Grant us some common sense, at least
It was another “Huh?” moment from the California Air Resources Board. From the agency that studied
perc for several years and concluded it didn’t need to be banned and then decided to ban it anyway, we are now told that
GreenEarth cleaning solvent “is an acceptable drycleaning solvent alternative” but it is not eligible for state grants for alternative drycleaning solvents.
To date, grants have been made only for purchases of wetcleaning and liquid
carbon dioxide systems. Hydrocarbon systems have been excluded because of VOC
emissions, but the people at GreenEarth Cleaning thought their solvent
qualified as a non-toxic, non-smog forming system as stipulated by the state
grant program.
The state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, asked by CARB to review all
the health data, reported that it still has some reservations, not so much
because of something being wrong but more because they aren’t 100 percent convinced that there is no hazard. That was enough to deny access
to the grants, but it didn’t stop CARB from stating flatly that “The available exposure information indicates that the use of D5 (GreenEarth) as
an alternative drycleaning solvent will not pose adverse health risk to the
public living near businesses using D5.” CARB added that it “sees no need to regulate its use in drycleaning.”
Ultimately, the “no need to regulate” policy is more important than a few $10,000 grants, but it doesn’t make sense to declare GreenEarth an acceptable alternative while denying
access to grants for cleaners who want adopt that alternative.
If clothes learn to clean themselves
As if drycleaners do not have enough obstacles to overcome, somebody had to go
out and invent clothes that clean themselves. There has always been a secret
advantage that drycleaners possess: nobody wants to wash and iron their nicest
garments. Many Americans see drycleaning as a necessary evil. Cleaners can
remove all the stains and bacteria and make the clothes look as good as new or
better. But this month’s article on Dr. Daoud’s self-cleaning garments (see page one) might be some cleaners’ worst nightmare made into reality.
After all, it’s hard to argue that consumers would not welcome the prospect of saving
drycleaning dollars, not to mention avoiding home laundry chores. Just hang
your wools, silks and cottons on the clothesline and the ultraviolet light and
nanoparticles will do the rest. The nanoparticle coating on such garments has
removed wine and ink stains during tests, as well as removed all dirt and
bacteria.
Such garments could only be about five years away from being available on the
retail market, but it remains to be seen how expensive such clothing will be
and whether people will be willing to hang their dirty clothes for a day at a
time. That sounds inconvenient, not to mention unattractive. Another thing to
consider is that at a good cleaning plant, garments come back with a flawless
finish, which is not going to happen to clothing that has simply been hung on a
line.
Still, those potential issues pale in comparison to bigger concerns of the
effects nanoparticles could have on consumers and the environment. Right now,
the scientific community has no idea of the risk involved with nanoparticles
since the technology is still in its infancy. Are clothes treated with a
nanoparticle coating really safe? What damage can they inflict to the brain or
lungs if they are breathed in? Such unanswered questions have spurred the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to develop guidelines for
those who work with nanotechnology. Will other government agencies follow suit?
Ironically, the technology behind self-cleaning clothes could one day be
regulated as intensely as drycleaning.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds. Self-cleaning garments may
end up being perfectly safe and affordable. Even if that is the case, cleaners
should find comfort in that. After all, if technology has advanced to the point
that clothes can clean themselves, then surely somebody can come up with safer,
more affordable and effective alternative drycleaning solvents in the future.
Then, cleaners might start hoping that somebody does not invent clothes that
finish themselves, too.
