

This document is one of a number of EPA

publications about professional garment care.

It is hoped that the information presented

here will answer questions you may have

about drycleaning and related issues.

2. How does drycleaning work?

Despite its name, drycleaning is not totally

dry. It involves the use of liquid chemicals

called "solvents" that remove most stains

from a variety of fabrics. Most drycleaners

use perc as their primary solvent. Because

the clothes are cleaned in a liquid solution

that is mostly perc or some other solvent,

with very little water if any, the term

"drycleaning" is used to describe the process.

There are some differences in the way

drycleaners process clothes, but here is how

it typically works:

● Drycleaners usually treat spots by

hand before placing garments in large

machines.

● Liquid solvents, detergents, and 

sometimes a small amount of water

are added to the machines. The

machines then agitate clothes in a

manner similar to your own washing

machine to remove dirt, oil, and stains.

● Once clean, the clothes are either dried

in the same machine or transferred

manually to a separate dryer, then

pressed and shaped. 

A Cooperative 

Project between

the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency and 

the Garment and 

Textile Care 

Industry

EPA 744-K-98-002, June 1998
● Used solvent is distilled so it can be purified.

Distillation separates the solvent from waste residues

such as detergents, dye, dirt, oil, so the solvent can be

reused. In addition to distillation, most machines also

use filters to clean used solvent.

● After the purification process, filters that contain the

solvent in very small amounts, and certain solvent

residues, such as perc, must be managed and disposed

of as hazardous waste. Drycleaners can send them to

special facilities for recycling or incineration. 

3. What is perc?

Perchloroethylene, or Perc, is the dominant chemical solvent

used in drycleaning. It is a clear, colorless liquid that has a

sharp, sweet odor and evaporates quickly. It is an effective

cleaning solvent and is used by most professional drycleaners because it removes stains and dirt from all common

types of fabrics. Perc usually does not cause clothes to

shrink, nor dyes to bleed. Perc is not flammable, unlike solvents commonly used to clean clothes in the 1930s and 40s.

Since perc can be reused, it is a cost-effective and efficient

solvent for cleaning clothes. Perc is also a toxic chemical

with both human health and environmental concerns.

4. What are the human health concerns 

associated with perc?

The extent of any health effects from perc exposure depends

on the amount of perc and how long the exposure lasts.

People exposed to high levels of perc, even for brief periods,

may experience serious symptoms. Those include dizziness,

fatigue, headaches, confusion, nausea, and skin, lung, eye

and mucous membrane irritation. Repeated exposure to

high levels can also irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and mouth

and can cause liver damage and respiratory failure. Perc

might cause effects at lower levels as well.

Studies in laboratory animals indicate that exposures to high

levels of perc can produce effects on the developing fetus

that include altered growth, birth defects, and death. While

there have been studies of people who are exposed to high

levels of perc, the studies are limited and inconclusive.

Scientists have not yet determined whether perc exposures

can cause such adverse effects in pregnant women as

increased incidence of miscarriage or reproductive effects,

affect women’s fertility, or affect children born to parents

exposed to high levels of perc. 

5. Can perc cause cancer?

The cancer-causing potential of perc has been extensively

investigated. In laboratory studies, perc has been shown to

cause cancer in rats and mice when they swallow or inhale

it. There is also evidence, from several studies of workers in

the laundry and drycleaning industry, suggesting a causal

association between perc exposure and elevated risks of certain types of cancer. As with all health effects, the potential

for an increased risk of cancer depends on several factors

including how much perc exposure there is, how often the

exposure occurs, and how long it lasts. Also important is

the way the exposure occurs, as well as the individual’s

overall state of health, age, lifestyle, and family traits. 

In 1995, the International Agency for Research on Cancer

(IARC), convened a panel of internationally regarded experts

who concluded that perc is "probably carcinogenic to

humans," based on limited evidence of carcinogenicity in

humans and sufficient evidence in animals. 

To further understand risks associated with the use of perc,

the Agency will be conducting a comprehensive, in-depth

health effects assessment of perc through the Agency’s

Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) process. IRIS is

EPA's electronic on-line database of summary health risk

assessment and regulatory information on specific chemicals and was developed to provide consistent risk information for EPA decisions. The comprehensive health effects

assessment will be peer reviewed, and the data and conclusions will be available in 1999 or 2000.
6. Am I exposed to perc and do I need 

to worry about it? 

