Is Wetter Better? : With Their Chemicals Under Fire, Dry Cleaners Are Split on Whether They Should Switch to Washing With Water

Your clothes may soon be getting all wet--at the dry cleaners. It may not capture headlines, but the cleaning process has become the object of roiled consumer and environmental debate.

As dry-cleaning comes under attack from regulators and activists, the industry is seeking ways to modernize. Some cleaners are opting to use water instead of toxic chemicals to make clothes sparkle.

Since about the 1930s cleaners have used a variety of chemicals--from petroleum solvents to percoethylene (perc). The term “dry-clean” refers to the absence of water in the process even though the solvents used are liquid. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and groups like Greenpeace have pressured the trade to clean up its act because studies have shown that perc fumes can cause cancer in laboratory animals and the chemical pollutes, especially ground water.

Wet-cleaning, as the new eco-friendly process is called, usually involves specially designed water-based washing and drying machines that use biodegradable, phosphate- and chlorine-free, nontoxic soaps. It’s unlike household laundry in that the agitation of the clothing is kept to a minimum and heat is constantly monitored to avoid shrinkage.

A UCLA research team recently launched a yearlong study of wet-cleaning at the newly opened Cleaner by Nature, the first cleaner in Southern California to rely exclusively on wet-cleaning. Now several other shops have started using the technology, including Natural Cleaners in Reseda.

To win traditionalists and skeptics, Deborah Davis, owner of Cleaner by Nature in Santa Monica, purchased and then wet-cleaned a wedding dress, a two-piece rayon suit and a men’s blazer. The garments hang in her shop ready to be admired.

“People are cming in because they like the idea,” Davis says. “The most common comment I hear is, ‘It smells great in here.’ ”

The study, headed by Robert Gottlieb, director of UCLA’s Pollution Prevention Education and Research Center, will include customer satisfaction surveys, technical studies of cleaning efficacy and a comparison of water, energy and chemical use in the two methods. An advisory committee includes representatives from the California Fabricare Institute, the Korean Drycleaners & Laundry Assn. of Southern California, Gap Inc., and environmental and manufacturers associations. (According to Gottlieb, 70% of the 4,000 dry cleaners in the Los Angeles area are owned by Koreans-Americans.)

Last month, Consumers Union released a study indicating that perc could expose consumers to a significant increase in cancer. Researchers gave a panel of volunteers dry-cleaned garments to wear with a device attached to measure perc emissions. The study revealed that consumers who wear one freshly dry-cleaned jacket and blouse per week over a 40-year period can be exposed to an increase in cancer risk.

Despite the perceived environmental benefits, there’s still debate about the safety and efficacy of both the wet- and dry-cleaning processes. “It’s not that wet-cleaning is entirely benign, but it’s far better than with perc,” says Jack Weinberg, senior toxics campaigner for Greenpeace U.S.

But Peter Atha, manager of special products at the Neighborhood Cleaners Assn., a New York-based trade association, says perc is safe if it is used properly. And, he adds, new dry-cleaning machines make the process much safer. Dry-cleaning is preferred, Atha says, because only about half of all garments can be safely wet-cleaned. Wet-clean equipment manufacturers disagree, saying that almost every type of fabric and fiber, including silks, wool and nylons, can be safely wet-cleaned.

Many dry cleaners say they have been wet-cleaning for decades. Instead of using the specially designed new machines, though, they just used elbow grease--and buckets and sinks. Atha estimates that wet-cleaning makes up only about 10% to 15% of a typical cleaner’s workload and is more time-consuming.

Gary Futterman, vice president of family-owned Flair Cleaners in Studio City and three other locations in the Los Angeles area, says he wet-cleans about 15% to 20% of his garments in standard industry washing machines. He usually wet-cleans lighter colored garments, but rarely wool because he thinks there’s a high risk of shrinkage.

“Right now wet-cleaning can be used as a supplement but could not replace dry-cleaning,” Futterman says. “There are dyes used in a lot of fabrics that would not survive cleaning in water because they are water soluble.”

A new wet-cleaning machine costs from $22,000 to $33,000. New dry-cleaning machines cost from $35,000 to $50,000. For the consumer, wet-cleaning costs about the same as dry-cleaning. Davis charges $4.35 for a shirt and $8.75 per suit.

In Washington, meantime, the Federal Trade Commission is considering changing the care label wording on garments from “dry-clean only” to a combination of washing and dry-cleaning instructions or something more specific, “professional wet-cleaning.” A decision is expected before summer.