The Wet Truth About Dry Cleaning

Everyday, people pick up dry cleaning and drop it off. These outfits may vary from nice blouses, to dress pants, and even more embarassingly: cotton tee-shirts that one could easily wash in their home. But sadly, my job thrives on those idiots.
Dry cleaning uses a whole host of harmful chemicals that can cause allergic reactions in some people and it can pose a serious health risk to those cleaning the clothes. One of these chemicals, called perchloroethylene, or commonly known as PERC, can pose harmful effects to peoples liver, kidneys and other organs, even after people bring them home. The chemical is commonly used to removes stains from clothes, and yes, while it may be effective, the clothes can soak it up, leaving a threat to those around you.

Now, I understand people taking valueable clothing, such as those made of silk, and those that cannot get wet to a dry cleaner. My problem is this: It's when people bring in regular, 100% cotton shirts to a dry cleaner, when those can EASILY be washed in the comfort of ones own home, with out the exposure to chemicals. WHy make the people dry cleaning your clothes go through the extra risk of breathing in toxic chemicals to clean a cotton shirt? Please, if you're going to dry clean something, make sure you can't throw it in your washing machine at home and clean it. 
Also, here another thing, at dry cleaners, the rate for dry cleaning a shirt it probably anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 per shirt. At home, the only thing you might pay for is detergent, fabric softner(if you so wish), water(If you're on city lines), and electricity. But, per load these will not add up to over $3.00.
For people with money to spend to get their underwear cleaned, please don't. When you do that, you release harmful toxins in to the air, and even around your self. True, it's not proven that you can get cancer from these toxins, but some people do have allergies to the harsh chemicals used.Although there are alternatives, if you have a cotton shirt, or anything else that could be washed, please, save some chemicals, save the air, and don't bring it to the dry cleaners. Silk, and other materials that have to be dry cleaned is understandable, but seriously, if its just a cotton shirt that can be washed, you're watsing your time by taking it up there, your money, and putting other peoples, and your own, health at risk


Mata Ne Chii