We all may be exposed to perc because it is found in the air

and drinking water nationwide. Fortunately, the amounts

are usually small enough that they are not hazardous to the

average person’s health. If you work in or live next to a

drycleaning facility, you might be exposed to higher levels

and may have cause for concern. 

7. Do I need to worry about wearing 

drycleaned clothes?

As a consumer of drycleaning services, you may be exposed

to levels of perc that are slightly higher than what is normally found in the outdoor air; however, these amounts are

not expected to be hazardous to the average person’s

health. Therefore, it is very unlikely that people will get cancer from having their clothes drycleaned. As with all health

effects, the potential for an increased risk of cancer depends

on several factors including how much perc exposure there

is, how often the exposure occurs, and how long it lasts.

Also important is the way the exposure occurs, as well as

the individual’s overall state of health, age, lifestyle, and

family traits. 

Professional cleaners remove perc from drycleaned clothes

as part of the overall cleaning process. You cannot tell by

odor alone whether all the perc has been removed from

your clothes. If you think all of the solvent was not

removed, or if your newly drycleaned clothes smell like solvent, ask your cleaner to re-process your order or take them

to another cleaner for re-cleaning.

8. Do people who work in drycleaning shops 

need to worry about perc exposures?

Based on occupational studies, there is some concern for

drycleaning workers because people who work in traditional

drycleaning shops are expected to have the highest exposures to perc. This is because they spend a lot of time inside

the shops where the perc air levels are usually higher than

levels found outside the shops. 

There are many factors that influence perc air levels in

drycleaning shops and each shop is unique. Perc evaporates

quickly and can enter the air of drycleaning shops in many

ways:

● From poorly maintained machines;

● Through equipment leaks;

● From perc that is open to the air, such as when liquid

solvent is being added to the machines or when there

are open drums and tanks containing perc or perc

waste materials;

● From clothes that are not completely dry or 

improperly processed; and

● From clothes being transferred from a washer to a

dryer in older "transfer" machines that have separate

washers and dryers.

New drycleaning equipment, control technology, and cleaning practices can significantly reduce or eliminate these

exposures. For example, "dry-to-dry" machines, which clean

and dry garments in a single unit and eliminate the need to

transfer wet garments from a washer to a dryer, have

replaced many transfer machines and lowered exposures as

a result. However, recent reports indicate worker exposures

can be high even with new emission control equipment if

proper maintenance and operation practices are not followed.

9. What about people who live or work in 

the same building as a drycleaner?

"Co-located" is a term used to describe cleaners that clean

clothes on premises and are located in buildings that also

house other businesses and/or residences. People who live or

work in the same building as a co-located drycleaner can have

greater than average exposures to perc. This is because perc

vapors can pass through floor, ceiling, and wall materials of

the drycleaning shop and into adjacent building space. Perc

can also travel outside and re-enter nearby building spaces

through holes, vents, and other means. A drycleaner could

contaminate the air in neighboring apartments or offices if 

the cleaner has old equipment, does not properly maintain

equipment, or does not follow proper safety procedures. 
High perc levels in residences would be of special concern

for irritation and other health effects, including a potential

for cancer for occupants who are at home a lot and might

be exposed to perc for extended periods of time, such as the

elderly, young children, or pregnant women. Scientists do

not know if perc exposures cause developmental changes in

children. 

10. How does perc pollute the environment?

Perc can get into the air, water and ground during the

cleaning, purification, and waste disposal phases of

drycleaning. Through recent improvements in equipment

and more careful operating practices, perc consumption and

losses to the environment are being reduced.

Outdoor Air

Most of the perc used by the drycleaning industry escapes

into the outdoor air through open windows, vents, and airconditioning systems. In older drycleaning systems, perc

may still be vented directly to the outdoors as part of the

drycleaning process. Fortunately, many drycleaners now use

new machines that control or eliminate the amount of perc

that escapes during the cleaning process. 

Once outdoors, perc can remain in the atmosphere for several weeks, and although small amounts are always in the

air, perc itself does not deplete the ozone layer of the

atmosphere. After a few weeks, perc breaks down into other

chemicals--some of which are toxic, and some of which are

suspected to deplete the ozone layer.

