This is supposed to be an accurate listing of textile cleaning terms…as the state regulators see it. There are some inaccuracies in it but it is a primer for understanding some of the terms that are commonly used in the industry. Credit is given to the State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners (SCRD) for making the list of terms.
A Textile Cleaners glossary of terms
Adsorptive Cartridge Filters - Filters that contain clay or clay and activated carbon. These filters are designed to remove insoluble soil and non-volatile residue along with dyes from solvent. See Cartridge Filters.
Aeration - See Deodorizing Cycle.
Air Bumping - See Bumping.
Amyl Acetate – A dry-side spotting agent used to remove oil base stains and plastics.
Anionic Detergent System - A drycleaning detergent that is negatively charged. These detergents carry water by solubilization. Anionic detergents are used in charged systems.
Anti-foaming Agents – These chemicals are sometimes added to the distillation unit to prevent contaminants contained in spent solvents (such as pigments, acids, filter powder, detergents, water repellents and retexturing agents) from causing excessive foaming during the distillation process. Glycol ether acetate has been utilized as an anti-foaming agent.
Atmospheric Still - A distillation device that operates without the need for internal pressure or vacuum. All drycleaning stills designed for use with chlorinated solvents are atmospheric.
Assembly - Following the finishing step in the drycleaning process, the garments are sorted and assembled - generally placed on hangers and covered with plastic bags. This is the final step in the drycleaning process.
Azeotropic Distillation - The distillation of a mixture with components having constant maximum and minimum boiling points, with the components being distilled without decomposition, and in a fixed ratio.
Backwashing - A method used to remove spent powder filtration material (diatomite) from tubular filters. In this operation, the solvent flow is reversed to wash the spent filter powder off the tubular filters. See Bumping.
Bactericides - a.k.a. biocides – These are chemicals used to prevent biodegradation of petroleum drycleaning solvents. Bactericides are commonly contained in drycleaning detergents.
Bag Filter - A type of filter that collects lint from the drying cycle or a filter that was used in powder filtration systems. The bag filter was coated either inside or outside with filter powder which trapped the soils. The bag was held in place by a frame and when full or clogged the frame was removed. The messy handling hastened the disappearance of this type of filter.
Base Tank – A solvent storage tank located at the base of a drycleaning machine. Normally there are two or three of these per machine. One base tank contains clean solvent and one contains dirty solvent to be distilled.
Bath Operation or Bath System - In this drycleaning solvent system, a fixed quantity of solvent is issued for one operation. Solvent is not circulated during the wash cycle. Solvent introduced in the washer is used for the entire load. Batch Operation - A drycleaning solvent system in which there is continuous circulation of drycleaning solvent. Detergent and sometimes water are added into a wash solvent tank. The entire wash solvent is “charged” with detergent (or detergent is injected). The concentration of detergent in this charged system is one to two percent. This is also known as Batched Detergent Injection.
Belly Washer - A type of washer used in a transfer machine operation. Belly washers consist of a metal shell with a perforated inner cylinder. The shell contains the solvent and the cylinder holds the garments. The size of the cylinder ranges from 30 x 30 inches to 53 x 70 inches. The cylinder of the belly washer is mounted on a horizontal shaft which rotates - providing agitation. Clothing is washed in solvent in the belly washer. Solvent extraction is performed in some machines. However, extraction is not performed in the older petroleum-type washers. In these operations, the clothing must be transferred to an extractor. After solvent extraction, the clothing is transferred to a tumbler (dryer). Belly washers are virtually obsolete in the today’s drycleaning industry.
Benzine – See Naphtha.
Bleach - A chemical or chemical mixture used in pre-spotting, spotting and laundry operations to decolorize stains and soiled areas. There are two types of bleaches: oxidizing and reducing.
Body Feed – The fresh filter powder (diatomite) added at the beginning of each filtration cycle in a non-regenerative powder filtration system.
