Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using an organic solvent rather than water. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid liquid or gaseous Solute, resulting in a Solution. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public. Tetrachloroethylene, also known under its systematic name tetrachloroethene and as perchloroethylene, perchloroethene, perc, and PCE Dry cleaning is necessary for cleaning items which would otherwise be damaged by water and soap or detergent. SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using A detergent (as a noun is a material intended to assist Cleaning. It may be used if hand washing— needed for some delicate fabrics — is excessively laborious.

Contents 1 History 2 Process 3 Solvent processing 4 Dry-cleaning wastes 4.1 Cooked muck 4.2 Sludge 5 Health and Safety 6 Environment 7 Solvents used 7.1 Modern 7.2 Historical 8 References 9 See also 10 External links

History

Dry cleaning uses non-water-based solvents to remove soil and stains from clothes. The potential for using petroleum based solvents in this manner was discovered in the mid-19th century by French dye-works owner Jean Baptiste Jolly, who noticed that his tablecloth became cleaner after his maid spilled kerosene on it, and developed a service cleaning people's clothes in this manner, which he termed "nettoyage à sec," or "dry cleaning" in English. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage is a Combustible Hydrocarbon liquid ^[1]

Early dry cleaners used petroleum-based solvents, such as gasoline and kerosene. Flammability concerns led Keith Anderson of westquarter, a dry cleaner from Laurieston to develop Stoddard solvent as a slightly less flammable alternative to gasoline-based solvents. White spirit, also known as Stoddard solvent, is a Paraffin -derived clear transparent liquid which is a common organic Solvent used in painting and Flammability is the ease with which a substance will ignite causing Fire or Combustion. The use of highly flammable petroleum solvents caused many fires and explosions, resulting in government regulation of dry cleaners.

After World War I, dry cleaners began using chlorinated solvents. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All These solvents were much less flammable than petroleum solvents and had improved cleaning power. By the mid-1930s the dry cleaning industry had adopted tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), colloquially called "perc," as the ideal solvent. Tetrachloroethylene, also known under its systematic name tetrachloroethene and as perchloroethylene, perchloroethene, perc, and PCE It is stable, nonflammable, and has excellent cleaning power, and is gentle to most garments. However, perc was also the first chemical to be classified as a carcinogen by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (a classification later withdrawn). In 1993 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted an airborne toxic control measure (ATCM) to reduce perc emissions from dry cleaning operations. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The dry cleaning industry is now beginning to replace perc with other chemicals and/or methods.

Process

A dry cleaning machine is similar to a combination of a domestic washing machine, and clothes dryer. A washing machine, or washer, is a machine designed to clean Laundry, such as Clothing, Towels and sheets The term is mostly applied A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove the moisture from a load of Clothing and other Textiles, generally Garments are placed into a washing/extraction chamber (referred to as the basket, or drum), which is the core of the machine. The washing chamber contains a horizontal, perforated drum that rotates within an outer shell. The shell holds the solvent while the rotating drum holds the garment load. The basket capacity is between 20 and 80 lb (9-36 kg) of garments.

During the wash cycle the chamber is filled approximately 1/3 full of solvent and begins to rotate, agitating the clothing. The solvent temperature is maintained at 85°F (29. 4°C), as a higher temperature may extract dye from garments, causing color loss. A dye can generally be described as a Colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied During the wash cycle, the chamber is constantly fed a supply of fresh solvent from the working solvent tank while spent solvent is removed and sent to a filter unit comprising a distillation boiler and condenser. Distillation is a method of separating Mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture The ideal flow rate is one gallon of solvent per pound of garments (roughly 8 litres of solvent per kilogram of garments) per minute, depending on the size of the machine.

Before being placed in the machine, garments are inspected for stains and soils by the operator. Depending on the nature of the soil, a catalyst may be applied to it. This depends on the operator's judgment of the makeup of the textile and the soil itself. Oil-based soils (such as grease, oil, or lipstick) typically are removed well by perchloroethylene, while water-based soils (such as coffee, wine, perspiration, blood, and semen) will need a catalyst to allow the dry cleaning solvent to emulsify and lift them. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments oils waxes and emollients that applies color and texture to the lips. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Blood is a specialized Bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells ��such as nutrients and oxygen—and transports Waste products Physiological aspects Internal and external fertilization Depending on the Species, spermatozoa can fertilize Catalysis is the process in which the rate of a Chemical reaction is increased by means of a Chemical substance known as a catalyst Food-based grease soils fall in between the two, and a milder catalyst may be applied.

