What exactly is dry cleaning solvent? The mohttp://en.academic.ru/pictures/enwiki/84/Tetrachloroethylene-3D-vdW.pngst predominant dry cleaning solvent is made of the toxic chemical tetrachloroethylene ( C2CL4 ). It was first introduced by Michael Faraday in the 1930’s. In the industry it is known simply as “Perc”. Dry cleaning solvent differs from consumer laundry detergent because it is not water based. Dry cleaning is the preferred method of cleaning certain fabrics that are damaged when cleansed with water. Examples of these types of fabrics are silk, velvet, wool, acetate, muslin, chiffon, and taffeta. By heating and filtering perc after each washing cycle, it can be used continuously. Although this chemical is mainly thought of as dry cleaning fluid, it does have other applications. It is used in a diluted form to degrease metal machinery components, used as a spot remover, or paint thinner.
Tetrachloroethylene is extremely hazardous to human health and the environment. Recent technology has allowed for the production of new eco-friendly dry cleaning solvents. These are slowly growing in favorability within the dry cleaning industry. The leaders in the new eco-friendly solvent market are GenX, Green Earth, Hydrocarbon, Dowper Perchloroethylene, Rynex, and SolvonK4.