Being able to keep our clothes clean, whether for personal or professional use, can be the key to sending the right message and staying healthy. One of the most popular ways to keep our work clothes clean is by using a dry cleaner. However, did you know that having clothes with the “Dry Clean Only” label cleaned does not have to result in harming human beings or the environment? Indeed, as many businesses are discovering, green dry cleaning is available that can simultaneously protect the environment, human health, and businesses.
What Are the Positive Effects of Green Dry Cleaning?
- Improve Human Health
- Environmental Benefits
- Reduce Professional Uniform Costs
More likely than not, if you have had your clothing dry cleaned in the past, your clothes have come back full of PERCs and VOCs, organic compounds known to cause human health issues. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, VOCs, volatile organic compounds, can directly lead to irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. In extreme cases, they can cause permanent damage to your kidneys and nervous system. Green dry cleaning methods use cleaning solutions that are free of these harmful compounds.
Just as non-green drycleaners use methods that lead to devastating effects on human beings, many of their methods also cause great harm to the environment. For instance, as written by the New York State Green Cleaning Program, traditional dry cleaning methods produce substances that are detrimental to both air quality and water quality. Nitrogen and phosphorous, both extremely common bi-products of traditional dry cleaning, are leading to low water quality levels across the country. Environmentally friendly dry cleaning has no such side-effects.
For many business owners, the most important benefit of green dry cleaning is financial. A huge variety of businesses, from country clubs to nursing homes, use uniforms to improve their corporate branding and promote a sense of professional cohesion. However, the costs of constantly buying and replacing work uniforms adds up quickly. According to About.com, the annual cost to outfit one employee can exceed $400.
Many eco friendly dry cleaners offer work uniform rentals. Not only do rentals cut out the cost of purchase, but green dry cleaning methods can reduce the risks and liability of contamination through professionally laundering each uniform businesses rent. The ability to easily change uniform supply volume, reduce costs, and protect against liability is something few other services can offer.
Of course, if green dry cleaning is so beneficial, then why isn’t everyone using it? As The New York Sun writes, many green dry cleaning companies have to charge 20 to 30% more because of their more expensive machinery and cleaning solutions. However, as a growing number of Americans have found out, businesses and individuals, the benefits to human health, the environment, and business far outweigh the extra cost. For more information see this: maxiwalker.com
