The ingredient mostly used in conventional dry cleaning, tetrachlorethylene, also referred to as perchlorethylene or perc has long been suspected of being a carcinogen, and both the American Cancer Society and The International Agency for Research on Cancer confirms that.  Fortunately there has been an increase in public consciousness resulting in more and more dry cleaners employing other chemicals in their operations.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been considering whether to ban it on a national basis, and legislation has been introduced in the Illinois House that would phase it out locally. In the interim, here are some steps you can take to avoid it.

• Alternatives to perc
  Search out stores that use substitutes such as 1) high-pressure cleaning using liquid carbon dioxide; 2) silicone-based cleaners (Green-earth is one), or high-tech, computer-controlled wet washing.

• Consider personal dry cleaning
  Home dry cleaning kits such as those manufactured under the Dryel brand by Procter and Gamble and by Clorox as Stain-fighter are not chemical-free, nor give results identical to professional cleaning. But they don’t contain perc, and might be an alternative in areas with no convenient eco-friendly cleaners or if you’re treating manageable spots.
• Use a small hand-held spot remover for minor stains
  Over the counter spot removers like Tide to Go or Oxiclean are 2 such brands.   
• Opt for the washer
  Modern washers with gentle cycles are often suitable for items such as cashmere and silk.
• Freshen slightly wrinkled garments
  Sometimes a little is enough; place delicates in the dryer with a damp colorfast towel, run briefly.
• Re-evaluate your wardrobe
  The best way to reduce dry cleaning pollution is to stop buying clothes which require it. With the wide variety of low-care fabrics available these days, thoughtful shopping can pay-off in reduced cleaning costs and a lighter environmental footprint. Check clothing labels and ask online merchants to disclose cleaning care requirements before buying.  (Thanks to Mother Nature Network for some of the ideas shown here.)

Here are a few eco-friendly ideas involving plastics we’ve recently adopted:

• Bring your own restaurant take out container.
  Bringing your own reusable container for leftovers saves having a lot of plastics and paper goods from going into landfills or having to be needlessly recycled.
• Look at the triangle
  At the bottom of most plastic containers is a small, raised triangle, numbered from #1 to #7.   Our local recycling authority, SWALCO Home – Lake County, IL (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) allows the recycling of plastics #1 through #5. FP International in Thornton, IL and the recycling station behind Abt Electronics in Glenview are two Illinois locations that will accept plastic #6, expanded polystyrene, or Styrofoam.  Here are additional recycling plastic #6 locations, nationwide.  The most difficult plastics to recycle are those numbered #7. Purchasing items so packaged should be avoided where possible.