This document is one of a number of EPA 

A Cooperative 

Project between 

the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency and 

the Garment and 

Industry 

Garment and Textile 

Textile Care 

EPA 744-K-98-002, June 1998 

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. 

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. 
●	 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