Garments are also checked for foreign objects. Items such as plastic pens will dissolve in the solvent bath and may damage textiles beyond recovery. Some textile dyes are "loose" (red being the main culprit), and will shed dye during solvent immersion. These will not be included in a load along with lighter colored textiles to avoid color transfer. The solvent used must be distilled to remove impurities that may transfer to clothing. Garments are checked for dry-cleaning compatibility, including fasteners. Many decorative fasteners either are not dry cleaning solvent proof or will not withstand the mechanical action of cleaning. These will be removed and restitched after the cleaning, or protected with a small padded protector. Fragile items, such as feather bedspreads or tasseled rugs or hangings may be enclosed in a loose mesh bag. The density of perchloroethylene is around 1. 7 g/cm³ at room temperature (70% heavier than water), and the sheer weight of absorbed solvent may cause the textile to fail under normal force during the extraction cycle unless the mesh bag provides mechanical support. In Physics, the normal force F_n\ (or in some books N) is the component perpendicular to the surface of contact of the Contact force

A typical wash cycle lasts for 8-15 minutes depending on the type of garments and amount of soiling. During the first three minutes, solvent-soluble soils dissolve into the perchloroethylene and loose, insoluble soil comes off. It takes approximately ten to twelve minutes after the loose soil has come off to remove the ground-in insoluble soil from garments. Machines using hydrocarbon solvents require a wash cycle of at least 25 minutes because of the much slower rate of solvation of solvent-soluble soils. A dry-cleaning surfactant "soap" may also be added.

At the end of the wash cycle, the machine starts a rinse cycle, and the garment load is rinsed with fresh distilled solvent from the pure solvent tank. This pure solvent rinse prevents discoloration caused by soil particles being absorbed back onto the garment surface from the "dirty" working solvent.

After the rinse cycle the machine begins the extraction process, which recovers dry-cleaning solvent for reuse. Modern machines recover approximately 99. 99% of the solvent employed.

The extraction cycle begins by draining the solvent from the washing chamber and accelerating the basket to 350 to 450 rpm, causing much of the solvent to spin free of the fabric. When no more solvent can be spun out, the machine starts the drying cycle.

During the drying cycle, the garments are tumbled in a stream of warm air (145°F/63°C) that circulates through the basket, evaporating any traces of solvent left after the spin cycle. The air temperature is controlled to prevent heat damage to the garments. The exhausted warm air from the machine then passes through a chiller unit, where solvent vapors are condensed and returned to the distilled solvent tank. Modern dry cleaning machines use a closed-loop system where the chilled air is reheated and recirculated. This results in high solvent recovery rates and reduced air pollution. In the early days of dry cleaning, large amounts of perchlorethylene were vented to the atmosphere, because it was regarded as cheap and believed to be harmless.

After the drying cycle is complete, a deodorizing (aeration) cycle cools the garments and removes the last traces of solvent, by circulating cool outside air over the garments and then through a vapor recovery filter made from activated carbon and polymer resins. After the aeration cycle, the garments are clean and ready for pressing/finishing.

Solvent processing

Working solvent from the washing chamber passes through several filtration steps before it is returned to the washing chamber. Filtration is a mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids (liquids or gases by interposing a medium to fluid flow through which the fluid The first step is a button trap which prevents small objects such as lint, fasteners, buttons, and coins from entering the solvent pump.

Next the solvent passes through a filter which removes lint and insoluble suspended soils from the solvent. Most filters use an ultra fine mesh to support a thin layer of filter powder (made from diatomaceous earth and activated clays). Diatomaceous earth (ˌdaɪətəˈmeɪʃəs ˈɝθ also known as DE, TSS, diatomite, diahydro, kieselguhr, kieselgur and Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Some machines use powderless filters which are capable of removing soil particles greater than 30 micrometers. A micrometre ( American spelling: micrometer; symbol µm) is one millionth of a Metre, or equivalently one thousandth of a Millimetre

Over time a thin layer of filter cake (called muck) accumulates on the lint filter. A filter cake is formed by the substances that are retained in or on a filter (depending on whether a depth or a surface filter is used The muck is removed regularly (commonly once per day) and then processed to recover solvent trapped in the muck. Many machines use "spin disc filters" which remove the muck from the filter by centrifugal force while it is back washed with solvent.

After the lint filter, the solvent passes through an absorptive cartridge filter. This filter is made from activated clays and charcoal and removes fine insoluble soil and non-volatile residues, along with dyes from the solvent. Finally, the solvent passes through a polishing filter which removes any soil not previously removed. The clean solvent is then returned to the working solvent tank.

