Dry cleaning is a term that is applied to washing fabrics in a liquid other than water. Using water as the washing agent is termed wet cleaning. This is the process that most of us use in our homes and which is used in commercial laundries.

Legend has it that dry cleaning was discovered accidentally in France during the late 1800's by someone spilling turpentine on a tablecloth that still had numerous stains after washing, but which came out in the areas contacted by the turpentine. Thus, the idea of "washing" fabric in a liquid other than water was born.

Turpentine and other liquids used in dry cleaning have posed threats. Many were flammable at low temperatures and many gave off vapors that were dangerous to breathe. These two issues have always been present when considering various fluids for dry cleaning.

In the 1930's, perchlorethylene (perc), based on carbon chemistry, was introduced. Currently, perc is used by 85% of the dry cleaners in the United States and around the world.

Perc, however, is heavily regulated by the EPA and OSHA due to environmental concerns. Further, it has caused the dry cleaning industry damage due to the costs of cleaning up sites that have been contaminated, surcharges attached to buying and disposing of the product, and public policy issues associated with the solvent.

In 1998, the largest dry cleaning operation in the United States was a company named "Johnson Group, Inc.", which was also known as "Dry Clean USA." It operated some 400 locations in 12 states and was managed by Jim Barry, Chief Executive Officer.
In the summer of 1998, several investors in the Midwest were seeking additional investors for a new method of dry cleaning clothes. One of the potential investors knew Jim Barry and recommended that he be contacted, given his knowledge of the dry cleaning industry and his ability to ultimately become an investor.

Because many new solvents have been introduced, tried, and failed, Jim was dubious about what he heard. However, Jim knew how important it was to his operation and to the dry cleaning industry in general to identify an alternative solvent. As a result, he agreed to view the new solvent in operation.

What Jim saw was incredible! An inventor was handling a chemical used in cosmetics and realized it was removing the fats and dirt from his hands. He wondered if that chemical could remove fats, oils, and dirt from clothes. Lo, and behold, it did! While the chemical has been around for a long time, no one had thought to use it as a solvent to dry clean clothes. The process of doing so was patented and now forms one of several baseline patents for the GreenEarth® Cleaning system.

To begin with, a California cleaner agreed to use GreenEarth for six months. It became apparent that the silicone-based dry cleaning solvent was, indeed, the Solution the industry had been looking for! That was followed by an “Affirmation Phase� where 29 independent dry cleaners used this silicone solvent in their retail operations for more than a year. The primary purposes of the "Affirmation Phase" were:

• Affirm cleaning performance of silicone solvent.
• Work with chemical companies to develop and test detergents & additives.
• Work with equipment manufacturers to develop and test various equipment configurations.
• Perform extensive tests on waste streams at actual operating sites.

During the "Affirmation Phase," over 26,000 test measurements were taken at the "Affirmation Sites" on still bottoms, wastewater, filter cartridges and exposure levels. All tests confirmed that GreenEarth is nonhazardous and safe to use.

By October 2000, machines and detergents were ready, and, with the outstanding test results achieved, GreenEarth began to offer this remarkable dry cleaning process to the dry cleaning industry in the U.S. and Canada.

The GreenEarth Solution used to dry clean clothes is chemically inert. This means it does not chemically interact with your clothes in any way. Rather, it carries detergent to your clothes and rinses away suspended dirt and oils trapped by the detergent. Because it is chemically inert, it is gentler on your clothes. Wools do not come out looking "washed out", dry, or full of static. Silks and acetates are treated more gently. Colors remain bright and intact since there is no chemical reaction with the solution. Dry cleaners who have seen the GreenEarth Solution in operation say the garments come out looking like they have been "in a mineral bath", with a soft and gentle feel, and with very little wrinkling.

The solution is safe for all buttons and trim of any kind. This makes the processing of special clothes easier with no special handling. And of course, GreenEarth Cleaning is better for you because "it's good for everybody". You can be assured that your GreenEarth Cleaner is a safer cleaner -- for you, for your garments, for his employees, and for our environment.

NOTE: Information on this page printed with permission of GreenEarth Cleaning.