Traditional dry cleaning is bad for the environment, primarily because of the solvent it relies on. About 85% of dry cleaners in the United States use a chemical called perchloroethylene (PERC), a chlorinated solvent that contaminates soil and groundwater, pollutes indoor and outdoor air, and is classified as a probable human carcinogen. The environmental and health concerns are serious enough that both the EPA and the state of California have moved to phase PERC out entirely.
Why PERC Is the Core Problem
Dry cleaning isn’t actually “dry.” It replaces water with a liquid chemical solvent to dissolve grease and stains without shrinking or damaging delicate fabrics. For decades, that solvent has been PERC, a clear, sweet-smelling liquid that works extremely well on clothes but creates problems at every stage of its lifecycle.
PERC evaporates easily into the air, making it a volatile organic compound (VOC) that contributes to smog formation and degrades air quality around dry cleaning shops. When machines leak or waste is improperly disposed of, PERC seeps into soil and groundwater, where it breaks down very slowly. Dry cleaning facilities are among the most common sources of localized groundwater contamination in urban areas. California found that even after regulations cut PERC emissions from dry cleaners by about 70%, the remaining exposure was still significant enough to justify a complete ban.
The chemical also doesn’t stay at the shop. Freshly dry-cleaned clothes release PERC vapors in your car, your closet, and your home. People living in apartments above or next to dry cleaning businesses face chronic low-level exposure through shared ventilation and building materials that absorb the solvent over time.
Health Risks for Workers and Neighbors
The EPA classifies PERC as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” and the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists it as a Group 2A probable carcinogen. Studies have linked long-term exposure to increased rates of bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Cancer isn’t the only concern. Dry cleaning workers exposed to PERC show measurable neurological effects, including 10 to 20% slower reaction times compared to unexposed people, deficits in color vision, and problems with memory and attention. These effects have also been documented in residents who simply live near dry cleaning operations, not just the workers handling the solvent directly. Years of exposure at low levels can affect mood, concentration, and visuospatial memory.
The Waste Beyond the Solvent
PERC gets the most attention, but the dry cleaning industry generates other environmental waste too. Every garment comes back wrapped in single-use plastic film and hung on a wire hanger. Hundreds of thousands of tons of this material ends up in landfills or incinerators each year across the country. Wire hangers are technically recyclable but rarely make it into recycling streams, and the thin plastic bags are rejected by most curbside programs.
Dry cleaning also produces hazardous waste in the form of spent solvent, filter cartridges saturated with PERC, and contaminated wastewater. These require special disposal under federal and state hazardous waste regulations, adding both cost and environmental risk when facilities cut corners.
Regulations Are Forcing Change
The regulatory landscape has shifted dramatically. California’s Air Resources Board approved amendments in 2007 that phased out all PERC dry cleaning machines by January 1, 2023. At the federal level, the EPA issued a final rule in December 2024 setting a 10-year phaseout for PERC in dry cleaning nationwide. Under that rule, newly acquired machines can no longer use PERC after six months, and existing machines face staggered deadlines, with older equipment phased out first. The EPA is also rapidly restricting the manufacturing, processing, and distribution of PERC for consumer uses, with most of those restrictions taking full effect in less than three years.
Greener Alternatives and Their Trade-Offs
Several alternatives to PERC already exist, but they aren’t all equally green.
Professional wet cleaning is the most environmentally friendly option available today. It uses water and biodegradable detergents in computer-controlled machines designed to safely handle “dry clean only” fabrics. An EPA assessment concluded that the environmental, safety, and health impacts of wet cleaning are less than those of traditional dry cleaning across the board. Wet cleaning generates no hazardous waste, no air emissions, no greenhouse gases, and no ozone-depleting substances. The detergents are biodegradable, and the worst health risk is minor skin or eye irritation from direct contact with concentrated cleaning solutions.
Wet cleaning does use more water, roughly two to six gallons per pound of clothes, but the most comprehensive study, conducted by UCLA, found the impact on water use was minor. Energy use is roughly comparable: wet cleaning uses less electricity but slightly more natural gas than traditional dry cleaning.
Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning uses pressurized CO₂ as the solvent, and systems can recover 90 to 95% of it for reuse. The CO₂ itself is typically captured as an industrial byproduct rather than newly produced, so the net climate impact is low. The technology works well but requires expensive high-pressure equipment, which has limited adoption.
Hydrocarbon solvents are sometimes marketed as “organic cleaning,” which is technically accurate (they’re petroleum-based organic compounds) but misleading. These solvents are less toxic than PERC, they aren’t classified as hazardous air pollutants or ozone-depleting substances, and they have higher flash points that make them safer to handle. But they’re still petroleum-derived VOCs, and their long-term health effects are poorly studied. No occupational exposure limits have been established for some of the most common formulations, which means the safety data simply hasn’t caught up.
What You Can Do
If you want to reduce the environmental impact of garment care, the simplest step is to look for cleaners that advertise wet cleaning or CO₂ cleaning. Many garments labeled “dry clean only” can actually be wet cleaned safely, and professional wet cleaners are trained to handle silk, wool, and other delicate fabrics. You can also ask your cleaner what solvent they use. If they say PERC, they’ll be switching within the next few years anyway under the federal phaseout.
For garments you clean at home, spot cleaning and steaming handle most maintenance between professional visits. When you do pick up dry cleaning, return the wire hangers and plastic bags to the shop, as many will reuse them. Removing the plastic wrap promptly and airing garments out near an open window also reduces any residual solvent exposure in your home.