Boil Down - The last phase of the solvent distillation process in which the still kettle temperature is increased to recover additional solvent.
Boiler – An enclosed vessel in which water is heated and circulated either as hot water or steam. Drycleaning operations utilize boilers as a heat and steam source for distillation operations; heating air for drying operations; pre-cleaning and spotting operations; steam pressing operations; steam cleaning of equipment, and steam stripping of carbon adsorption units and cartridge filters.
Boiler Blowdown Water - Water generated from the process where the steam and water is discharged from the boiler. This discharge blowdown is part of boiler maintenance to prevent scale buildup.
Boiler Feed Water Treatment - These are chemical treatments used to prevent scale buildup and/or prevent corrosion in boilers. The chemicals are either buffering agents (alkaline salts such as potassium hydroxide), oxygen scavengers (such as sodium bisulfite), and chelating agents (such as sodium hexametaphosphate). Hydrochloric acid is sometimes used to remove scale from boilers.
Boilover - The Discharge of still bottoms/muck from a distillation unit or muck cooker. The cause of boilover is usually caused by overfilling the distillation unit/muck cooker but can be caused by operating the unit at too high a temperature.
Bound Moisture - Water held and dispersed by a detergent in a drycleaning solvent.
Buck – The bottom plate of a steam press. The garment to be finished (pressed) is placed on the buck.
Bump Action Filters - See Regenerative Filters.
Bumping – The removal or dislodging of spent powder filtration material (diatomite and activated carbon) from flexible tubular filters by flexing or agitating or by using compressed air (air bumping). Button Trap - A drycleaning machine device located in front of the solvent pump that prevents objects (lint, fasteners, buttons, coins etc.) from entering the solvent pump.
Butyl Hydroxyl Toluene (BHT) - An antioxidant commonly added to petroleum drycleaning solvents to prevent odor problems (odor inhibitor). Some re-claimed PCE contains BHT as an additive (color inhibitor). Also known as Butylated Hydroxyl Toluene. Camphor Oil – Oil derived from the wood of a camphor tree. Camphor oil was reportedly used as an early drycleaning solvent (19th century).
Carbona - The trade name under which carbon tetrachloride was formerly marketed as a drycleaning solvent and spotting agent.
Carbon Adsorber - A bed of activated carbon into which an air-solvent vapor stream is routed and which adsorbs the solvent on the carbon. Carbon adsorption systems can handle high air flow rates with low solvent concentrations and reduce solvent vapors in exhaust by 95%. Also known as a Vapor Adsorber or Sniffer.
Carbon Tetrachloride - This was the first chlorinated solvent to be used in drycleaning operations (beginning in the 1920s). Carbon tetrachloride is no longer used in drycleaning operations (use ended some time in the early 1950s) because of its high toxicity and corrosiveness. Carbon Tetrachloride is also known as Tetrachloromethane. See Carbona.
Cartridge Filter - A replaceable filter used in the wash cycle consisting of an outer metallic perforated shell enclosing a pleated paper filter element around a perforated activated carbon or clay-filled canister having a central perforated center post with a fine-mesh wrap. Cartridge filters are the most widely used filters in drycleaning today.
Cationic Detergent - A drycleaning detergent that is positively charged. Cationic detergents carry water by means of an emulsion. They provide excellent water-soluble soil removal. These detergents are used in injection systems. See injection system.
Centrifugal Disc Filter - See Spin Disc Filter.
CFC-113 - See Valclene.
Charged System- A drycleaning solvent/detergent system in which detergent is added to the solvent or “charged” as a certain percentage of the solvent (normally 1 to 2%), to maintain a continuous concentration of detergent. Charged systems use anionic detergents.
Chiller - See Refrigerated Condenser.
Clarifying System – In early drycleaning operations spent solvent was routed to a tank or series of tanks where solids settled out of the solvent. The “clarified” solvent was reused.
