Why Wet Cleaning Wins
In dry cleaning, a chemical solvent such as perc takes the place of water, and the Government of Canada lists perc as a toxic substance. Professional wet cleaning uses water instead. Glenforest, in Yonge and Lawrence Village, switched to 100% wet cleaning in 2007.
What Dry Cleaning Uses
Dry cleaning is not dry. In dry cleaning, a liquid solvent takes the place of water, and the dry cleaning sector is a major user of tetrachloroethylene, also called perchloroethylene or perc.
The Government of Canada lists perc as a toxic substance under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and regulates its use in dry cleaning to reduce its release from dry cleaning facilities.
Sources: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Overview: tetrachloroethylene (PERC) regulations and Management of toxic substances: dry cleaning sector.
What Wet Cleaning Uses
Professional wet cleaning uses water as the solvent, with specialized detergents and finishing agents. It offers a fresh and innovative solution to the decades-old concerns of chemical-based dry cleaning, and it is not a home wash: the machine action, the detergent and the finishing are set for the garment in hand.
The fabric, construction and care label of each piece decide its process. A wool suit, a silk blouse and a cotton shirt do not receive the same one.
How Glenforest Wet Cleans
In 2007, Glenforest switched to 100% wet cleaning: the first Toronto cleaner to do so, according to Toronto Environmental Alliance, which named it a 2017 Green Business Leader.
Every piece is assessed before cleaning: its fabric, construction, care label and marks. Garments are then cleaned in professional wet cleaning machines with low, controlled mechanical action. A core benefit is low abrasion: less rubbing on the fibres.
After cleaning, tailored garments are finished on forms, shaped for the way they are worn. In the Executive Shirt Service, shirts are finished on a fully blown unit, versus traditional hot metal plates, then the collar and cuffs are finished by hand on the reverse side to protect colour and style.
For us, wet cleaning is simply the right way to care for your clothes. Glenforest is ready, willing and able to earn your business, here in Yonge and Lawrence Village. See our professional wet cleaning for suits, silk and designer pieces.
Is Dry Cleaning Bad?
It depends on the solvent. Perc, the traditional dry cleaning solvent, is on Canada's List of Toxic Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and its use in dry cleaning has been regulated since 2003.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies perc as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), and California required its dry cleaners to stop using perc by January 1, 2023. Not every dry cleaner uses perc: petroleum-based, glycol ether, silicone and liquid carbon dioxide solvents are also used.
Dry Cleaning Alternatives
Toronto Public Health's guide for the sector names alternatives to perc, including silicone-based products, glycol ether products and liquid carbon dioxide cleaning, and suggests adding wet cleaning for a portion of the cleaning.
Professional wet cleaning is the alternative that uses water: specialized detergents and finishing agents, in machines with low, controlled mechanical action, with the process set for each garment. It is the one Glenforest chose in 2007.
Methods at a Glance
| Method | Cleans with | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional dry cleaning | Perc (tetrachloroethylene) | A toxic substance under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999; its use in dry cleaning regulated in Canada since 2003 (ECCC, SOR/2003-79). Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans (IARC, via CAREX Canada). |
| Petroleum-based dry cleaning | Petroleum (hydrocarbon) solvents | Named by Toronto Public Health as a traditional dry cleaning solvent. |
| Glycol ether or silicone dry cleaning | Glycol ether or liquid silicone solvents | Named by Toronto Public Health among the more modern dry cleaning methods and the alternatives to perc. |
| Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning | Liquid carbon dioxide | Named by Toronto Public Health as an alternative to perc. |
| Professional wet cleaning | Water, with specialized detergents and finishing agents | Toronto Public Health suggests adding wet cleaning for a portion of the cleaning. Glenforest switched to 100% wet cleaning in 2007. |
Reviewed October 2026. Sources:
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Overview: tetrachloroethylene (PERC) regulations
- Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations, SOR/2003-79
- CAREX Canada, Tetrachloroethylene profile, citing IARC Monographs Volume 106
- Toronto Public Health, Resource for Greening Dry Cleaning and Laundry Services (2010)
- California Air Resources Board, Phase-out of perchloroethylene in the dry cleaning process