It's easy to make a million bucks in the drycleaning business. At least that's the rumor that has been spread by various publications and vendors over the years.
The reality, as experienced by those who are actually in the business, is far different. As one tired drycleaner once put it, "It's easy to make a fortune in the drycleaning business... if you start with two fortunes." It may even be easier to lose a fortune.
But the industry is not without its shining stars of success. And at the Clean Show in New Orleans, three of them teamed up on a panel to share some of the secrets of their success.
"So You Want To Be A Millionaire" was the title of the program presented by the International Fabricare Institute on the last day of the show. Several hundred people pried themselves out of bed for the Sunday morning program to hear from the three experts on making it in the drycleaning business: Sid Tuchman, Jim Barry and Don Fawcett.
Barry, unlike the other two, did not grow up in business, rather coming to it later in life after a career as a Navy pilot and successful entrepreneurships in other industries. Looking for a new venture about 20 years ago, he purchased a 10-store chain in Kansas City, MO, and began a program of revamping and growing the business that led Inc. Magazine to declare his Pride Cleaners as one of America's 500 fastest-growing companies.
He took a studied approach to building his business, starting out with a 10-point plan that began with consolidating the stores under one name and then cleaning them up.
"Attention to detail and how we control our business," he said, were the hallmarks of his plan. And getting all employees on board with that plan was one of his first tasks. Educating and motivating employees on the opportunities ("What's in it for me?") in the business and training everyone on quality and service and empowering the employees to take charge were key points in his plan.
The biggest step toward success came when Barry replaced the cash drawers with computerized registers that tracked daily cash, garments in inventory and daily deposits.
"That had a powerful impact on our first ten stores," Barry said. We found that the former owners had some 'partners' that they didn't know about." The new controls helped bring about a 62 percent sales increase in the first 12 months.
That improvement alleviated the pressure Barry felt over repaying the high-interest loan he had taken to buy the stores. From there it was a matter of making improvements in every aspect of the business, from instituting a marketing program and differentiating Pride Cleaners from the competition to raising prices.
No detail was too small to be ignored. Barry brought that notion with him from his flying days. "Attention to detail is a matter of life and death in flying -- and in drycleaning," he said. For example, any shirt button that needed replacing was replaced, and not with just any button but with one that matched the original.
With the operations set right, the next step was to grow the company. Growth meant being able to take advantage of economies of scale -- buying hangers by the truckload, for example -- so that supply costs dropped dramatically.
A key element in Barry's strategy was reinvesting in the business. Pride Cleaners looked for high visibility locations, not just to rent, but to purchase the land and build the buildings.
"Build wealth for yourself, not your landlord," Barry advised his audience.
"As a landlord, you can control the rent, he said. "You can even sell the business and retain the property and, as the landlord, receive a lifetime of income."
That, in fact, is what Barry has done, although he is still in the drycleaning industry. After growing the business to some 50 stores, he sold it and in 1998 he and three other cleaners formed GreenEarth Cleaning. He is now involved in bringing silicone solvents into the industry.
Don Fawcett of Dependable Cleaners in Quincy, MA, followed a different path into the business, having been born into it, but he, too, advised cleaners to reinvest in their businesses, particularly in purchasing real estate. "Buy, don't rent," he said.
There is more to investment than buying real estate, Fawcett said. You have to invest in your employees by offering benefits, competitive wages and good working conditions. You have to invest in your industry by being a participating member of trade associations. You have to invest in your community by sponsoring youth teams and working with charities. You have to invest in your support team, which includes everyone you work with, and make sure everyone is treated properly and paid fairly. And you have to invest in yourself by constantly trying to learn from your experience and the experiences of others.
As for more traditional investments, such as stocks, Fawcett recommended seeking the guidance of a professional financial planner.
Fawcett is the second generation to operate Dependable Cleaners, which has seven drop stores and eight package plants along with three coin laundries. One of the ways he has invested in the industry is through service to trade associations, previously as a board member of the North East Fabricare Association and now has District 1 director and treasurer for IFI.
"Live below your means," he said, remembering that "You can only spend a dollar once."
It's not just the dollars but the nickels and dimes, too.
"This business is made of nickels and dimes," said the third panelist, Sid Tuchman. "Watch those nickels and dimes."
Tuchman was president, CEO and cofounder of Tuchman Cleaners, a 32-plant and store operation that covered five states. Before starting Tuchman Training Systems, he also cofounded Apparelmaster, a uniform rental company.
Tuchman listed five factors that are crucial for success:
"Success happens when opportunity meets a prepared mind," Tuchman said.
A Senate version of legislation that would give an income tax credit to drycleaners who purchase certain types of "environmentally-friendly" cleaning technology was introduced last month by Sen. John Edwards.
Like the House bill that was introduced in March, the Senate bill would provide a 20 percent tax credit to drycleaners who purchase equipment that uses "non-hazardous primary process solvents." The House bill has picked up 36 cosponsors since Illinois Republican Don Manzullo introduced it in March. The Senate bill was introduced by Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat, just two days before Congress began its August recess and it had no cosponsors, pending the return of Congress on Sept. 4. The bill was referred to the Senate Finance committee.
The two bills are identical. Both would increase the tax credit to 40 percent if the equipment is used in an empowerment zone, enterprise community or renewal community.
The tax credit would be based on the cost of the qualifying equipment. Both bills define qualifying equipment as wetcleaning equipment or drycleaning equipment that does not use a hazardous solvent. That excludes any solvent which consists of a chlorinate solvent, volatile organic compound, or any other hazardous regulated substance. Also excluded is any substance that has carcinogenic potential in humans or bioaccumulative properties as determined by any of several agencies, including EPA.
Under those terms, perc is definitely excluded. So, too, are petroleum and petroleum-based solvents. The International Fabricare Institute and some of its affiliate state and regional associations say that DF-2000 should be included on the list of qualified solvents.
Also excluded would be equipment placed in service prior to Jan. 1, 2001.
