Try This – Why I (Mostly) Avoid Dry Cleaning

If we care about our brain (and body), we need to be serious about reducing our toxic burden. 

Why? 

Because chronic disease is on the rise, and environmental toxins are a huge contributor, especially when it comes to our brain health. 

The more we learn about these toxins, the more we understand how they can contribute to things like Alzheimer’s, dementia, mental health disorders, and Parkinson’s disease! 

I’m not trying to scare you because it’s impossible to avoid toxins completely—if you’re alive, you’ll be exposed to them in some shape or form. The goal is to try to minimize our exposure where possible. 

I’ve talked about replacing plastic with glass, getting air filters, and getting water filters. But today I want to talk about a HUGE source of toxins that might be overlooked…

Dry cleaning!

And why you may want to reduce dry cleaning use significantly—or completely eliminate it from your life—for your brain’s sake. 

Let’s get into it…

To give you a little context as to why toxins are so harmful for the brain, we need to talk about mitochondria. 

Mitochondria are these amazing energy powerhouses in our cells. In order for our brains to stay focused, sharp, resilient, and disease free, we need to take care of our mitochondria. But so many factors can disrupt these tiny guys, including: 

• Chronic stress

• Processed food

• Certain medications

• Nutrient deficiencies 

• Too much sugar, starchy food, alcohol, and drugs 

• And toxins… 

Over time, these mitochondria-busters increase inflammation and the production of free radicals, which eventually leads to major disorders and diseases of the brain like Parkinson’s, dementia, and more.

Toxins, in particular, are super insidious because they bypass our normal protective mechanisms (the blood-brain barrier) and break down our mitochondria.

There’s one toxin, used in dry cleaning, that has a huge impact on our mitochondria and can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 500 percent! 

It’s called trichloroethylene (TCE).

TCE is a simple molecule that has been used since the 1920s to decaffeinate coffee, to degrease metals, and in dry cleaning. 

The problem is it’s a known carcinogen (meaning it is strongly linked to cancer)! Even the EPA has acknowledged that TCE is a carcinogen and has proposed a ban on all uses of it (including phasing it out in dry cleaning) within the next 10 years. 

While this is good news for the long term, TCE has already done some major damage. 

I spoke with Dr. Ray Dorsey last year about the impact of toxins on our brain, and he shed some alarming light on this toxin. 

According to Dr. Dorsey, even if you live right next to a dry cleaner, your risk of being contaminated with TCE goes up significantly.

From the National Library of Medicine: 

• If you live in an apartment building with a dry cleaner attached to it, you’re exposed to TCE at levels that are unsafe in your indoor air. 

• Foods taken into dry cleaners have higher amounts of TCE in them. 

• Butter and margarine in the fridge of those who live near a dry cleaner have detectable levels of TCE. In Germany, margarine in stores near a dry cleaner had TCE at 110 parts per billion (you typically want to see under 5 parts per billion). In apartments above a dry cleaner in Germany, butter and margarine contained TCE at 58,000 parts per billion! 

I’m not going to lie, this is pretty frightening. TCE can infiltrate our nervous system, our livers, immune system, and reproductive organs. 

If just being in the vicinity of these establishments increases our risk of toxins, why would we want to constantly bring dry-cleaned items into our homes? 

While this is a harsh reality, I don’t want to leave you with zero options for keeping your clothes fresh and clean. 

So, what other options are there aside from conventional dry cleaning? 

1. Steam cleaning. This works pretty well for me when I’m in a pinch and need to make my clothes feel fresh. I have a simple handheld steamer that I use on my shirts in between cleanings. You can find them for around $25 on Amazon.
   
   

2. Eco or organic dry cleaning. Sometimes you have to use a dry cleaner, and the good news is that there are better alternatives. You’ll have to do a little research here, but there are dry cleaning services out there that don’t use harsh chemicals and instead use natural solvents like silicone or carbon dioxide, which is better for your clothes long-term and your health! Try doing a Google search in your area and call up different businesses to see what they use in their dry cleaning methods. Look up “eco dry cleaning” or “organic dry cleaning near me”. It’s a little annoying that we have to pay extra to NOT get toxins in our bodies, but its well worth it knowing how damaging these chemicals are.

And, remember, there’s so much we can do to support the body’s ability to detoxify. We can reduce our consumption of ultra-processed foods and eat a variety of fresh, colorful plant foods. We can use air and water filters to have access to higher-quality air and water in our homes. We can also reduce our use of plastic. And we can look for better options when it comes to things like dry cleaning, personal care products, and cleaning products. 

Here’s to your health, 

Dhru Purohit