Did you know that most Irish dry cleaners use harsh and toxic chemicals such as PERC (perchloroethylene) as a solvent in their cleaning process? PERC has even been banned in some countries and states due to human health risks and environmental concerns.
What is PERC (perchloroethylene)?
PERC is a dominating solvent used in the dry cleaning industry. Traditional dry cleaners soak items in this toxic and volatile chemical to remove stains. If not controlled correctly PERC can pose serious health risks to those exposed. A person can become exposed to PERC through: ingestion, inhalation or skin contact i.e. direct contact with dry cleaned items that have been cleaned using the chemical.
Did you know?
Exposure to PERC can have serious negative impacts on the human central nervous system.
The use of PERC is banned in France.
The United States Environmental protection agency has been advocating to ban the use of PERC in all states, it is currently banned in California.
PERC is known as an environmental hazard, it can contaminate water, air and soil. It is known to pollute both indoor and outdoor air.
Harsh chemicals such as PERC are often used as an "easy" way to abolish difficult stains. However, such chemicals can in fact stiffen materials and erode colouring.
Why we do not use PERC at The Laundry press
We are committed to eco-friendly dry cleaning and are continuously working towards becoming the best eco-citizens that we can be. As a result, such harsh chemicals are not an option for us. We also do not use PERC for the safety of our staff, customers and the general public. We pride ourselves on our high-quality cleaning processes which could be hindered with the use of such harsh chemicals.
PERC was seen as an amazing and innovative cleaning formula when it was launched to market over 80 years ago. However, we have come a long way since then. The use of such chemicals is outdated, unsafe, and unnecessary in the year 2021!