Two local dry cleaners call a third out for advertising “organic” fluid.

Curtis Quinones is serious about his eco-friendly stripes. His dry cleaning company, Vapor Sudden Service Cleaners in Monterey, has been licensed to use silicone-based, non-toxic GreenEarth liquid for 10 years.

So he doesn’t want customers to get the wrong idea when they see an ad from a competitor claiming “organic dry cleaning.”

Country Club Cleaners uses DF-2000, a hydrocarbon fluid manufactured by Exxon-Mobil. A consumer alert from the National Cleaners Association explains the product is only “organic” in that it is carbon-based, like gasoline.

“Organic and food is one thing. Organic and chemistry is another thing,” Quinones says. “When they say ‘organic’ they’re using the right term, but for the consumer it can be misleading.”

He isn’t the only one who takes umbrage with the ads. “When you see ‘organic,’ you think of strawberries from the garden,” says Stuart Pressman, owner of Sand City’s Economy Cleaners.

Like Country Club, Economy uses DF-2000, which is replacing the more toxic perchloroethylene as the industry standard. “You know what? We’re all using it,” he says. “I think [the ‘organic’ claim] is an unfair playing advantage.”

Country Club Cleaners owner Young Koh says he’s merely using the manufacturer’s term for the fluid. “I don’t know why those people are raising questions,” he says. “I’m not a chemist; I’m not in a position to defend the technicalities. But it contains a carbon, and that’s why they state it’s organic.”

Koh notes that his company’s two Monterey locations use biodegradable plastic garment covers in an effort to be green. The switch to DF-2000 is in compliance with a 2007 state ban on perchloroethylene.

“I try to use a safer product,” he says. “Compared to perchloroethylene, it’s 10 times better and nature-friendly.”