Ground

Perc is known to be toxic to plants. It can enter the ground

in liquid form through spills, leaky pipes, leaky tanks,

machine leaks, and from improperly handled waste.

Significant amounts of perc have been found in the waste

resulting from drycleaning, which is considered a hazardous

waste by the EPA. Most of the solid waste materials, which

are filters used during the drycleaning process as well as

residual solvent and soils, are picked up by hazardous waste

management companies for recycling and/or incineration.

Water

At the end of the cleaning process, the cleaning fluid is separated from waste water by distillation. In the past, the

waste water was often poured down floor drains. In newer

equipment, the waste water is collected and evaporated or

removed by hazardous waste handlers and disposed of

through EPA-approved methods. 

Perc can seep through the ground and contaminate surface

water, groundwater, and potentially drinking water. A small

amount of perc can contaminate a large amount of water

and people can be exposed by drinking or using the water.

EPA has a limit on the amount of perc that is allowed to be

in drinking water. Well water can be tested to be sure it is

below the EPA standard. 

Small amounts of perc in the water have been shown to be

toxic to aquatic animals who can store the chemical in their

fatty tissues. 

11. Are there any new cleaning methods 

that may prove to be environmentally 

preferable?

Driven by concerns about perc and other drycleaning solvents, recent advances in both technology and garment care

have resulted in a sophisticated machine-based process

called "wetcleaning" which uses water as the solvent.

Wetcleaning is done in specially-designed machines that

have to be operated by garment care professionals. While

professional cleaners have always employed some form of

water-based cleaning methods, often by hand, these historic methods bear little resemblance to the new machinebased wetcleaning process.

Wetcleaning is not the same thing as home laundry and can

only be done successfully by trained professional cleaners

using the specialized machines and specially-formulated

detergents and additives to gently wash and dry clothes.

These machines are usually computerized, and like drycleaning machines, can be programmed to control many variables

and allow cleaners to customize cleaning for different garments. Wetcleaned garments can require more work to press

and specialized labor-saving equipment has been developed

to press and finish wet- (or dry-) cleaned garments.
Wetcleaning is appealing from an environmental point of

view because the cleaning process is done in a solution of

water with a few percent of additives. As with any new

technology, there are unanswered questions about the

potential environmental impact of wetcleaning, in particular

regarding water and energy use. Wetcleaning detergents

and additives usually end up going down the drain, and the

potential environmental effects of these new products are

largely unknown. Certain chemicals traditionally used in

detergents may pose concern for aquatic toxicity if they are

also found in wetcleaning products. 

12. What garments can be successfully

wetcleaned and where can I get this 

service?

Properly trained professional cleaners are now able to successfully wetclean most garments that are typically

drycleaned. Silks, wool sweaters, linens, suedes and leathers

can usually be wetcleaned, sometimes with superior results.

Some cleaners offer wetcleaning to their chemically-sensitive customers. An increasing number of commercial cleaners are incorporating wetcleaning into their businesses. This

trend is demonstrated by both the dramatically increasing

number of machines that wetcleaning machine manufacturers report they have sold in the past few years, and the

growth of the number of new wetcleaning products on the

market.

For more information about wetcleaning and to get a partial

list of cleaners nationwide that offer wetcleaning services,

call the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse

(PPIC) at (202) 260-1023 and ask for EPA publication called

Wetcleaning (EPA 744-K-96-002). The most current list of

self-identified wetcleaners can be found at the following

web site: 

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/campaigns/toxics/wetlist.html. 

Also available from PPIC is a curriculum for teaching

drycleaners how to wetclean: Training Curriculum for

Alternative Clothes Cleaning (EPA 744-R-97-004a). The

manual also contains useful information on fabrics and

fibers. Current news and information on wetcleaning can

also be found at the following web site:

http://www.cnt.org/wetcleaning.

13. Are there any other new methods for 

cleaning clothes?

There are several new technologies on the horizon but only

two are commercially available at this time: wetcleaning and

a synthetic petroleum solvent process. The new petroleum

solvent process has a reduced potential for fire hazards and

is currently being used by some drycleaners. Even with the

new process changes, some local fire codes still restrict or

prohibit the use of these solvents because they are considered a fire hazard.

