Cleaning times: Why pollute and harm with chlorinated solvents?

SummaryThe era of chlorinated cleaning solvents is over. It lasted half a decade, and was an undemanding experience. In the last two decades, aqueous cleaning technology has become the dominant replacement. It often works quite well and many rightly value it.But its two flaws of “unforgiveness” and high total cost limit enterprise freedom in this era of global competition with unequal environmental restraint, and often-suicidal cost competition. My industry needs better options. This column, and future ones, will strive to propose them.