Equipment that would qualify for the tax credit includes liquid carbon dioxide machines and machines that use siloxane solvents, such as GreenEarth. Rynex officials say machines that use their solvent would also qualify.
Other recently introduced solvents would qualify if they meet the terms if the law.
And, of course, wetcleaning machines -- that is, equipment using water as the primary process solvent -- would qualify. That provision was unclear in a previous version of the tax credit but the new language is quite specific.
"We can prevent pollution and protect people by promoting safer, cleaner alternatives to traditional drycleaning," Sen. Edwards said in introducing his bill.
Formally titled "The Small Business Pollution Prevention Opportunity Act of 2001," the bill is number S.1292 in the Senate and H.R. 978 in the House. The language of the House bill is also included as part of broader set of tax relief measures in H.R. 1037, Small Employer Tax Relief Act of 2001.
The proposal was originally put forth in the last Congress. At hearings held a year ago, one of the concerns raised was that the tax credit might be interpreted as applying only to liquid carbon dioxide cleaning systems. New versions of the bill that have been introduced now in both the House and the Senate clearly expand the range of qualifying equipment beyond liquid carbon dioxide.
But the expansion had not gone far enough for some industry critics of the credit who would like to see hydrocarbon systems and possibly state of the art perc systems included.
Today's fashions may look good, but cleaning them is another matter entirely. At Clean '01 in New Orleans, IFI Garment Analyst Chris Allsbrooks discussed several fabric care solutions to modern fashion dilemmas.
Allsbrooks kicked off her presentation with observations on garments possessing invisible finishes that go into the cleaning machine fine, but come out full of holes. First, she focussed on sulfur dyes -- dyes usually applied to cotton, viscose rayon and linen that produce dull yellows, browns, tans, khakis, greens, maroons, blues grays and blacks.
The problem with garments that contain sulfur dyes is that the material needs to be neutralized in manufacturing in order to prevent the eventual weakening of the fabric as a result of sulfur residues. When a cleaner receives such a garment, many times there will be no visible damage to the garment. However, the agitation of the cleaning process will weaken the fabrics further and often produce garment tears.
Allsbrooks recommended that cleaners tell customers to return the garment, if it is still new, to the manufacturer or retailer. The owner of the garment can expect it to withstand only a few cleanings before damage becomes more visible.
Garments with resin finishes -- finishes applied to cotton, linen or ramie to give luster and wrinkle resistance to the body of the fabric -- cause a similar problem. In some cases, the finish can cause the fabric to weaken in areas that are more worn, including folds and creases. In such a case, IFI's stance is that responsibility lies with the manufacturer because the finish applied to the garment is not serviceable.
Other cleaning snafus have been reported with visible finishes, such as flocked velvet garments with bits of fiber adhered to the base fabric, resulting in a look and feel similar to a short pile of velvet.
Cleaning problems occur when the adhesive softens and dissolves in the drycleaning process, causing the surface flock film to separate and blister.
Allsbrooks suggested that cleaners inspect the garment before cleaning, looking for damage in areas of wear, such as collars, cuffs and pocket edges. If the flocking has already started to rub off in these areas, it will be more evident after cleaning. The manufacturer should be responsible for such damage because they are required to use methods and materials that will withstand the recommended care procedure.
Flocked print design
Garments with flocked print designs have a pattern design that is created by adhering bits of fibers to a base fabric with a bonding agent. As is the case with flocked velvet garments, the adhesive often softens and dissolves in the cleaning process, which leads to a more visible loss of design pattern in areas of wear.
Though fault should lie with the manufacturer for cleaning problems that occur despite normal wear and recommended care, Allsbrooks told cleaners to test a hidden area to determine the stability of the flock design in order to avoid unnecessary problems.
Coated fabrics
Other problems have been noted with all-weather coats and leather look-alikes, such as pleathers -- coated fabrics with a polyurethane film applied to the base in order to look like leather.
Unfortunately, the bonding film may dissolve in the cleaning process, causing separation from the film, resulting in blistering and peeling.
Allsbrooks noted that, if drycleaning is the recommended care procedure and damage still occurs, then the garment should be returned to the retailer or manufacturer.
The same is also true of garments that use vinyl as a coating on the base fabric. Testing should be done prior to fabric care because drycleaning will often cause stiffening, cracking and/or shrinkage of the vinyl coating.
Another problem that is popping up consistently is dye bleeding in multi-colored racing jackets that are labeled "dryclean only." Racing jackets should not be drycleaned or washed without first testing for colorfastness.
Spandex blends, stretch fibers
If a customer complains that their shirt or pants have shrunk, it might not be that they are cheating on their diet, but, instead, it may be spandex blends progressively shrinking during the washing or drycleaning process. Such garments are often difficult to press and return to their original appearance.
Be care to follow the care instructions precisely. If shrinkage still occurs, the garment should be returned to the manufacturer or retailer.
Drycleaning clothing items with stretch fibers often leads to the discoloring or breakage of the stretch yarns, which causes the garment to look as if it has lint on it. This damage may show up after the first drycleaning or increase over a period of several cleanings.
Read the label carefully to verify that the garments are "dryclean only." If that is the case, then they should be returned to the manufacturer or retailer.
Another shirt problem
Lately, there have been many reports of color loss on the collars of colored shirts, a new fashion trend that has been inspired by Regis Philbin, who sports bright-colored shirts every week on the ABC game show, "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?"
Testing is necessary to discover if the dyes in the shirts are being affected by contact with solutions containing either alcohol, mild oxidizing agents or combinations of both
The origin of such solutions can be a variety of household items, including perfume, cologne, aftershave lotions, acne creams and other skin treatments. The color loss may not even be evident until after the item of clothing is drycleaned or washed. According to Allsbrooks, this is a consumer problem caused during use.
Sueded silk
When a fabric is abraded on its face side with textured rollers to produce a slight nap, it is known as a sueded silk. Such garments may contain dyes and finishes that are susceptible to become chalky, dull or streaky after drycleaning. Areas that are prone to repeated rubbing or abrasion in use will have a tendency to become darker or lighter due to loss of nap.
When sueded silk garments are accepted at the counter, they should be inspected for loss of nap in high-wear areas. If, after cleaning under the recommended care guidelines, the garment is streaky or chalky in appearance, then it should be returned to the manufacturer or retailer.
Trim problems
Trims are still a problem, whether they are in the form of beads, sequins, glued-on glitter or buttons. After drycleaning, trims may experience a loss of color, luster or finish.
Some plastic materials (polystyrene) can partially dissolve during the cleaning process and end up sticking to other parts of the garment. Glued-on sequins or glitter are always a threat to come off when the adhesive softens during drycleaning and dyes on sequins and buttons may bleed in solvent or steam.
Allsbrooks suggested that cleaners inspect such garments, preferably in front of the customer, whenever they come in. Look for areas of trim that are already missing or damaged. Be sure to read the care label and test the trim before cleaning. After all, once sequins, beads and other trims become damaged, they cannot be restored, only replaced if possible.
The International Drycleaners Congress may have dubbed the theme for its 2001 convention "It's a Small World," but the association has big plans for the five-day event, which is scheduled to take place from Oct. 3-7 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, AZ.
A wide array of educational programs is already set, including a Thursday morning presentation at 9:10 a.m. by Bill Seitz, industry consultant and Neighborhood Cleaners Association Executive Director Emeritus. Seitz will offer his predictions about the future of the industry.
Lang Houston, who is currently serving as president of the International Fabricare Institute, will also speak on Thursday morning about "Professional Association: Key to Industry Leadership" at 9:35 a.m.
Moderated by IDC President Tom Gosselin, both presentations are part of IDC's first of six sessions of educational programs. Session Two, moderated by Fabricare Canada publisher Marcia Todd, will begin later in the day and will cover "Textiles, the Lifeline of Our Industry."
Consultant Doris Easley will give a half hour presentation on "Conservation of Textiles -- A Business Opportunity?" at 10:20 a.m., followed by "Consumer's Needs and Attitudes About Textile Care" by Nancy Cassill of North Carolina State University.
At 11:20 a.m., Charles Riggs of Texas Women's University will round out the morning sessions with "Textile Care Labeling -- Who Are the Decision Makers?"
On Friday, Oct. 5, a session on the worldwide state of the drycleaning industry will be moderated by Egon Burchard. The discussion will be broken down into several 20-minute increments, beginning with Dr. Reinhard Siede of Boewe, who will discuss the industry in Europe at 8:10 a.m.
He will be followed by: Peter Hudson of the Hudson Group, Australia; Bill Fisher, IFI CEO, U.S.A.; Makoto Igarashi, JCPC, Japan; and Ken Adamson, Langley Parisian Ltd., Canada.
At 10:20 a.m., the subject matter of the educational sessions will shift to "Modern Marketing and Management Concepts," moderated by Ken Adamson. Dean Kampman of The Mayfield Group will offer a presentation on "Electronic Marketing Tools and Methods," followed by a half-hour discussion of "Empowering Employees Leads to Business Success" at 10:50 a.m. by Steve Fazio of Fazio Cleaners.
Jeff Markman of Dry Cleaning Computer Systems will speak on "Efficiency Through Computer Technology," starting at 11:20 a.m.
Session Five, which will be moderated by Bill Fisher and will cover "Solutions to PCE Ground Contamination," will begin on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. with "The North Carolina Industry-Government Initiative" by Chris Edwards of A Cleaner World.
At 9:20 a.m., Steve Risotto of Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance will offer "Guidelines for Industry State Initiatives," followed by "Ground Contamination Issues in Germany" by Egon Burchard of Burchard & Hilger.IDC Executive Director Dr. Manfred Wentz will moderate Session Six, which will offer a critical look at alternative cleaning technologies starting at 10:30 a.m. with "Evolution of Modern Textile Care Technology" by Dr. Reinhard Siede of Boewe.
Mack Davis of Medlin-Davis Cleaners will speak about his "Practical Experiences with 'GreenEarth' Cleaning" at 10:50 a.m. and David Dawson of R.R. Street will present "Petroleum vs. Hydrocarbon (DF 2000) Cleaning" at 11:10 a.m.
"Cleaning with Carbon Dioxide: Utopia or Reality?" by Dr. Maximilian Sverev of Hohenstein Institutes will round out the alternative technology discussions at 11:30 a.m.
Attendees will have a chance to register for IDC's Convention 2001 between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3. Later that evening, a Fiesta "Welcome" Reception will commence from 6 to 9 p.m.
Toughest sheriff
IDC will officially kick off the convention on Thursday with an 8 a.m. ceremony that will feature keynote speaker Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is widely recognized by the media as "America' Toughest Sheriff."
Attendees will be able to tour the Paolo Soleri Bell Foundry from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5.
On Saturday, IDC Fellowship Presentations will take place from 8 to 9 a.m.
Later that day, Simon Murray, IDC president-elect for 2002, will deliver a program called "On to London," the site of next year's convention, during IDC's lunch session from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Registration packages for the convention cost $595 and include a Wednesday night cocktail party, continental breakfasts every morning, an outing to Rawhide for dinner on Thursday night, the Saturday lunch, the convention banquet on Saturday night, and plant tours and educational sessions throughout the week.
Reservations for the convention hotel, the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, are available at room rates between $269 and $359 per night for single and double occupancy, plus tax.
Hotel guests may also be subjected to an additional $10 per room per night surcharge to cover telephone access charges, admittance to the Arizona Biltmore Spa, use of the Biltmore Fashion Park shuttle, a morning newspaper and use of the putting course and the self-parking lot.
For more information, contact IDC at (919) 363-5062 or visit the association's web site at www.idcnews.org.
Clean Show attendance and exhibitor participation was down this year from two years ago, but show organizers were happy with the results.
