Bad Effects Of Laundering At Dry Cleaners You May Not Know About

By Ann Hill


One of the millennia old activities in the household is laundry. Water used to be the only way to get clothes clean. As the times changes, so does the way of doing it. Now, detergents are used to clean it and remove its stains. The new age has popped up dry cleaners Apopka in every corner.

Dry cleaning do not really mean dry. It means it does not use water. This is the difference they have against regular laundry. The dry cleaning machine is a combination of the washing machine and the dryer. Instead of water, it uses liquid solvents. As the clothes get placed on the machine, it gets soaked in the solvents. It gradually drains the solvent as the clothes tumble to dry.

Getting the service of these shops has major drawbacks. One, this is not really economical and two, not environmentally friendly. These solvents are chemical compounds that cannot be good to both people and Mother Nature.

Money is obviously an issue here. This method is a bit costlier than the regular washing machine people have in their homes and at regular laundry shops. This is because the customer pays for the costly solvent they are using. Though it is being filtered for reuse after each session, it does not erase the fact the solvents are from expensive chemicals.

There is a chemical solvent which is well known in the business. In 1930s, PERC or perchloroethylene is developed as a synthetic and nonflammable solvent. Later on, it was found out that it is a toxic chemical highly affecting the environment and the people living in it.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration have made a statement that contact with the chemical gives people exposed to it a high health risk. It is highly carcinogenic even when people have made little contact, especially if it is not properly dried. There is a temporary symptoms trigger of ailments if mildly exposed.

Adverse effects on health have been found by several scientific studies. It is highly common to employees working closely with the cleaning process. Mild effects are muscle incoordination, visual impairments, skin blisters, and headaches. On the opposite side of the scale, there are development of cancer cells and damage to the nervous system.

When not properly disposed, these chemicals create risks in the environment. Its effects may spread via water, air, and land. Let us take an example. Say that there is a drop of PERC spillage on the ground. Sooner or later, it will get seeped in the soil until it reaches the underground water reserves. That single drop may be carried into the atmosphere. It may even be swept by the wind while an unsuspecting person inhales it as he passes by.

Some shops are now in the green movement. Liquid carbon dioxide is the solvent they use to safely clean clothes. However, if not regulated, carbon dioxide will still be harmful to people and their health. A strong acidic odor is created by using higher concentration. When inhaled, people would get headaches, rapid breathing, stinging on the nose, and dizzy. It has a cryogenic property that would cause frostbites when comes in contact with the skin.




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