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A laundry service that catered primarily to the Chinese community in the United States was referred to as “Chinese laundry” in the past. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Chinese immigrants made up the majority of the nation’s laundry employees, this word gained popularity. Even if it is still used today, some people find it offensive and out of date.
Laundry operations run by Chinese immigrants were referred to as “Chinese laundries.” These laundries were mainly modest, family-run companies that provided customers with reasonable laundry services. Chinese immigrants were well-known for their diligence and meticulousness, which made them ideal for the laundry industry.
The phrase “Chinese laundry” grew to mean inferior or subpar laundry services throughout time. Many of these laundries were small and lacked the resources and equipment found in larger laundry facilities, which contributed to this in part. Furthermore, some Americans denigrated Chinese laundries as inferior because of their prejudiced views on Chinese immigrants.
Chemicals are used in the dry cleaning process to clean clothing and other materials. Perchloroethylene, more commonly abbreviated as perc, is the substance used for dry cleaning most frequently. This substance is a solvent that removes dirt and other impurities from clothes without causing harm to the fabric.
Although perc is a very powerful cleanser, it is also a hazardous substance that could be bad for both the environment and human health. Perc exposure can lead to headaches, nausea, and other health issues. If it isn’t disposed of properly, it can also contaminate the ground and surface water.
An alternative to perc-based dry cleaning is hydrocarbon dry cleaning. Instead of using perc, this method cleans clothes with hydrocarbon solvents. Hydrocarbon solvents are less harmful than perc and are regarded as being safer for the environment and human health.
Although more expensive than perc-based cleaning, hydrocarbon dry cleaning is an equally efficient cleaning technique. The range of fabrics that can be cleaned using this procedure may also be constrained by the fact that some materials might not be compatible with hydrocarbon solvents.
Perc is utilized in a range of other industrial applications in addition to dry cleaning. It serves as a solvent in the manufacturing of plastics, rubber, and adhesives. In the metalworking and automotive industries, it is also utilized as a degreaser and cleaning agent.
Perc is an extremely poisonous chemical that poses serious dangers to both human health and the environment, despite being helpful in these applications. As a result, numerous nations have enacted laws that restrict its usage and promote the use of safer substitutes.
In 1791, Thomas L. Jennings was born in New York. There isn’t much information available about his parents or siblings, but it’s assumed that he had at least one brother. The first African American to be granted a patent for an innovation was Jennings, who did so in 1821 for a method of dry cleaning. His creation helped to transform the laundry industry and laid the way for contemporary dry cleaning techniques.
Sarah E. Goode created a folding cabinet bed in 1885 and was the first black woman to be granted a patent for her invention.
Although Thomas Jennings was the first African American to get a patent for his dry cleaning technique, he did not create dry cleaning. In comparison to the conventional way of washing clothing in water, his technique involves employing a chemical solution to clean clothes without the need of water. The present dry cleaning industry was made possible by Jennings’ idea.