Dry-cleaning alternatives.(Product test)

Linden Cleaners in Darien, Conn., is trying something new, as are hundreds of other professional cleaners throughout the country. Environmental concerns and the telltale odor of the standard solvent, perchloroethylene (or perc), have opened the door to three new methods of dry cleaning. They are: GreenEarth, a silicone-based solvent used in modified dry-cleaning machines; liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) used in high-pressure cleaning machines; and "wet cleaning" with plain water in computer-controlled washing machines.

In southern California, air-quality officials voted in December to phase out the use of perc by 2020. The first step requires that all newly installed cleaning machines use non-perc technology.

Using identical sets of garments, we compared the new cleaning methods to conventional cleaning with perc. The CO2 and silicone-based processes performed as well as or better than conventional dry cleaning, for about the same price. Wet cleaning was less impressive.

Moreover, wet cleaning is not covered by textile-care-labeling regulations. So if your garment is labeled "dry-clean," you opt to have it wet cleaned, and the garment is damaged, the clothing manufacturer likely would not be liable.

THE GREAT CLEANING CHALLENGE

We challenged cleaners with difficult textiles: a lambswool jacket, a fuchsia silk blouse, and a rayon/linen blend skirt with pleats. Lambswool has short fuzzy fibers that are inclined to pill. Silks often bleed and fade. Rayon and linen are prone to shrinking, and pleats are easily undone. All are labeled "dry clean."

For the C[O.sub.2] cleaning, we went to Hangers stores in California, Nebraska, and Texas. For the silicone-solvent cleaning, we used two cleaners in Connecticut and one in suburban New York. Three independent cleaners in New York performed the wet cleaning, and a New York dry cleaner did the perc cleaning.