The short answer: eco-friendly dry cleaning swaps out perchloroethylene (the harsh chemical solvent most dry cleaners have used for decades, usually shortened to “perc”) for gentler methods like professional wet cleaning, a precise water-based process, along with modern biodegradable solvents. It’s better for your clothes, better for the people who handle them, and better for the groundwater and air in your community. London Cleaners made the switch back in 1994, and we were one of the first cleaners in Ohio to offer professional wet cleaning. Here’s what we’ve learned since, and what “eco-friendly” actually means when you see it on a dry cleaner’s sign.
What Most Dry Cleaners Have Used for 70 Years: Perc
For most of the 20th century, “dry cleaning” meant cleaning garments in perchloroethylene, a chlorinated solvent everyone just calls perc. It cleans well and it’s cheap, which is why most U.S. dry cleaners still use it. But it carries real costs that never show up on the receipt:
- It’s classified as a likely human carcinogen. The U.S. EPA classifies perc as a likely carcinogen, and long-term exposure has been linked to health risks for the workers who handle it every day.
- It contaminates groundwater and soil. Perc spills and improper disposal have made dry cleaning sites one of the more common sources of soil and groundwater contamination in the country.
- It’s hard on certain fabrics. Repeated perc cleaning can dull colors and weaken some delicate fibers and trims over time.
- It leaves an odor. That sharp “dry cleaning smell” on a freshly cleaned suit? That’s residual solvent.
None of this means a garment cleaned in perc is dangerous to wear. It means the process has a footprint: on the worker at the machine, on the property the shop sits on, and on the neighborhood’s air and water. Eco-friendly dry cleaning is about removing that footprint without giving up cleaning quality.
What “Eco-Friendly Dry Cleaning” Actually Means
This is where the term gets slippery, because “green,” “organic,” and “eco-friendly” aren’t regulated words in the dry cleaning industry. A shop can put “organic dry cleaning” on the window and still be running a petroleum-based solvent. So it’s worth knowing the three legitimate alternatives to perc:
- Professional wet cleaning. A water-based process that uses computer-controlled machines, biodegradable detergents, and specialized conditioning agents. Trained operators control water temperature, mechanical action, and drying precisely enough to safely clean wool, silk, and structured garments that people assume can only be “dry” cleaned. It’s the gentlest and most environmentally sound method available, and it’s the one London Cleaners built its reputation on.
- Modern liquid silicone and SystemK-4 solvents. These are newer biodegradable solvents that replace perc in the machine. SystemK-4 (a Kreussler process) is gentle on fibers and far less environmentally persistent than perc. We use it for garments that are better suited to a solvent than to water.
- Liquid CO₂ cleaning. Uses pressurized carbon dioxide as the cleaning medium. Effective, but capital-intensive, so it’s far less common.
The honest definition: eco-friendly dry cleaning is any professional garment care system that doesn’t use perc and that prioritizes biodegradable, non-toxic methods. At London Cleaners, that means professional wet cleaning first, with the SystemK-4 process available for garments that call for it.
Our Story: Why We Switched in 1994
London Cleaners has served Greater Cleveland since 1967. For our first 27 years, we cleaned the way nearly everyone did. That changed in 1994.
Alex and Alla Shvartshteyn, who run the company, made a decision very few cleaners in Ohio had made at the time: bring in professional wet cleaning equipment and train the staff to use it. Back then, wet cleaning was brand-new technology. The machines were expensive, the technique had a learning curve, and most customers had never heard of it. There was no marketing advantage in it yet either. “Eco-friendly” wasn’t a selling point in 1994 the way it is today. We did it because it was a better way to clean clothes and a safer place to work.
That early start matters. Thirty years of running a water-based process is the difference between a shop that just bought a wet cleaning machine to put a “green” sign in the window and a shop that has cleaned tens of thousands of wool suits, silk blouses, and structured garments in water and knows exactly how each fabric behaves. Wet cleaning is a craft. The equipment is only half of it. The other half is an operator who knows when a garment belongs in water and when it belongs in solvent.
Is Eco-Friendly Cleaning Actually as Good? (The Honest Answer)
Customers ask this constantly, and it’s a fair question. The honest answer: for most garments, professional wet cleaning is as good or better. For a small number, a gentle solvent is still the right call.
Where wet cleaning wins:
- It removes water-based stains better. Perspiration, food, beverages, and most everyday stains are water-soluble. A water-based process targets them directly, where a solvent process can struggle.
