Are your fine garments being cleaned in toxic solvents? Pick your poison.

Almost all cleaners in the metro Phoenix area, clean garments in toxic, fabric aggressive, dye stripping solvents: perchloroethylene (a chlorinated solvent), petroleum (a hydrocarbon solvent) or formaldehyde dibutyl acetal (a formaldehyde solvent).

Perchloroethylene (aka perc)

The overwhelming majority of ordinary cleaners favor perchloroethylene (aka perc), a 1940’s dry cleaning technology.

Because perc is a volatile organic compound (VOC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies perc as a Toxic Air Contaminant. That’s why it’s strictly regulated at the federal, state and local level regarding how it’s used and how it’s disposed of. And why the State of California has outlawed the installation of any new perc dry cleaning machines starting in 2023.

Ordinary cleaners, on the other hand, love perc.

It’s relatively cheap (in most states). It’s super aggressive. It’s relatively fast in terms of cleaning and drying. And, for garments with oily stains, virtually labor free.

If we specialized in cleaning automotive mechanic uniforms, we’d definitely want to clean in perc.

Synthetic petroleum

Some dry cleaners have, in recent years switched from perc to synthetic petroleum. Many of these cleaners now tout their synthetic petroleum as “eco-friendly” and “green”. Even “organic”.

Really?

Synthetic petroleum is a derivative of the manufacture of gasoline and is subject to the exactly the same  restrictions as perc.

That’s because, just like perc, synthetic petroleum is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that’s strictly regulated at the federal, state and local level regarding how it’s used and how it’s disposed of.

If you believe that synthetic petroleum is “eco-friendly”, “green” or “organic”, then you’d probably believe than the moon is made of cheese.

Formaldehyde dibutyl acetal

Coming soon

Siloxane

At RAVE FabriCARE, we don’t (and won’t) use perc, synthetic petroleum or formaldehyde dibutyl acetal.

Since 2001, we’ve been cleaning your fine garments and household textiles in siloxane.

Like most products, siloxane has its drawbacks.

It requires a substantial annual licensing fee. The cost per gallon of siloxane is relatively equal to the cost of perc or formaldehyde dibutyl acetal and significantly higher than the cost of synthetic petroleum. And it’s for more labor intensive and time consuming to use.

Nonetheless, we love siloxane. Mostly because it’s very different....

• Different in the way its made
  
  By General Electric Silicones, Dow Corning Silicones and Shin Etsu Silicones. Not Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, Conoco Phillips or Kreussler.

• Different in the way it cleans
  
  It’s chemically inert. That means that it doesn’t interact with pigments and dyes. So it doesn’t bleed your colors. Your colors will remain vibrant. Instead of bleeding your colors, it just carries the dry cleaning detergent to your garments and then carries away the oils and soils.

• Different in the way it feels
  
  Your garments will always have a butter soft feel and silky drape.

• Different in the way it smells
  
  There’s no smell. None. It’s odorless. So you’ll never smell that familiar “dry cleaning solvent odor,” even on heavy cotton garments and household textiles.

• Different in the way it reacts with your skin
  
  Siloxane is dermatologically friendly. It’s suitable for chemically sensitive individuals who, up to now, had only two choices: wear machine washable garments (a practical idea) or air their “dry clean only” garments outdoors before wearing (a nonsensical idea).

• Different in the way it is used outside of dry cleaning
  
  Siloxane is an ingredient in many personal care products you apply to your skin on a daily basis - products such as shampoos, antiperspirants, deodorants and moisturizing creams. Even lipsticks.
  
  It’s so gentle you can (legally) wash your face and hands in it. Warning: don’t try that with perc, synthetic petroleum or formaldehyde dibutyl acetal. That would be dangerous and illegal.

• Different in the way it protects the environment
  
  At RAVE FabriCARE, we use no hazardous chemicals. None. So there’s nothing to dirty the air, contaminate the soil, or pollute the water. And, unlike perc, synthetic petroleum or formaldehyde dibutyl acetal, our siloxane fluid can be safely disposed of. It’s biodegradable. So it merely breaks down into its three natural components.

You can even water the lawn, shrubs and trees in front of City Hall with siloxane. But don’t try that with perc, synthetic petroleum of formaldehyde dibutyl acetal. That would be illegal. You could end up with fines, probation and/or jail time.

Different as different can be

Our siloxane dry cleaning fluid is as different as different can be.

And that’s not just our opinion.

It’s science. Not myth.