Total attendance at the New Orleans show in July was 16,546, off about 17 percent from the official tally of 19,933 in Orlando in 1999. The New Orleans show had 562 exhibiting companies using 270,757 net square feet of floor space, which compares to 621 exhibitors using 281,050 square feet in Orlando.
"Our attendees raved about the scope of this year's exhibits and the quality of the educational programs, reminding us that the Clean Show is the only place to see it all," said incoming Clean Executive Committee Chairman William E. Fisher, CEO of International Fabricare Institute.
David Cotter, CEO of the Textile Care Allied Trades Association, one of the show's cosponsoring associations, commented that "quite a few exhibitors have told me and other sponsors that there were quality buyers at the show."
"It stands to reason," said John H. Riddle, president of Riddle & Associates, which manages the show. "In a slower economy, it's the serious buyers who come to the show to see the products."
International attendance was off this year, too. While the Orlando show drew 2,753 people from 85 nations, the New Orleans show had 1,566 from 79 nations.
The next Clean Show will be held in Las Vegas Aug. 11-14, 2003. The Clean Show visited Las Vegas twice in the 1990s -- 1991 and 1997. The 1997 show ranks as the all-time best draw for attendance.
Tentative plans for the future have the Clean Show in Orlando in 2005 and in New Orleans in 2007.
Show organizers said that more than 25 percent of this year's attendees registered on line, a number they expect to increase for the next show. Also for the next show exhibitors should be able to register on line.
The Clean Show web site, www.cleanshow.com, provides updates on show plans as they become available. Show information is also available from Riddle & Associates, (404) 876-1988.
Each of the six industry associations that sponsor the Clean Show have a representative on the Clean Executive Committee. They are Brian Wallace, Coin Laundry Association; William Fisher, International Fabricare Institute; Ken Tyler, National Association of Institutional Linen Management; David Cotter, Textile Care Allied Trades Association; Burton Eller, Textile Rental Services Association of America, and David Hobson, Uniform & Textile Service Association.
Eight regional trade shows will be held around the U.S. in the coming year, beginning with next month's TexCare show sponsored by the Neighborhood Cleaners Association in New Jersey.
The NCA show will be held at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center in Edison, NJ, Oct. 13-14. Information is available from the association at (212) 967-3002.
The North East Fabricare Association will lead off the regional trade show circuit in 2002, sponsoring its Fabricare Image show March 23-24. NEFA will try out a new venue, moving to the Rhode Island convention center in Providence, RI. Past shows were held in Worcester and Marlboro, MA. Call NEFA, (781) 942-7630, for information.
The Southwest Drycleaning Association will take its show to San Antonio next year. The April 12-14 exhibition will be held in the San Antonio Convention Center. Call SDA, (210) 826-4684, for information.
The Michigan Institute of Laundering & Drycleaning, which last sponsored a trade show in 1998, will return to the regional trade show circuit next year with its Great Lakes Expo, which will be held April 19-21 in Ypsilanti, MI. For information, contact MILD, (517) 337-2909.
The Illinois State Fabricare Association will be back next year with its Midwest 2002 show, which will be held July 20-21 at the Odeum Sports and Exhibition Center in Villa Park, IL. For information, call ISFA, (815) 729-0137.
The Southeastern Fabricare Association will move its trade show from Atlanta to Savannah. SEFA's show will be held Aug. 2-4 at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. Call SEFA, (912) 355-3364, for more information.
Also in August next year will be the California Cleaners Association exhibit and convention. CCA will return to the Long Beach Convention Center where the show has been held for many years. Dates will be Aug 23-25. For information, contact CCA, (916) 443-0986.
Wrapping up the trade show slate next year will be the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association's Expo 2002 show. PDCA also will return to the site of its recent shows, gathering in the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, NJ, Sept. 21-22. Call PDCA, (215) 830-8495, for details.
Beyond the borders
Several industry exhibitions are scheduled for next year outside the United States, too.
Lavaexpo 2002 will be held at Expo Santa Fe in Mexico City, Mexico, March 13-15. For information, Phone (52) 524/0400 or visit the show's web site: www.lavaexpo.com.mx.
Scheduled for April 12-14, the same weekend as the SDA show, is Clean Canada 2002 which is sponsored by the Canadian Laundry and Allied Trades Association. The show will be at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto, ON. Information is available from the show manager, Harley Austin, (416) 695-0309.
Texcare Asia is scheduled for May 9-11 in Hong Kong. Information is available in the Texcare web site. www.texcare.de. Texcare will hold the European edition of its show in Frankfurt, Germany, June 6-10, 2004.
The only European show next year will be Expo Detergo which will be held Nov. 8-11 at the Milan Fairgrounds in Milan, Italy. For information, call 02 39314120 or fax 02 39315160.
Editor's Note: The following letter was written by HSIA Executive Director Steve Risotto to EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman in response to questions about perc raised by Greenpeace in its "Out of Fashion" report issude in July. A summary of the report, along with the International Fabricare Institute's response, appeared in the August issue of National Clothesline.Dear Administrator Whitman:
The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, Inc. (HSIA) represents the manufacturers of perchloroethylene, which is used by 85 percent or more of drycleaners in the United States. HSIA is troubled by recent claims made by Greenpeace concerning the drycleaning industry's use of this product and wishes to correct some of the key misstatements made by that group in their recent letter to you.
Perchloroethylene demand in the drycleaning industry has dropped by more than 70 percent over the past 10 years. This impressive record has been achieved through the installation of more efficient equipment, prompted in large part by the promulgation of a national emission standard under Section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act in September 1993.
This achievement is all the more impressive when one considers that the drycleaning industry is composed almost entirely of small businessmen and women.
In addition, several industry initiatives have resulted in substantial reductions in releases of drycleaning waste and wastewater to the environment.
Among these efforts is the passage of legislation in 12 states to provide funding for cleanup of historical contamination of soil and groundwater and to impose pollution prevention measures to prevent future contamination.
These measures are consistent with the "Beyond Compliance" philosophy advocated by HSIA and its member companies, as evidenced by the... booklets distributed to the entire industry in both English and Korean.