- It’s gentler on color and trim. No harsh solvent means less long-term dulling of dark fabrics.
- There’s no chemical odor. Garments come back smelling clean, not like solvent.
- It’s genuinely better for your skin. People with chemical sensitivities, or anyone who just doesn’t want residual solvent against their skin, notice the difference.
Where a gentle solvent still has a place:
- Certain structured tailoring, some glued interfacings, and a handful of dyes simply respond better to a solvent. A skilled cleaner reads each garment and picks the right process instead of forcing everything through one machine.
The point is that an experienced eco-friendly cleaner uses both tools and matches the method to the garment. That judgment, built over decades, is what protects your clothes.
How to Tell If a “Green” Dry Cleaner Is the Real Thing
Because the terms aren’t regulated, here’s how to check whether a cleaner advertising “eco-friendly” or “organic” service is the real deal:
- Ask what process they use. A genuine eco-friendly cleaner will name it: professional wet cleaning, SystemK-4, GreenEarth (silicone), or CO₂. If the answer is vague, be skeptical.
- Ask how long they’ve done it. Experience with the process matters as much as owning the equipment.
- Look for real certification. America’s Best Cleaners (ABC) membership, which London Cleaners holds, requires an on-site inspection and adherence to professional standards that most shops are never held to.
- Watch the word “organic.” In dry cleaning, “organic” often refers to a petroleum-based hydrocarbon solvent. It’s technically “organic” in the chemistry sense (carbon-based), but it isn’t what most customers picture, and it isn’t the same as wet cleaning.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning in Greater Cleveland
London Cleaners offers free pickup and delivery across 80+ Greater Cleveland communities, including Lakewood, Westlake, Strongsville, Fairlawn, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, Avon Lake, Rocky River, Beachwood, Solon, Hudson, and Mentor. It’s a convenient alternative to dropping off and picking up in person. Your garments are cleaned at our facility in Willoughby using the same eco-friendly processes described above, then returned to your door.
Everything we clean goes through a perc-free process: everyday dry cleaning, shirt laundry, wedding gowns, leather and suede, household linens, and more. That’s been true for 30 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between dry cleaning and wet cleaning?
Traditional dry cleaning uses a chemical solvent (often perc) instead of water. Professional wet cleaning uses water with biodegradable detergents and computer-controlled machines that precisely manage temperature, agitation, and drying. Wet cleaning is the more environmentally friendly of the two, and it’s safe for most garments labeled “dry clean only” when it’s handled by a trained operator.
Is eco-friendly dry cleaning more expensive?
At London Cleaners, eco-friendly cleaning is our standard process, not a premium upcharge. Pricing is based on the garment, not on whether the method is “green.” Shirts start at $3.97, pants at $10.95, and coats at $22.95. Call (440) 283-0200 for current pricing.
Does eco-friendly cleaning remove tough stains?
Yes. Water-based wet cleaning is actually more effective on many common stains. Perspiration, food, and beverages are water-soluble and respond well to it. For oil-based stains, our cleaners pre-treat and select the right process for the garment.
Is “organic dry cleaning” the same as eco-friendly?
Not necessarily. “Organic” is an unregulated marketing term and often refers to a petroleum-based hydrocarbon solvent, not water-based wet cleaning. Ask any cleaner exactly what process they use before you assume it’s environmentally friendly.
How long has London Cleaners been eco-friendly?
Since 1994, when we became one of the first cleaners in Ohio to adopt professional wet cleaning. We’ve served Greater Cleveland since 1967 and are certified by America’s Best Cleaners (ABC).
Do you offer eco-friendly cleaning with pickup and delivery?
Yes. London Cleaners offers free pickup and delivery across 80+ Greater Cleveland communities. Every garment is cleaned using our perc-free, eco-friendly process and returned to your door.
Schedule a Free Pickup
London Cleaners has provided eco-friendly garment care to Greater Cleveland since 1967, and we’ve run a perc-free, professional wet cleaning process since 1994. Free pickup and delivery is available across Lakewood, Westlake, Strongsville, Fairlawn, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, Avon Lake, Chagrin Falls, Mentor, Beachwood, Solon, Hudson, Twinsburg, Lyndhurst, North Royalton, Parma, Rocky River, and 60+ additional communities.
London Cleaners
📞 (440) 283-0200
✉️ delivery@londoncleaners.com
🌐 londoncleaners.com
4445 Hamann Industrial Pkwy, Willoughby, OH 44094
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm (Wed until 3pm) · ABC-Certified · Eco-Friendly Since 1994
