Technical Paper
Total Life Cycle and Fabric Care
1997-04-08
971188
Fabric cleaning, like other human activities, results in impacts to the environment and poses other external costs to society. Cleaning and reuse of garments seems intuitively more environmentally sound than acquiring clothes for single wear and disposal provided that the costs of cleaning are less than purchasing new clothing. However, a more complex issue concerns the choice of cleaning method that would impose the lowest long term costs on society and is, thus, more sustainable. The textile cleaning industry in Canada and the USA has recently shown an interest in the application of aqueous or water-based cleaning methods, as a complement and partial replacement for the more traditional chemical ‘dry’ cleaning. Perchloroethylene (perc) is by far the most common chemical cleaning solvent used by commercial dry cleaning establishments throughout North America.