Abstract: A closed system and method for cleaning articles by means of a volatile cleaning solvent is disclosed herein. The system generally comprises a cleaning chamber having a doorway which, when opened allows access to the interior of the chamber, and when closed seals the chamber interior from the ambient atmosphere, a solvent nozzle disposed within the cleaning chamber for discharging a jet of volatile cleaning solvent on an article within the chamber incident to a cleaning operation, a solvent sump for collecting liquid solvent from the chamber that includes a quantity isolating fluid, which may be water, for forming a liquid curtain over the collected solvent that isolates the solvent from the ambient atmosphere when the chamber door way is opened, and a solvent condenser system connected to the interior of the cleaning chamber for condensing vaporized and atomized solvent discharged by the solvent nozzle into liquid form, and circulating the liquid solvent into the sump.