EPA hopes that in the near future, professional cleaners will

have a wide range of environmentally-preferable cleaning

processes to choose from. There are a number of new

processes at different stages of development, such as:

● Cleaning processes based on liquid carbon dioxide are

being tested and show promise as environmentally

sound cleaning systems. This innovative process has

been recognized for pollution prevention achievements

by both the prestigious Presidential Green Chemistry

Challenge and the R&D 100 Awards Programs.

● A process based on glycol ethers is currently in the

development and testing stage.

● A water-based process using ultrasonic energy is

under development.

● Several other new solvents are also being developed.

14. What can I do to help reduce 

environmental and health risks 

from drycleaning?

The most important thing you can do is to choose a high

quality cleaner who acts responsibly toward the environment. Most professional drycleaners are experts in fabricare

and are already familiar with these issues. They will be able

to advise you on whether or not your garments can be successfully cleaned in new cleaning processes. Some specific

things you can do include:
● Know what you are buying. Learn about cleaning

processes and know what options are available to 

you from your local professional cleaners.

● Ask your cleaner about her/his cleaning methods, safety and maintenance practices, and how s/he 

handles her/his solvent waste streams.

● Bring your clothes to a professional cleaner who carefully follows safety requirements, and properly maintains her/his cleaning equipment. 

● If your professional cleaner offers the new machine

wetcleaning process as an option, consider asking your

cleaner to wetclean your clothes. 

● Help your cleaner determine the best way to clean

your clothes by telling her/him how they were soiled

(e.g., food, ink, make-up), and by giving her/him the

fabric content information off the care labels if you

remove the labels for any reason. 

● If you smell solvent when you enter a cleaning shop,

you might want to consider going somewhere else as

solvent odors can indicate improper processing or 

solvent use. 

● If you think all of the solvent was not removed, or if

your newly drycleaned clothes smell like solvent, ask

your cleaner to re-process your order or take them to

another cleaner for re-cleaning.

15. What are drycleaners doing to reduce 

environmental and health risks from 

drycleaning?

The approximately 30,000 drycleaners in the United States

share the public’s concerns about risk to the environment

and human health from exposure to cleaning solvents.

Many professional cleaners have taken significant steps to

reduce releases. A chemical industry survey reports that in

the past 10 years, drycleaners have reduced their use of perc

by more than 60%. Most of this was accomplished through

the replacement of old perc equipment with machines

designed to reduce perc vapors going into the air, and better

waste management. 

Increasing numbers of drycleaners use new work practices

that can significantly reduce perc exposures even in older

equipment. Regular cleaning, inspection, and maintenance

of equipment (e.g., ensuring repairing leaking gaskets and

cleaning clogged dampers) help reduce perc emissions. In

addition, some drycleaners install vapor barriers and build

room enclosures that help keep perc from entering neighboring spaces, and provide safety training for workers to

reduce worker exposures to perc. 

An increasing number of commercial cleaners are incorporating new "greener" cleaning methods, such as wetcleaning,

into their facilities. Some cleaners are involved in testing

some of the emerging technologies still in development.

16. What is the government doing to reduce 

environmental and health risks of perc?

The US EPA regulates environmental releases of perc through

a variety of laws including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water

Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Resource Conservation

and Recovery Act (disposal), and the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act

(Superfund). For example, drycleaners are required to comply with EPA’s perc drycleaning National Emission Standard

for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). This NESHAP has

reduced the amount of perc released from drycleaning shops

across the country. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the cleaning

guidance on garment care labels. FTC is proposing changes

to allow the labeling of garments now labeled "dryclean

only" for environmentally preferable cleaning technologies.

Perc exposures to workers in drycleaning shops are regulated

by exposure limits set by the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

OSHA is expected to propose a new lower limit in the near

future.

Some state and local governments are taking action to control, phase out, or ban certain types of older perc machines,

as well as where cleaners are located.
17. Is EPA working with the drycleaning 

industry to reduce pollution voluntarily?

The US EPA has a voluntary partnership program that

emphasizes pollution prevention rather than pollution 

control. Through its Design for the Environment Garment

and Textile Care Program, EPA is working with drycleaners

and other interested parties to promote the development 

of environmentally preferable drycleaning processes.