To enhance cleaning power, small amounts of detergent (0. A detergent (as a noun is a material intended to assist Cleaning. 5%-1. 5%) are added to the working solvent and are essential to its functionality. These detergents help dissolve hydrophilic soils and keep soil from redepositing on garments. Hydrophile, from the Greek (hydros "water" and φιλια (philia "friendship" refers to a physical property of a Molecule Depending on the machine's design, either an anionic or cationic detergent is used.

Since the solvent recovery is less than 100%, and because dry-cleaning doesn't remove water-based stains well, entrepreneurs have developed the wet cleaning process, which is essentially cold-water washing and air drying, using a computer-controlled washer and dryer. Wet cleaning is a non- Toxic, environmentally safe alternative to Dry cleaning, utilizing Computer -controlled Washing machines Biodegradable Wet cleaning is generally regarded as being in its infancy, although low-tech versions of it have been used for centuries.

Dry-cleaning wastes

Cooked muck

Cooked Powder Residue — the waste material generated by cooking down or distilling muck. Cooked powder residue is a hazardous waste and will contain solvent, powdered filter material (diatomite), carbon, non-volatile residues, lint, dyes, grease, soils and water. The term hazardous waste comprises all toxic chemicals radioactive materials, and biologic or infectious waste. This material should then be disposed of in accordance with local law.

Sludge

The waste sludge or solid residue from the still contains solvent, water, soils, carbon and other non-volatile residues. Still bottoms from chlorinated solvent dry cleaning operations are hazardous wastes.

Health and Safety

Perc is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and exposure carries risks to both those who work in the dry cleaning industry as well as consumers. The term carcinogen refers to any substance Radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the promotion of Cancer or in the fatation of its propagation The International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC, or CIRC in its French Acronym) is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Perc exposure has been shown to cause liver cancer in mice and kidney cancer in male rats. ^[2] According to California's South Coast Air Quality Management District(SCAQMD), people who live near dry cleaners have a higher risk of cancer than those who live near oil refineries or power plants. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD formed in 1976 is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of ^[3]

PERC can enter the body through respiratory and dermal exposure. Symptoms associated with exposure include: impaired memory, confusion, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Repeated dermal exposure may cause dermatitis. ^[4]

Environment

Perc is classified as a hazardous air contaminant by the EPA and must be handled as a hazardous waste. The term hazardous waste comprises all toxic chemicals radioactive materials, and biologic or infectious waste. To prevent it from getting into drinking water, dry cleaners that use perc must take special precautions against site contamination. Landlords are becoming increasingly reluctant to allow dry cleaners to operate in their buildings. When released into the air, perc can contribute to smog when it reacts with other volatile organic carbon substances. Smog is a kind of Air pollution; the word "smog" is a Portmanteau of Smoke and Fog. ^[5] California declared perchloroethylene a toxic chemical in 1991, and its use will become illegal in that state in 2023. ^[6]

