HOW convenient Shanghai residents never have to walk far to have their clothes dry-cleaned with so many dry-cleaners in every district.

For example, Bai Junyi, a young man working for a global property company, finds it easy to visit the small dry-cleaning operation quite close to his home every week.

However, while enjoying the convenience, experts now caution that improper use of dry-cleaning chemicals is not only dangerous for your clothing, it can also be a health hazard.

"You'd better go to the big dry cleaners," said Ren Fengmei, secretary-general of Shanghai Laundry and Dyeing Association (SLDA).

With rising living standards, more and more people want to have their clothes - such as business suits, overcoats or knitted sweaters - dry-cleaned frequently. As a result, the dry-cleaning industry has become a fast-growing sector in the domestic economy.

Besides big chains, many small businesses - some run by married couples - can be found everywhere. Many of the small dry cleaners, according to Ren, have serious problems in terms of sanitation, technology and equipment.

"The quality of some cleaners' services is far below standard," Ren said.

Thorny issues

For example, some dry cleaners release the harmful fumes produced by dry-cleaning chemicals directly into the air, adding to air pollution.

Some dry cleaners know little about professional laundry, Ren said. "They should have special training and know how to clean according to whatever clothing material they are dealing with, how to iron and how to maintain the clothing," said Ren.

The State Administration of Industry and Commerce has laid down specific rules for dry cleaners, including operations, standard of equipment and requirements for dry-cleaning workers staff.

However, Ren said, the supervisory system was not perfect. "The threshold for opening a dry-cleaning store is very low - people can open a store as long as the registered capital and place of business satisfies the rules," Ren said.

Because of the irresponsible behaviour of some small operations, the SLDA and consumers' associations often receive complaints, Ren said.

For instance, several days ago, a consumer showed SLDA what had happened to her overcoat after "dry-cleaning". After examination, SLDA found that the coat had not been dry-cleaned - it had been washed in water first and then dried in a clothes drier.

It has been reported that some dry cleaners have phoney dry-cleaning machines inside their shops and use drying machines to cheat customers.

It costs around 800,000 yuan (US$96,365) to buy an imported dry-cleaning machine, or tens of thousands of yuan to buy a machine made in China.

To clean special clothing - such as fur coats - some small dry cleaners may send them off to bigger stores. But if there are no obvious stains on the clothing, they will simply use a steam iron, according to "Popular Medicine" magazine.

Actually, some dry cleaners do not use dry-cleaning reagents at all - they use washing powder or washing liquid instead.

Dry-cleaning reagents contain petroleum or tetrachloroethylene, highly volatile chemicals with distinctive odours. As dry-cleaning does not vaporize all the tetrachloroethylene, some of the chemical will remain on clothes. It has been proved that the substance can damage the nervous system and procreative ability in men.

Various diseases may also be spread by laundering clothes if the shop has sub-standard sanitation.

Many consumers have no idea any of these problems exist.

"I only care if they have washed my clothes properly and I haven't thought of the problems to do with chemicals," Bai said while waiting for his dry cleaning in his neighbourhood store.

To lure customers, some businesses offer lower prices. For example, at Zhengzhang Laundry, a dry-cleaning business of long standing, the standard charge for a business suit is 28 yuan (US$3.37). However, in a 9-square-metre shop along Caoxi Beilu, in Xuhui District, it costs only 15 yuan (US$1.81) for the same suit.

Big names

"We are very busy every day. Since our charges are very low, many foreigners also choose our services although there are several shops nearby," a shop assistant, surnamed Zhu, said.

There are four kinds of dry-cleaners in the city: privately-owned small businesses, SLDA members, foreign-invested operations and dry-cleaning counters in big hotels.

Services offered by the big chains, SLDA members or hotels, experts said, are generally satisfactory. Well-known businesses include Zhengzhang, Zhongyang, Jinren, Saiwei, Meifeng and Chicago.

According to statistics, in Shanghai, there are thousands of SLDA members. Some members have set up service counters in supermarkets.

"Generally, big stores have imported machines and they use high-quality reagents, costing 2,800 yuan (US$338) per 250 kilograms," Ren said. "In addition, they have disinfectants and equipment for water-cleaning."

According to Yu Zhexun, general manager with Shanghai Zhengzhang Laundry Jing'an store, his company uses imported reagent which can kill bacteria on clothing. As the reagent is poisonous, Zhengzhang takes special measures for disinfection.

When customers take their clothes home, Yu suggested, that they had better hang them inside out in a well-ventilated place for one or two days and not to hang them in a wardrobe immediately.

As for garments that need to be washed in water, the bigger stores sort the fabrics before sending them to the laundry.

"We separate clothes according to their colours before washing," said Yu, "We also add enough disinfectant to the water, and expose the clothes to ultra-violet light after cleaning."

Zhengzhang now has over 400 outlets in the city.

Need to improve

Because it is a fledging industry, dry-cleaning is still developing. According to Ren, so far, no authoritative supervisory system exists for the laundry and dyeing industry in China.

SLDA has organized a complaints day for consumers every fortnight when people can take any damaged clothes and lodge complaints. SLDA and consumers' associations will help members of the public seek compensation.

However, Ren said, sometimes damage to clothing that has been dry cleaned was not the fault of the dry cleaner.

"Consumers or clothing manufacturers may have to take the responsibility in some cases because some textiles should not be dry-cleaned," Ren said.

Manufacturers always indicate that clothes are suitable for dry cleaning as if the dress were of high quality In fact, the material may often be unsuitable for that way of cleaning.

According to Ren, SLDA is preparing a training programme for newly-opened dry cleaners which is expected to be launched later this year.