18. What is EPA’s Design for the Environment 

Program?

The US EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program is a

voluntary initiative that forges partnerships with a variety of

industries, including drycleaning, printing, and the electronics industry, in an effort to encourage the design of safer

processes and products by eliminating or minimizing pollution. The overall mission of DfE is to prevent pollution in

ways that allow businesses to remain successful. In this

way, a critical link can be made between environmental protection and economic productivity. DfE usually works with

small- and medium-sized businesses. DfE partners typically

include industry, professional groups, academia, environmental groups, public interest groups, labor unions, and

other government agencies. 

The DfE Program relies on EPA’s expertise and leadership to

share information and jointly research risk reduction and

pollution prevention efforts. A major tool developed by the

DfE Program is a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes

Assessment (CTSA), which presents relative comparisons of

traditional and substitute technologies on the basis of cost,

performance and risk. This unique tool is intended to

inform business decisionmakers, and to encourage them to

consider environmental issues along with the traditional

parameters of cost and performance. 

In addition to the substantial technical effort to produce a

CTSA, all DfE projects have large education and outreach

components aimed at developing and sharing information,

and promoting more environmentally preferable technology

choices. 

19. What is the DfE Garment and Textile 

Care Program?

The DfE Garment and Textile Care Program (GTCP) is a voluntary collaboration among the professional clothes cleaning

industry, labor, research and environmental groups, other

government agencies, and the EPA. The GTCP is dedicated to

reducing risks and preventing pollution associated with

chemicals used in the textile and garment care industries. To

date the program has been focused on three major activities:

development of a drycleaning CTSA, outreach and education

on new cleaning technologies, and long-term planning for

change in the garment and textile care industries. 

The goal of the drycleaning CTSA, Cleaner Technologies

Substitutes Assessment for Professional Fabricare Processes,

is to provide a comparative assessment of clothes cleaning

technologies available to professional cleaners so they can

incorporate environmental concerns into their day-to-day

and long-term business decisions. It is a highly technical

document designed for use by fabricare experts, professional cleaners, owners, environmental health and safety personnel, equipment manufacturers, and technically-informed

business decisionmakers. 

In order to facilitate making the information in the CTSA

available to a broader audience, the CTSA is also available in

a summary form, Cleaner Technologies Substitutes

Assessment for Professional Fabricare Processes: Summary.

There is also a fact sheet, Fact Sheet on Cleaner Technology

Substitutes Assessment for Professional Fabricare Processes,

which describes the goals and purpose of the new CTSA. 

In the near future, the DfE GTCP plans to use the fabricare

CTSA as the basis of a variety of user-friendly information

products designed specifically for small business cleaners. 
20. Where can I get more information?

Information packets about the DfE Program and the DfE

GTCP, as well as single copies of other DfE project publications, are available upon request from the US EPA Pollution

Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC). Most of these

publications are also available on the US EPA DfE web site.

For your convenience, here is the information necessary to

order copies of the newest DfE GTCP publications: the CTSA,

a summary version of the CTSA, a CTSA Fact Sheet, and this

set of questions and answers on drycleaning. 

Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment for

Professional Fabricare Processes 

(EPA 744-B-98-001, June 1998). 

Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment for

Professional Fabricare Processes: Summary 

(EPA 744-S-98-001, June 1998)

Fact Sheet on Cleaner Technology Substitutes Assessment

for Professional Fabricare Processes

(EPA 744-F-98-011, June 1998)

Frequently Asked Questions About Drycleaning

(EPA 744-K-98-002, June 1998)

● To request single copies of publications, 

write, phone, fax, or email:

U.S. EPA PPIC (7409)

401 M Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20460

Phone: 202-260-1023

Fax: 202-260-0178

Email: ppic@epa.gov

● Visit the EPA DfE Garment & Textile Care Program

Web Site:

http://www.epa.gov/dfe/garment/garment.html

● Visit the EPA DfE Program Web Site: 

http://www.epa.gov/dfe

Economics, Exposure and Technology Division (7406)

Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics

US Environmental Protection Agency

401 M Street SW

Washington, DC 20460

FAQ About Drycleaning