One of the most "un-green" things you can do with your clothing is taking it to the dry cleaner. In fact, if you are really, really serious about joining the green movement in clothing, you should consider doing away with dry-clean-only clothing altogether. Dry cleaners are the most polluting businesses in many cities, and the chemicals used are harsh and damaging.

For most of us, though, a nice dry clean only dress or blouse or suit is necessary. They look sharp, and the materials used give off an overall impression of professionalism. There are green dry cleaning alternatives (or rather, greener than the traditional method), but you may find that your clothes may not get as clean as if you used the harsh cleaners and chemicals.

Traditional Dry Cleaning vs. Green Dry Cleaning
Traditional dry cleaning makes use of perchloroethylene (perc for short). This is a very toxic chemical that has been shown to depress the nervous system. Perc is very effective, however, at getting out most stains. An alternative method that is not quite so hazardous and polluting is liquid carbon dioxide. It still offers a level of pollution, but it is not nearly as bad.

Finally, there are green dry cleaning alternatives. GreenEarth makes a solvent that is silicone based and can be used in some modified machines. This solvent is much gentler on the environment. However, there are some stains that GreenEarth just can't beat. If you go with green dry cleaning, you will have to make sure that the stains aren't too tough, and some of the stains will not come out at all.

Green dry cleaning is a nice thought, but in some cases it just is not feasible if you want to salvage your outfit. So, carefully consider the care your clothing needs next time you make a purchase. You may decide to get something that is more environmentally friendly than dry-clean-only clothing.