Classification - In the drycleaning operation, this is the separation of clothes into similar groups that may be drycleaned together. This separation involves classifying garments on the basis of their weight, color, and finish before cleaning. This breakdown assures that clothes cleaned together are compatible and receive treatment appropriate for their type.
Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) - The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act (1970) added comprehensive provisions to regulate emissions of toxic air pollutants, acid rain, and substances that threaten the ozone layer. Additionally, the 1990 amendments added a permit program and greatly strengthened enforcement provisions and requirements for non-attainment areas, mobile source emissions, and automotive fuels.
Cleaners Naphtha - Another name for Stoddard Solvent. See Stoddard Solvent.
Closed-loop Machine - A dry-to-dry machine which recirculates solvent-laden vapor through a primary control system (e.g. refrigerated condenser) with no exhaust to the atmosphere during the drying cycle. A closed-loop machine may allow for venting to the ambient air through a local exhaust ventilation system, such as a door fan, after the drying cycle is complete and only while the machine door is open.
Closed-Loop Solvent Delivery System - A drycleaning solvent delivery system that includes a stainless steel drum which contains the solvent and a two-wheeled dolly that transports the drum and carries a pump for transferring the solvent to the drycleaning machine or solvent storage tanks. The solvent is pumped through a hose equipped with “leak proof connections” that couples with a filling port on the drycleaning machine.
Coin-Operated Drycleaning Machine – A dry-to-dry machine normally located in a self-service laundry that is operated by the customer. Coin-operated drycleaning machines were introduced in 1960. They have small capacities (8-10 pounds of clothes). Some early coin-operated drycleaning machines utilized powder filtration systems (diatomaceous earth and activated carbon) but most machines utilize cartridge filters for solvent purification. A few of the coin-operated drycleaning machines utilized valclene but, by far, most of the machines used PCE.
Cold Machine - A tumbler (dryer) that does not utilize heated air.
Cold Spotting Board - A spotting board that is not supplied with steam. See Spotting Board.
Combination Machine or Combination Washer/Extractor - A transfer machine in which the clothes are washed and the solvent is extracted before the clothing is transferred to a tumbler. Also known as a Dry-to-Damp System.
Commercial Drycleaners – Those drycleaners engaged primarily in drycleaning apparel and household fabrics other than rugs.
Condensate Water - Any drycleaning wastewater derived from the condensation of distilled solvent vapors, dryer vapors, or steam.
Condenser - A device used to chill hot solvent vapors and recover liquid solvent. Condensers are generally used during the drying cycle and when operating the still, muck cooker, or vapor recovery unit.
Constant Pressure Filter - A powder filtration system in which constant solvent pressure is exerted on the filter in order to keep the filter coated with filter powder.
Contact Water - Any wastewater stream that has been in contact with drycleaning solvents or drycleaning solvent vapors. Contact water, therefore, contains solvent.
Converted Machine - An existing vented drycleaning machine that has been modified to be a closed-loop machine by eliminating the aeration step, installing a primary control system, and providing for recirculation of solvent-laden vapor with no exhaust to the atmosphere or workroom during the drying cycle. A converted machine may allow for venting to the ambient air through a local exhaust ventilation system, such as a door fan, after the drying cycle is complete and only while the machine door is open.
Cooked Powder Residue - The waste material generated by cooking down or distilling muck. Cooked powder residue is a hazardous waste and will contain solvent, powdered filter material (diatomite), carbon, non-volatile residues, lint, dyes, grease, soils and water.
Cooker - See Muck Cooker.
Cool-down - The portion of the drying cycle that begins when the heating mechanism deactivates and the refrigerated condenser continues to reduce the temperature of the air recirculating through the drum to reduce the concentration of solvent in the drum.
Custom Cleaner Home Drycleaning Kit - A home drycleaning product that is used to clean clothing in a conventional dryer.
Cylinder – The rotating drum of a drycleaning machine or dryer where the clothes are placed.