The Bacterial Action of Dry Cleaning

Abstract

AN INVESTIGATION of the bacterial. action of the process of dry garments, with solvents such as gasoline and benzol, has been made at the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research of the University of Pittsburgh, as a part of the regular program outlined for the year's work of the Multiple Industrial Fellowship of the International Technical Society of Cleaners and Dyers, which is an organization of eleven of the largest and most progressive members of the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners. The tests were conducted in co6peration with the Department of Biology of the College of the University of Pittsburgh. The cultures of bacteria were prepared and the laboratory work in connection with the investigation was done in the University of Pittsburgh laboratories, where special equipment is available. John C. Fettermann, Ph. M., Dean of the College and Professor of Biology, directed, and W. H. Emig, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, conducted the actual bacteriological -work relating to the tests. Professor Fetter*mann is a specialist in inquiries of this nature, having made a number of similar investigations in connection with foods, the handling of milk, etc. The work at the plants was done under the immediate supervision of the author, who is the senior incumbent of the Industrial Fellowship, with the direct co6peration of the owners of the local plants. Since this investigation was made in plants using methods and equipment recognized by the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners, a distinction must be drawn between competent dry-cleaners and those who, though posing as drycleaners, do not use recognized methods and have not the facilities to do proper cleaning. The National Association of Dyers and Cleaners is an organization of cleaners who must measure up to the recognized standards of methods and equipment. There are 1,200 members of this Association, each representing a cleaning plant. The capital invested in these plants is about $36,000,000; the annual volume of business is about $48,000,000; the number of employees is approximately 32,000, and the average number of accounts run is in the neighborhood of 4,800,000. Aside from a few plants using recognized methods, which are not represented in the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners, there are thousands of places represented to the public as cleaners or cleaning establishments which have no right to be classified as cleaners at all. Many of them do their work in sheds or cellars or in back rooms, in open washers or on scouring tables, and send the part of their work which can not be made presentable by these superficial methods to some better equipped cleaning plant. It is estimated that there are 200,000 such places in the United States and Canada. The following is an extract from the 1920 report of the State Fire Commissioner of the State of Nebraska, made by Fire Marshal C. E. Hartford (extract from page 18), and may be considered as representative of the condition throughout United States and Canada: