Natural and Sustainable

Dry cleaners across the world, since the beginning of the first dry cleaning business have washed clothing in a liquid solution made up if perchloroethylene to help remove the stains. This chemical, known to some in short form as “perc”, is both a health and environmental hazard. So, just speaking of the dry cleaners that use this method for cleaning your garment, the answer to the title question would be yes, but, guess what? There are greener dry cleaners out there.

These alternatives to the norm dry cleaners use two different methods. One is called wet cleaning that uses a milder detergent and the other method is called Liquid Carbon Dioxide Cleaning Process which uses the nontoxic CO2. The same ingredients in soda. So with these options available you can find green dry cleaners. If you are wondering if your regular dry cleaner is a green cleaner, all you have to do is ask.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Think the dry cleaning bill is getting out of hand, here are some ways to help you keep your cloths looking nice without breaking the bank.

5. Only dry clean when necessary. If you have a wool pea-coat with a small sauce stain, try to treat it yourself with something like PreSpot from the Melaleuca company before considering the dry cleaners.

• Aveda: This company purchases organic ingredients and practices to reduce waste and extend the life cycle of the packaging.

• Benjamin Moore: This company came up with the low-VOC line that helps cut waste and require less waste than normal conventional paints.

• Clif Bar: They offset emission and recycle all of their office paper. They have even come up with the “2 Mile Challenge” to get the visitors to their website to ride their bikes more.

• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts: They have retrofitted more than 50 venues with energy-efficient bulbs and low-water toilets.

• The Home Depot: They sell FSC wood than any other retailer in the U.S. They also help customers buy better environmentally sound products.

• Method: They product biodegradable, chemical-free cleaning agents to help offset CO2 emissions.

• Nike: They are restricting PVCs and other tonics in their footwear and incorporating more organic cotton and ever recycling their old shoes into basketball courts and tracks around the world.

• Origins: They have gone nontoxic, and offer a great organic line that even prints all the material on recycled paper with soy-based inks and the stores in the United States are wind powered.

• Shaw: This carpet-maker takes your old carpet and makes it into new carpet for your home.

• Timberland: Their nutritional label breaks down the company’s impact on the environment.

• Virgin: The owner Sir Richard Branson has committed $3 billion in the fight against global warming in hopes they will be reinvested into renewable energy.

• Wal-Mart: They are the biggest purchaser of organic cotton already and in addition they are reducing the solid waste within the company by 25%.

• Whole Foods: They offer the best selection of organic and locally grown foods choices and offer discounts to customers that bring in their own shopping bags.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Glossary of what some “green” words mean:
1. Carbon Credit: The process of reducing carbon emissions by “offsetting”. An example is planting a tree to make up for a flight you took that week or that year even.

3. Green: Having a positive environmental objective.