# What IS Dry Cleaning?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dry-cleaning/57673>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 12, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dry-cleaning/57673 "2001-03-12T17:33:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dry-cleaning/57673/1 "2001-03-12T17:33:41Z")

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I know that during dry cleaning, the clothes actually DO get wet; the cleaner uses a fluid other than water.  
I gather back in Victorian times they used kerosene to dry clean clothes, but what do they use TODAY?

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dry-cleaning/57673/2 "2001-03-12T18:26:37Z")

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According to the US Department of Labor OSHA page at [http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/drycleaning/index.html](http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/drycleaning/index.html)

> [@](#):
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> Perchloroethylene (PERC), a potential human carcinogen, is the most commonly used dry cleaning solvent.

Other chemicals are listed further down the page, including 1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane and Stoddard Solvent. More info is available at the OSHA page.