Professional Wet Cleaning

PSR-LA seeks to shift away from fossil fuels and toxic chemicals. We envision an economy that is healthy by design, accounting for potential benefits and burdens at every stage of a product's life cycle. It will protect workers and communities from harm and will restore harmony with our environment. To achieve this just transition, PSR-LA works with workers, fenceline communities, and allies to phase out and eliminate toxic chemicals and harmful industrial practices, and transition towards thoughtful, safer alternatives across a variety of industries.

PSR-LA works to accelerate dry cleaners’ transition to professional wet cleaning, a non-toxic alternative to dry cleaning, to protect worker and public health, prevent pollution, and strengthen small businesses in Los Angeles and beyond. 

Dry Cleaning & Perchloroethylene: A Toxic Legacy
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For decades, the dry cleaning industry has relied on harmful chemicals. Historically, perchloroethylene, commonly known as PERC, has been the most widely used dry-cleaning solvent in the US and in California. The widespread use of PERC has left a toxic legacy beneath our communities. PCE has contaminated groundwater, polluted drinking water aquifers, and created hazardous vapor intrusion in homes, schools, and businesses. Additionally, consistent use of PERC has posed serious and lasting health risks to workers and surrounding communities. 

Today, there are approximately 195,000 laundry and dry-cleaning workers in the United States, including about 22,000 in California (1). California banned the use of perchloroethylene in dry cleaning operations beginning in 2023, marking a major milestone in advocacy to reduce toxic chemical exposures. Still, even after a dry cleaner closes its doors, the contamination can remain for decades, requiring costly cleanup and exposing neighboring communities to ongoing health risks.

Advancing Professional Wet Cleaning
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Over many years, PSR-LA has worked closely with partner community organizations and South LA residents to advance community goals and priorities. They have consistently identified dry cleaning pollution as a major health concern in South LA. 

The South Central Los Angeles Project to Understand the Sources and Health Impacts of Local Air Pollution (SCLA-PUSH)  is a collaborative project led by PSR-LA, which brings together residents of South Central Los Angeles, community advocates, and academics to assess the scale and gravity of local air pollution in the South Los Angeles community plan areas in order to identify viable community-grounded solutions. In its assessment (PDF), SCLA-PUSH identified dry cleaners as facilities of concern, given the over-clustering of these facilities in the community and their potential adverse impacts on air quality and health. The assessment also identifies professional wet cleaning as a strategy to reduce emissions and pollutants in the community.

Today, we continue this work by addressing industry and regulatory barriers and improving access to information and resources for operators and consumers.

(1) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Profile for: Production Occupations, Laundry and Dry Cleaning Workers. https://data.bls.gov/oesprofile/

Learn More

  • Professional Wet cleaning is a non-toxic, effective alternative to dry cleaning that uses biodegradable soap, water, and specialized machines to professionally clean garments. It can be used to clean virtually all garments labeled as “dry clean only,” including but not limited to wool, silk, delicates and suits. Compared to conventional dry cleaning, it is gentler on fabrics and results in brighter colors and whiter whites.

  • PSR-LA works to advance cleaners’ transition to professional wet cleaning, a non-toxic alternative to using perchloroethylene. However, other regrettable substitutions have emerged that continue reliance on unsafe chemicals, including high flash hydrocarbons and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5).

    High flash hydrocarbons

    High flash hydrocarbons can cause respiratory and skin irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and other nervous system effects. They are also combustible and pose fire safety concerns. In addition, high flash hydrocarbons are petroleum-based and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

    D5 - Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane

    D5 is a modified liquid silicone that is often marketed as a “green” alternative to dry cleaning, including under brand names such as GreenEarth. However, despite this branding, it is persistent in both air and aquatic environments. There have also been concerns about its potential to cause cancer and its effects on the liver, nervous system, and immune system.

  • Perchloroethylene increases risk of certain cancers, and dry cleaning workers exposed to PERC have a reported 25% higher rates of excess cancer deaths. Perchloroethylene is also known to cause damage to the brain, liver, and kidneys, and harm to reproductive health, including fertility challenges and pregnancy loss.  PERC can also contaminate soil and groundwater, spreading beneath nearby homes and businesses. People can be exposed to this toxic pollution when gases from contaminated groundwater rise through soil and into buildings, through a process called vapor intrusion. 

  • California banned the use of perchlorethylene in dry cleaning operations beginning in 2023. Minnesota, New York, and some local jurisdictions have also implemented policies to phase out or limit PERC in dry cleaning. California is leading the charge and can serve as a framework for other states and jurisdictions to implement phase-outs.

Curious about the air quality in your neighborhood?

Dry cleaners, laundry services, and coin-operated dry cleaners and laundromats often use perchloroethylene as a cleaning solvent. Developed in 2019, this map shows the location of these facilities found throughout South Los Angeles.

View the full map here.

Data sources: South Coast Air Quality Management District, PurpleAir Monitors, the California Environmental Protection Agency’s CalEnviroScreen data, and Air Quality Academy data.

Resources

  • Dry Cleaning isn’t Dry - or Healthy

    What is dry cleaning? What is professional wet cleaning? Watch our video to learn more!

    Available with English, Spanish, and Korean captions

  • Assessment of Alternatives to Perchlorethylene for the Dry Cleaning Industry

    Report by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) on the use of perc in dry cleaning; technical, financial, environmental, health & safety, and regulatory information on alternatives; and identifying which alternative(s) offer the best fit for a facility.

    Read the report here.

  • PWC Video Demonstrations

    Visual learner? Watch these demonstrations related to professional wet cleaning!

  • Case Study: Jackson Cleaners

    Dry cleaner Jackson Cleaners in Melrose, Mass. switched from using perc to professional steam cleaning. Owner Thanh Dinh is happy with the quality of the clothes and the lower overall cost.

    Watch their story here.

  • Professional Wet Cleaning Guidebook

    Prepared for the California Air Resources Board by UCLA Sustainable Technology and Policy Program.

    Download the report here.

  • SF Environment: Dry Cleaning Factsheet

    How to green your cleaning. Download the factsheet here.

  • SF Environment: Garment Cleaners

    Are you a Garment Cleaner? For businesses interested in switching to wet cleaning, check out the SF Environment Department’s Resources for Business.