As part of its commitment to the safe use of perchloroethylene, HSIA has worked closely with the drycleaning associations to provide EPA's Air Office with up-to-date information for its residual risk review of the industry under Section 112(f) of the Clean Air Act.
Contrary to the assertion in Greenpeace's letter, this review is not required to be completed until 2002. Although the Air Office has not reached a conclusion, the industry's outstanding record of pollution prevention would suggest that there is no residual risk from these area sources that warrants additional regulation
In any event, however, the Air Office's decision will not be affected by the Agency's classification of perchloroethylene under its new guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment, as suggested by Greenpeace.
As you know, the proposed new guidelines abandoned the approach of classifying chemicals as "probable" or "possible" human carcinogens that was a key part of the 1986 guidelines, in favor of a narrative discussion that better incorporates what is known about the mechanisms of action in laboratory animals versus those in humans.
It was such species differences that persuaded the Agency's Science Advisory Board (SAB) on three separate occasions to reject the recommendations from EPA staff that perchloroethylene be considered a "probable" human carcinogen under the 1986 guidelines.
Following its most recent review of the solvent in 1991, SAB advised the Administrator that "perchloroethylene... is an example of a chemical for which there is no compelling evidence of human cancer risk, but for which reductions in unnecessary human exposure might well be prudent."
The SAB letter further explained that "the available scientific information does not suggest... the same regulatory responses that would be appropriate for a chemical whose bioassay responses were clearly relevant to human cancer."
Although little significant new toxicological data on perchloroethylene has been reported since 1991, the results of several epidemiological studies have become available.
The most notable of these is the recent update of a study of members of drycleaning unions in four metropolitan areas conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The NIOSH study is the only one that has identified a subgroup of workers employed in plants that only used perchloroethylene.
Although we believe that the NIOSH study can make an important contribution to our understanding of health outcomes in the drycleaning industry, it has several significant limitations that restrict its ability to associate health effects with exposure to perchloroethylene.
Among these limitations are the absence of exposure data (quantitative or qualitative) for most of the workers and the lack of data on lifestyle patterns (e.g., smoking, drinking) for any of the workers. This latter issue is critically important because several life-style factors are well-established risk contributors to the health effects observed in the NIOSH study.
Despite the uncertainty as to the cancer classification, for over a decade EPA has regulated perchloroethylene in drinking water, mandated cleanup levels under Superfund, and conducted evaluations under various Air Office programs on the basis of the solvent's potential carcinogenicity.
Thus, while HSIA supports completion of the ongoing reassessment of perchloroethylene under the new guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment, we are at a loss to understand why Greenpeace is urging you to regulate perc as a "probable human carcinogen." I hope this letter has helped to clarify some of the issues raised by Greenpeace.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or desire any additional information. We would be happy to meet with you or your staff should you wish to discuss the subject in greater detail.
Stephen P. Risotto
Executive Director
Halogenated Solvents
Industry Alliance
Back-to-school opporutnities abound this fall at the International Fabricare Institute school in Silver Spring, MD. Courses in Drycleaning Processes and Equipment and Stain Removal are scheduled for this month with both to be repeated in November. Courses on finishing, shirts, wetcleaning and several other subjects will be offered in October.
Drycleaning Processes and Equipment, slated for September 10-11, covers operating perc and petroleum systems; textiles and drycleaning; simplifying classification; improving filtration/distillation; managing solvent, detergent and moisture; learning about drying/vapor recovery; troubleshooting drycleaning machines; and streamlining invoicing and tagging.
The course will be offered again November 5-6.
The September 12-14 course on Stain Removal provides an understanding of textiles and stain removal; organizing stain removal tools and equipment; simplifying stain removal agents; improving stain removal procedures, both basic and advanced; clarifying the use of bleaches; and managing stain removal and specialty fabrics.
The course will be offered again November 7-9.
Other course offerings include Finishing, October 8-9. This course teaches students how to establish quality finishing points; simplify finishing procedures; understand special finishing tools; develop basic finishing techniques for skirts, pants, coats, blouses and dresses; master the finishing of specialty items such as pleats, velvets, pile fabrics; and assembling and effective packaging.
Shirts, a one-day course, will be offered October 10. It covers streamlining invoicing and tagging procedures; simplifying inspection and classification; improving stain removal; devising effective wash formulas; solving shirt problems; and simplifying the finishing of shirts.
Wetcleaning, another one-day course, covers textiles and wetcleaning; effectively removing stains in wetcleaning; understanding the basics of bleach baths; understanding wetcleaning equipment; efficiently handling special items in wetcleaning; and mastering wetcleaning and finishing techniques.
The course will be offered October 11-12.
A one-day Wedding Gowns course will be offered October 15. This course provides an understanding of wedding gown fabrics; how to implement efficient inspection procedures; institute cleaning and restoration techniques; master finishing techniques; and effective packaging and marketing tips
Business Practices is a two-day session that covers organizing inventory control; simplifying business analysis; building employee teams; motivating employees; calculating the cost to produce a garment; and streamlining plant layout.
This course will be presented October 16-17.
Legislation is another of the one-day sessions. Offered October 19, it helps clarify labeling rules; simplifies OSHA and EPA regulations; and provides details on soil and groundwater contamination.
Customer Service, coming up on October 19, explains how to understand customers' expectations and attitudes; manage potential cleaning problems; achieve effective customer interaction; and efficiently handle difficult situations.
Scholarships are available for many of the courses. For more information or to register, call IFI, (800) 638-2627, ext. 144 or e-mail education@ifi.org.
Students who complete all nine courses earn the "General Drycleaning Course Certificate," which indicates knowledge of professional drycleaning standards and practices.
Scholarships are available for IFI members.
I have read many articles regarding wetcleaning over the years that utilized some reasonably complex and expensive equipment. I took a hard look at a commercial wetcleaning systems several years ago and found that the garments needed quite a bit more finishing than my pressers wanted to do.
