GreenEarth Cleaning

Brothers-in-law Tom Mesi (from left), Bob Linville and Don Narter operate GreenEarth Cleaners in South Elgin, which uses an earth-friendly sand-based solvent to clean clothes. The location is one of three GreenEarth Cleaners franchises currently open in the country.

He said the name of the franchised business, owned by Bob Linville and Tom Mesi, is more than just a catch phrase.

"We are truly environmentally safe," he said.

He said some dry cleaners that claim to be organic actually use a solvent that is petroleum-based.

He noted that 85 percent of dry cleaners continue to use the same 1950s solvent perchloroethylene, or "perc," classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a toxic air contaminant and possibly a human carcinogen.

GreenEarth, he explained, uses silicone -- liquefied sand, in essence -- a natural product found in many personal care products. The cleaning process, he said, has been patented and now forms one of several baseline patents for the GreenEarth cleaning system.

GreenEarth cleans as effectively as traditional dry cleaning without costing more to operate, according to Narter,.

"And there is nothing to dirty the air, contaminate the soil or pollute the water," he added.

Even more remarkable, Narter said, the cleaning system can actually improve the look and feel of fabrics.

Customers, he said, have noticed the difference. "They've told me their clothes are softer, feel fresher and they certainly smell fresher," he said. "They don't have that typical dry cleaning smell."

Ecological considerations aside, GreenEarth offers a progressive perk that Narter predicts will be the "hot ticket" for his business: a drive-through service.

"Moms don't have to get the kids out of the car, nor do they have to leave the kids in the house," Narter said. "And dads, in bad weather, don't have to worry about walking through the parking lot in the rain or snow. We come out to them."

The store also offers an express box for 24-hour drop-off service and lockers for after-hours customer pick up.

GreenEarth issues licenses and support to select dry cleaners operating more than 1,400 machines worldwide.