Dry Cleaning Chemicals

A wide variety of chemical products have been used in dry cleaning operations. Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using an organic solvent other than water. Common uses for organic solvents are in dry cleaning (e.g. tetrachloroethylene), as paint thinners (e.g. toluene, turpentine), as nail polish removers and glue solvents (acetone, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate), in spot removers (e.g. hexane, petrol ether), in detergents (citrus terpenes), in perfumes (ethanol), and in chemical syntheses.

Dry cleaning is necessary for cleaning items which would otherwise be damaged by water and detergent. Silicone and Liquid CO2 Solvents — Relatively new approaches to dry cleaning have been developed based on both liquid carbon dioxide and silicone. Dry cleaners using these solvents are currently few in number.