In addition, my main problem was neither hazardous waste disposal nor cleaning $900 men's or women's outfits with water.
Actually, it was quite simple. I wanted to economically remove water-based stains, perspiration, and rings from blouses. This is how it all started.
At first, I was hand-washing all of these items in a little tub and hanging them to dry. This was OK when there was only one. But what happens when you have five or ten of them?
This is especially time consuming during the summer months. At this time, I began to get interested in commercial bubble washers. The day I was going to send my check to purchase one, I was paid a visit by Jerry Clarke of ABC Equipment and Ryan Aguglia of USA Clean.
I explained what I was going to do and they told me that I could achieve the same effect with my 40-year-old 50-lb. Milnor washer. Simply tap the drain line before the drain and run compressed air into the washer.
Ten dollars and one hour later I had my own wetcleaning system. A petcock on the air line regulates the flow of air into the washer. The grating on the wheel of the machine naturally disperses the bubbles.
If your air compressor cannot keep up with the flow of air necessary (i.e., your presses will no longer close), you can purchase a small compressor from Sears for about $50 and cutoff the tire inflator attachment.
I have attached a diagram of my laundry set-up. Because it is an older washer (I have an even older Bock extractor), it is programmed with a card.
This machine can be run with no tumbling, which is what I do when I am running the Bubbler.
When I am running the system, I occasionally flick the "Motor Turn" switch to mix the soap in. Incidentally, the soap of choice is Dawn dishwashing detergent, idea courtesy of Jane Zellers of "Bags of Rags" fame.
I currently run a six-minute wash cycle followed by a three-minute rinse, two one-minute rinses, and a final six-minute rinse.
With newer washers that can be programmed, it would be easy to turn the wheel of the washer on an occasional basis automatically and program the wash and rinse cycle accordingly.
I started out with silk blouses. I no longer post spot these items after drycleaning and attempt to re-dryclean. They go right to the Bubbler. The agitation of the bubbles produces an extremely thorough cleaning and is very, very gentle to the fabric.
The only caveat is some blouses have a somewhat large interface area that will separate when wet. These should be post spotted and re-drycleaned.
I also found that some closely-knit silk blouses would wrinkle terribly when dried. I dry all of these items in a Maytag home dryer on low with a cool down cycle. Pressing is no worse than drycleaned blouses.
Refinements
After mastering the blouses, I was ready for new challenges. Sweaters, beaded and sequined items came next. All beaded items that could be washed, cottons, silks and polyesters were handled the same way as the blouses.
Items that had oil-based stains on them that could not be dry-cleaned were pre-spotted as detailed below under Wedding Gowns. Cotton, wool, and silk sweaters that had ingrained food stains on them are first drycleaned.
As you probably know by now, a lot of dark cotton garments will not react very well to the steam gun, producing color loss. These are perfect candidates for the Bubbler.
After I clean these items they are given a hard extract and hung to dry on a broad shouldered hanger. Drying is finished at the end of the day on the Suzie. They are then finished on a utility press using bottom steam only.
Wedding gowns
I have not drycleaned a beaded wedding gown in three years. The risks are just too great. I found out the hard way that even a black light would not detect the presence of polystyrene in the beads with a heavy lacquered coating.
The problem with wedding gowns is that some ladies appeared to have gotten married in a garage. The trains of the gowns had very heavy grease all along the bottom. These areas are gently scrubbed with Laundry Targo (limolene) followed by a spray of Formula Z. After pre-spotting, I will let these gowns sit for awhile before cleaning.
On these heavily soiled gowns, I up the ante in the soap department by using the same oxygenated detergent I use for dress shirts, Shirt Soap from Premier Chemical. The water level is set on high. These gowns come out like new. The beads and sequins glisten. After washing, they are hung to dry.
Bridesmaids and prom gowns
These gowns always seem to have many large beverage spills on them. I know that these spills can be steamed out, leveler sprayed on them, dried, and then dry-cleaned. Have you ever done this being ever so careful; only to find rings? Polyester gowns are handled the same way as the wedding gowns. Acetate gowns require one more step.
I learned how to do acetate gowns in the Bubbler after I received two gowns at my one store and another one at my drop store (three miles away) that were showing the effects of a good time. I told my customer that had the wedding that I would like to be invited next time.
As we know, acetates will wrinkle terribly when dried, and you can make an enemy out of your silk presser very quickly when you do this.
After these items are cleaned, they should be given a very light extraction or no extraction at all. They are then put on the Suzie immediately and air (no steam) is blown through them until dry. This will greatly minimize the wrinkling of these items. Please notice that no expensive tensioning presses are needed.
Sheers
Previous to the Bubbler, I washed all my polyester sheers. I found that the agitation of the tumbling could produce snags. They are now bubbled with warm water using the Shirt Soap.
I also add a little 20 percent hydrogen peroxide to the wash to brighten them up. They are lightly extracted and then tensioned on a drape press and left to dry. By doing it this way you also will dry the pleat into the sheer making them hang very nicely.
The Bath o' Brightness
The origin of the name pays tribute to the "Bell Irish Dance Studio" next door to my store. The Bath 0' Brightness is a standing 40-gallon plastic garbage can half full of water. One gallon of 20 percent peroxide purchased from Joanie the hairdresser next door is the active ingredient.
If you want to make a customer happy who has an extremely yellowed or ringed silk, white cotton, or linen blouse that was improperly cleaned by the cleaner down the street, soak the item in the bath for about 30 minutes and then put in the Bubbler. I usually run the water temperature up to about 100 degrees F. They come out like new.
Finally, I have begun experimenting using the Bath o' Brightness on yellow and ringed cotton and linen sport jackets with acetate linings. As with the acetate gowns, they must be immediately removed and put on the Suzie to dry.
Conclusions
The Bubbler is an economical way to quickly and efficiently clean items that most cleaners have trouble with on a day-to-day basis. It is certainly usable by smaller operators such as myself, but is clearly adaptable to larger operations. After all, a 50-lb. washer will hold a lot of clothes.
