GreenEarth® Silicone Now a Recognized Option for Garment Care
It has been nearly twenty years since a new solvent has been added to the world’s care labeling standards. But in June it became official. Silicone is now an official recommendation for the cleaning of textile products according to ASTM D3136, Standard Terminology Relating to Care Labeling for Apparel, Textile, Home Furnishing, and Leather Products.
The ruling comes after GreenEarth Cleaning, a voting member of ASTM Committee D13 on Textiles, proposed amendments to the care labeling standards with the goal of improving professional garment care. This ruling makes GreenEarth silicone the first new dry cleaning solvent specifically referenced for care labeling by ASTM International since fluorocarbon in 1996.
Formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM International is one of the world’s largest development and delivery systems of standards and related products and services. Today, some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate trade, and build consumer confidence.
ASTM’s new definition of dry cleaning is now “in the care of textile products, a cleaning process using solvents such as perchloroethylene, a petroleum, or a silicone.” The phasing out of perc has caused a strong demand for alternative solvents. Silicone is now a recognized alternative on a worldwide basis.
“We believe that the inclusion of the silicone option by ASTM will assist garment manufacturers to address the increasing regulation of perc and hydrocarbons in the dry cleaning industry. GreenEarth’s silicone process provides an alternative that is gentler for garments and the planet,” said Tim Maxwell, President of GreenEarth Cleaning. “We believe our alternative is good for everybody.”
The name GreenEarth and the GreenEarth logo are registered service marks of GreenEarth Cleaning, LLC. Two of the world’s largest companies, General Electric and Procter & Gamble, are Founding Members of GreenEarth Cleaning, LLC.
