"A hearty laugh gives one a dry cleaning, while a good cry is a wet wash."
Puzant KevorkThomajan
Like so many inventions, the idea of dry cleaning was hit upon by accident. One morning, French dye-works owner Jean-Baptiste Jolly noticed a clean spot on a dirty tablecloth where his maid had knocked over a kerosene lamp. Since materials such as silk and wool blends shrink and lose their color when washed with water and soap, Jolly knew exactly how to capitalize on his discovery, and soon he had developed a way of cleaning clothes without using water. Jolly called the procedure "dry cleaning"—though this is something of a misnomer since the process does involve immersing dirty clothes in a liquid solvent.
Jolly started to clean delicate clothes with kerosene and gasoline. These early solvents were highly flammable and the risk of fire drove the dry-cleaning industry to look for alternatives. Synthetic hydrocarbon solvents soon took over, although their health risks are arguably greater. When customers receive back their dry-cleaned goods, almost all of the solvent has been removed so risks are minimal, but some do complain of irritation to the eyes and nose. For dry-cleaning workers, the constant contact with the toxic solvents could pose much more serious health risks, including cancer and other effects on the nervous system and organs. Recently, in the United States, where dry cleaning is particularly popular, new laws will phase out dangerous chemicals completely.