Frank Watts, a long-time sales representative for B&G Lieberman, died June 14 after a battle with cancer.
He joined B&G Lieberman in 1959 as a sales representative for Alabama and Mississippi and moved on to take over the Mid-Atlantic states, first living in Charlotte, NC, and later on in Maryland and Virginia.
With his eyesight failing, he retired to Melbourne, FL. But after he received the corneas of a young marathon runner, he was able to resume his profession of serving the drycleaning industry and covered the coastal Georgia and south Carolina region.
He also trained all of the company's new sales people for many years and always enjoyed attending industry conventions and trade shows.
"Frank was much more than a co-worker," the company said in an announcement. "He was a true friend who was loved by all his friends and co-workers, especially his customers throughout the United States."
He is survived by Harriet, his wife of 25 years.
According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, more than 99 percent of all employers in the United States are classified as small businesses. In fact, it is believed that small businesses create more than 80 percent of all new jobs in America, 38 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and almost half of the Gross Business Product.
Let's break down the numbers further. More than half of the businesses with employees in the U.S. have fewer than five workers. Almost 90 percent of employee-based businesses employ a workforce of less than 20 people.
Such numbers and figures sound impressive, but what do they really mean? Statistics can certainly be fallible and misleading. However, one indisputable fact remains: small businesses are the backbone of this country and their importance cannot be denied. Small businesses fuel the national economy and give millions of Americans a paycheck every week.
Certainly, the drycleaning industry is still comprised mostly of those small businesses. If you want more numbers -- a report from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that there were 27,939 drycleaning and laundry service establishments (not counting coin-operated laundries) in the U.S. in 1997 with a total of 203,777 paid employees. Of course, these numbers cannot be considered perfectly accurate, but they illustrate a general point. The average drycleaning plant probably has less than ten employees, which certainly implies a small businesses no matter how you slice it.
Many experts will tell you that most small businesses don't even last five years. Those experts might also suggest that nine out of ten small business fail because of one simple reason: bad management. If you flip over to page six, you will see a profile on Tim Blankenship, a man who worked hard for several years to build his first drycleaning plant from the ground up. After a few years of enormous success, he almost lost everything. What saved him? He approached business consultants and learned the fine art of management. He saw what needed to be done and he adjusted. He survived.
Also in this issue, you may have already noticed the front page story about three of the industry's best businessmen who spoke at this year's Clean Show, offering advice on how to become a positive statistic -- a small business that succeeds.
The information you need to make your business better and more successful is all around. Industry publications are full of monthly columns written by experts who enjoy dispensing free helpful advice. The Fabricare Forum has hundreds of cleaners who have probably faced the same problems as you. There are also management consultants who want only to improve the industry one plant at a time. Yes, the information is everywhere. So, what are you waiting for?
Clean Show attendance was off by about 17 percent this year. Attendance at the last round of regional trade shows was generally down, too. No doubt those who took a pass on these exhibitions have their reasons, but it is hard to understand why attendance is declining at a time when the trade shows have more to offer than ever before.
From new cleaning systems and chemistry to new finishing equipment to new garment tracking methods to more sophisticated marketing techniques, innovations are coming at a faster pace than any time in memory. At this year's Clean Show alone there were no fewer than four new cleaning solvents being introduced, some were actually in use in "live demonstrations." Hardly an area of the industry was untouched in some way by a new product, a new idea or a new method on display. What better way to keep up with these new developments than seeing them in operation and speaking to the innovators themselves who are all gathered "under one tent" for the show?
Yes, we realize that time and money are factors that keep some people away from the big national show. But anyone who plans to stick around in this industry for the next decade needs to get out and see what's new and what's in the works. Those who missed it in New Orleans will get a second chance in the coming months. The next round of regional exhibits begins next month with NCA's Texcare show in New Jersey, well within easy traveling distance for thousands of cleaners. In the coming year there will be shows from coast to coast and border to border. It's your future. Be there.
What's happened to Mom and Pop?
It was the year of 1902 when the London Observer featured an article on drycleaning. The head-line read: "The Art of Drycleaning."
That's what it said. Why did they call it art? The art is in the details.
It is what employees do to a garment after drycleaning. This is likened to a sculptor who chiseled granite into an object. The art form is not the granite but what the sculptor did to the granite. He chiseled in a lot of details that his mind perceived in order to form an object that he desired.
Now the art form in drycleaning begins after the cleaning process with the mind and hands of the employees put into play in order to restore the worn garment to the likeness of new. The art form starts when attention is paid to the details. Some drycleaners call them minor, but they are not. Finishing ends with touch-ups; dangling buttons are reinforced; loose threads are scissored. Open seams are resewn and lint and hair deposits removed. The garment is ready to meet its owner.
Now there are people who say, "drycleaners are all alike." That is not true. Drycleaners who pursue the likeness of new are different. They are serious about their work, which makes them better.
Another interesting observation made by the London Observer was that the big plant operators produced better work than the smaller plants. The reason: big plants used a variety of finishing equipment for different parts of the garment.
For instance on trousers, one person would do the topping and another person would do the legging. All of this was done by hand. This was an assembly-line operation. More than one person was required to press a single garment. The big plants had more employees, more equipment that made it possible to clean and finish any quantity of garments in a short period of time.
And, one day-service could be had.
Paris, France, at that time was known as the city of small dyers and cleaners. Paris had 3,000 pick-up stores and approximately 10 percent of them did cleaning on the premises. French women patronized drycleaners the most. It is the women who made drycleaning a necessary industry. It was the Parisian women who started the ball rolling and it is the women of today who keep the ball rolling. Women are more clean-clothes conscious than men.
It is no surprise then, that men do all the dirty work. They don't mind getting dirty. In a group of dirt-workers you can always tell who the boss is; he's the one wearing a dirty white shirt and a dirty necktie.
It is no secret, drycleaning is working for women. However we shouldn't get alarmed. Men use our services too, but not as much as women.
