Dry Cleaning and Sensitive Skin: What You Should Know

Customers with sensitive skin, allergies, or chemical sensitivities sometimes have questions or concerns about professional dry cleaning — whether the solvents used might affect their skin when they wear freshly cleaned garments, or whether there are alternatives for people who react to fragrances or chemical finishes. Here's what we actually use and what the research shows.

What Dry Cleaning Solvents Are Used

Traditional dry cleaning used perchloroethylene (perc) as the primary cleaning solvent. Many modern dry cleaners, including River Oaks Cleaners, use alternative solvents including:

• GreenEarth (silicone-based): Dimethicone-based solvent that is non-toxic, non-hazardous, and dermatologically tested. GreenEarth actually has a long history of use in skin care products, making it among the gentlest professional cleaning solvents for sensitive skin customers.
• HydroCarbon cleaning: Petroleum-derived solvents that are milder and have lower residual risk than traditional perc

After dry cleaning, solvents are fully removed from garments through the finishing process. A properly cleaned and dried garment has no meaningful solvent residue on the fabric by the time it's returned to you.

Fragrance and Starch Additives

Some customers who have fragrance sensitivities or react to starch finishes should know:

Fragrance: Many dry cleaners add fragrance to finished garments. If you're fragrance-sensitive, tell us — we can finish your garments without added fragrance.

Starch: Professional starch pressing gives shirts and dress garments a crisp finish. Some customers prefer no starch — this is a routine request we accommodate. Tell us your preference at drop-off.

Fabric finishing sprays: Some specialty garments receive fabric conditioning or protection sprays. If you have specific sensitivities, let us know and we can adjust finishing accordingly.

For Customers with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

For customers with documented multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) or severe fragrance allergies:

• Tell us about your sensitivities at drop-off — we can note them for your account
• Request fragrance-free finishing
• Ask about which solvent process we use for your items
• If you react to any finished garment, return it — we can re-finish without any additives

Home Washing Alternatives for Sensitive Skin

For washable garments that you prefer not to dry clean, fragrance-free, dye-free detergents minimize skin irritation risk:

• Look for "free and clear" labeled products
• Avoid fabric softener (liquid and dryer sheets) — these are common irritants for sensitive skin
• Add an extra rinse cycle to remove all detergent residue from washable items

For dry-clean-only items that cause skin reactions, speak with us — in some cases, professional cleaning method adjustments can reduce whatever is triggering the reaction.

Customer Communication Is Key

We want our customers to be comfortable wearing their professionally cleaned garments. If something we've cleaned is causing a skin reaction or you have specific sensitivity concerns, talk to us. We've served Houston's diverse customer base for 35 years and have experience accommodating a wide range of customer needs.

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River Oaks Cleaners: Houston's professional dry cleaner for 35 years. Free pickup and delivery. Call (713) 523-7474.