Before you dry clean...

Percolarichchocalateovaltine or whatever it's called already sounded nasty as hell from what I read about it. Now it's officially nasty as hell.

From "True Quality Cleaning": It's official: the dry cleaning solvent commonly known as perc is "likely human carcinogen"

By way of background, perc, a chlorinated solvent, is the most common drycleaning solvent in use today. Used by approximately 90% of the 26,000 cleaners in the USA, perc (brand name: Dowper from Dow Chemical and PerSec by Occidental Chemical) is a relatively aggressive solvent valued by cleaners for its grease-cutting properties.

In recent years, perc has been attacked by governmental agencies, scientific bodies and environmentalists as a likely human carcinogen as well as a ground water and air pollutant. Perc has been scheduled for phase out in California by the year 2023. By contrast, advocates for perc have argued that perc, used in accordance with existing environmental laws and regulations, is "perfectly safe".

Make sure your dry cleaner doesn't use it. Before all of you say, "But they're so cheap!!!" Yes, they are cheap. And you get cheap results from it. Invest in a quality cleaner, not just because it pleases some "tree hugging hippies" by being better for the environment, but because you'll probably get better results in the cleaning and pressing of your garments. Here in Gainesville, Florida the best cleaner is On the Spot. They're not quite Rave Fabricare, but they're still far better than the countless other cheap 'n' quick places you find at every shopping centre. They do their work on the premises, because of the latter are pretty good at following specific instructions (like not pressing that beloved three-roll-two jacket into a three button), and use a safe cleaning agent. I'd trust them with my clothes short of any major restoration work. Again, that level of work should be sent to a restoration specialist like Rave Fabricare.

If I find a cleaner of good quality when I move to Albuquerque, New Mexico I'll let everyone know. Nobody should have to subject their treasured vintage or high quality garments to inferior dry cleaning, even in the desert!