Solvents used

Modern

• Perchloroethylene — In use since the 1940s, perc is the most common solvent, the "standard" for cleaning performance, and most aggressive cleaner. Tetrachloroethylene, also known under its systematic name tetrachloroethene and as perchloroethylene, perchloroethene, perc, and PCE It can cause color bleeding/loss, especially at higher temperatures, and may destroy special trims, buttons, and beads on some garments. Better for oil-based stains (which account for about 10% of stains) than more common water-soluble stains (coffee, wine, blood, etc). Known for leaving a characteristic chemical smell on garments. Nonflammable.
• Hydrocarbon — This is most like standard dry cleaning, but the processes use hydrocarbon solvents such as Exxon-Mobil’s DF-2000 or Chevron Phillips' EcoSolv. In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon. The Exxon Mobil Corporation, or ExxonMobil, is an American oil and gas Corporation and a direct descendant of John D Chevron Phillips is a chemical producer jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and ConocoPhillips. These petroleum-based solvents are less aggressive than perc and require a longer cleaning cycle. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit While flammable, these solvents do not present a high risk of fire or explosion when used properly. Hydrocarbon also contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to smog. This article describes a highly specialized aspect of its subject in the "Terminology and legal definitions" section ^[3]
• Liquid silicone(decamethylcyclopentasiloxane or D5) — gentler on garments than Perc and does not cause color loss. Silicones are largely inert compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses Requires a license be obtained to utilize the property of GreenEarth Cleaning. GreenEarth Cleaning is a patented process for Drycleaning using liquid Silicone (decamethylpentacyclosiloxane or D5 a clear odorless non-toxic Solvent Degrades within days in the environment to silica and trace amounts of water and CO₂. The Chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin " Silex " is an Oxide Produces nontoxic, nonhazardous waste. Toxicity tests by Dow Corning shows the solvent to increase the incidence of tumors in female rats (no effects were seen in male rats), but further research concluded that the effects observed in rats were not relevant to humans because the biological pathway that results in tumor formation is unique to rats. ^[7](170. 6 °F/77 °C flash point)
• Liquid CO₂ — Consumer Reports rated this method superior to conventional methods, but the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute commented on its "fairly low cleaning ability" in a 2007 report. The nature of super critical carbon dioxide is established as a solvent for use in extraction Consumer Reports is an American Magazine published monthly by Consumers Union. ^[8] Machinery is expensive--up to $90,000 more than a perc machine, making affordability difficult for small businesses. Most cleaners with these machines keep traditional machines on-site for the heavier soiled textiles. CO₂ cleaning is also used for fire- and water-damage restoration due to its effectiveness in removing toxic residues, soot and associated odors of fire.
• Modified hydrocarbon blends (Pure Dry)
• Glycol ethers (dipropylene glycol tertiary-butyl ether) (Rynex) — not as effective as perchloroethylene. A diol or glycol is a Chemical compound containing two Hydroxyl groups (-OH groups Vicinal diols have hydroxyl groups attached to adjacent atoms Ether is a class of Organic compounds which contain an ether group — an Oxygen Atom connected to two (substituted Alkyl
• Wet cleaning — Not a solvent, but a system that uses water and biodegradable soap. Wet cleaning is a non- Toxic, environmentally safe alternative to Dry cleaning, utilizing Computer -controlled Washing machines Biodegradable Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms Computer-controlled dryers and stretching machines ensure that the fabric retains its natural size and shape. Wet cleaning is claimed to clean a majority of "dry clean only" garments safely, including leather, suede, most tailored woolens, silk and rayon. Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulosic Fiber. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring Polymers and therefore it is not a truly (Neckties seem to be the one exception. ) Most perc cleaners use wet cleaning on some garments, but there are only about 20 exclusive wetcleaners in the U. S.

Historical

• Stoddard solvent — Very flammable and explosive, 100°F/38°C flash point. White spirit, also known as Stoddard solvent, is a Paraffin -derived clear transparent liquid which is a common organic Solvent used in painting and The flash point of a flammable liquid is the lowest Temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture in air
• Carbon tetrachloride — Toxic and corrosive
• Trichloroethane — Overly aggressive and harsh
• Valclene 113 Freon-113 — Ozone destroying CFC

References

1. ^ How Dry Cleaning Works. Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (see Table is the Organic compound with the formula CCl4 The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are a group of Chemical compounds consisting of Alkanes such as Methane Retrieved on 2006-03-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
2. ^ Ohio Bureau of Health. “Tetrachloroethylene (PCE).” Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
3. ^ ^{a b} Immediato, Linda. "Wet is the New Dry." LA Weekly: La Vida. 2007-01-17. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
4. ^ NIOSH Hazard Controls: Control of Exposure to Perchloroethylene in Commercial Drycleaning (Substitution) United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-155 (1998) [1]
5. ^ U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. “Chemicals in the Environment: Perchloroethylene.” 1994-08. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
6. ^ California bans dry cleaning chemical. msnbc.com (2007-01-25). Msnbccom is the most-visited online news organization in the U Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
7. ^ Silicones Environmental, Health and Safety Council. “Fact Sheet: D5 in Dry Cleaning.” December 2004. Accessed 2007-07-30.
8. ^ Drycleaning and Laundry Institute. "The DLI White Paper: Key Information on Industry Solvents. " The Western Cleaner & Launderer, August 2007.

See also

• List of environment topics
• Fabric Restoration
• GreenEarth Cleaning

• Pearson v. Chung The Pearson v. The Natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth or some part Fabric restoration is the process of refurbishing fabric items after they have been affected by fire smoke water or mold GreenEarth Cleaning is a patented process for Drycleaning using liquid Silicone (decamethylpentacyclosiloxane or D5 a clear odorless non-toxic Solvent Pearson v Chung is a civil case filed in 2005 by Roy L Pearson Jr Chung case

External links

• How stuff works article on how dry cleaning works.
• How stuff works article on how home dry cleaning works.
• Dry clean only? Article about exceptions to "dry clean only" labels.
• Dry cleaning chemicals that are more environment friendly.
• Hazard Summary provided by the U. S. EPA.
• Perchloroethylene on PERC and environmental issues.
• NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Drycleaning
• [2] Web-based eco-luxury laundry and dry cleaning provider.

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