Today's woman is not the same kind of person as women of yesteryear. They are not the same anymore. It all started during World War II. Uncle Sam asked women to join the work force, and they did. Uncle Sam plastered posters all over town with a picture of a pretty blond smiling, showing muscle on her right arm and saying, "We can do it!" And they did.
The strong, tough women who did all the heavy work, like pushing wheel barrows, busting concrete with a sledge hammer, carrying a couple of two-by-fours on their shoulders and driving trucks didn't appear on posters; not even once.
Why was that?
Today we have more trouble, and not just with self-appointed environmentalists and regulators but with activists trying to convince people that perc is a carcinogenic, which will cause cancer. This is not an exaggeration. There was an article that appeared in the National Clothesline (April 1999) written by Marshall Lee Miller with this head-line: "Drycleaning -- The Next Big Health Scare."
Mr. Miller goes on to say: "Perc has been studied far more and far longer than most substances to which we are exposed."
He also points out that after 60 years of study no significant evidence was found that perc is a health risk when exposed to low doses of perc fumes associated with long term exposure.
He also mentioned that perc is a solvent of such low toxicity that records of the past three quarters of a century indicate only one confirmed fatality -- a man who climbed inside a perc cleaning machine.
Now this article may be just one man's opinion. However Marshall Lee Miller is more than just one man's opinion. He is a Washington, DC, attorney. A former senior official of both EPA and OSHA
Why did he write the article? He wrote it in response to an attack on perc written by Greenpeace that was published in several newspapers. They haven't proven anything, and yet they found it necessary to print a health scare in the news-media.
During the 1990s the Washington, DC's Checkbook made a survey on drycleaning. They found out how perc was used in the cleaning process. They also found out how perc was recovered (recycled).
They said, "Even the vapor is captured and distilled for reuse."
Where is the pollution?
After many years working in drycleaning, the majority of the early mom and pop drycleaners are now in retirement, not because of poor health, but because of old age. Rest was over due; especially for Mom.
Let's look in on two old timers, Fred and Maggie, and see how they are doing in retirement.
It is evening now. Fred and Maggie are watching nightly news on television, just like the folks across the street. You can tell they are watching because the bright TV light is shining through the window.
As usual, the news was all about murder, robbery, missing persons, fire and kids playing with loaded guns. All of this was in between car commercials trying to break through the TV tube into the viewer's living room.
Fred had enough of nightly news. He got up from his relaxing recliner, standing on two aching feet. The bottom of his right foot hurt the most. Maggie was sitting comfortably on the sofa reading the Family Circle magazine. As she removed her reading glasses from her tired eyes, she saw Fred standing. "Why are you standing?" she asked.
Fred responded, "because I'm tired of sitting." He wasn't angry. Just trying to be funny.
"You know, Maggie," he said, "the one thing about retirement, you lose the need for remembering. It's not like when we were in drycleaning: Meeting people, remembering names, always alert not to make mistakes. I miss all of that."
"I do, too", Maggie said.
Again, Fred thought, "I guess we are lucky to be alive. But what bothers me, Maggie, is Alzheimers. How do you know if you have it?"
"I guess," Maggie said, "when you're thinking about it, you don't have it. And when you have it, you don't know you have it. While you're standing, Fred, go into the kitchen and get us some ice cream. I'm hungry for some. Put chocolate syrup on mine, with crushed nuts."
"That's a good idea," Fred said.
Off to the kitchen he went. After 10 minutes of waiting Maggie wondered what's taking him so long? "Fred," she yelled, "What are you doing?"
That's exactly when he stepped into the living room holding a tray with two bowls of scrambled eggs. When Maggie saw that, she said, "I knew it. I knew that you'd forget."
"Forget what?" Fred asked.
"You forgot the bacon" she said.
"I forgot the bacon because there wasn't any," Fred said.
"What were you thinking about in the kitchen?" Maggie asked.
"I was thinking about Greenpeace and the nasty things they said about drycleaning and perc. None of that is true. If they had the authority they'd ban all toilets."
"If they did, what would we do?" Maggie asked.
"Use the neighbors yard; they wouldn't mind," Fred said. "Why wouldn't they?"' Maggie asked.
"They wouldn't mind because they'd be using ours," Fred replied.
Bill Bogus is president of Textile Restoration Services Inc. in Laurel, MD. He can be reached at (301) 776-4961.In light of recent confusion in our industry, I'm writing to let your readers know that anyone who chooses to use silicone in any drycleaning process without a license agreement with GreenEarth Cleaning will most assuredly be in violation of a patent held by our company. The clarity of this statement is not intended to be harsh, but rather to ensure that the standards now in place in our industry -- enabled by our patented silicone-based drycleaning process -- are never put in jeopardy.
At GreenEarth Cleaning, we have been working hard for the past several years to provide an environmentally preferred solution to drycleaners. We have insisted each step of the way that any solution be good for everybody. We have adhered to this standard because we are longtime members of the industry ourselves, and we want drycleaners to prosper.
With our silicone-based Green Earth Cleaning process, we believe we have brought to drycleaners a true alternative to perc. Our extensive environmental and real-world testing give us confidence in this belief, and invaluable drycleaner feedback has helped make it so.
You can understand, then, how strongly we feel about protecting the GreenEarth solution and the rigorous standards to which we hold ourselves accountable. Our worldwide patents ensure that the integrity of the silicone-based cleaning process is maintained and that everyone can be confident in the consistently high standards offered by GreenEarth Cleaning.
So, don't be misled. Any company or individual other than GreenEarth claiming to provide a silicone-based solution to drycleaners is in violation of our patents and will cause us to vigorously defend our intellectual property and the process we created through years of hard work, exhaustive research, and financial investment. We simply care too much about the success of the industry and the GreenEarth solution to leave infringements unanswered.
Drycleaners and other industry participants are welcome to contact me anytime for further clarification or discussion of this issue.
Ron Benjamin
Managing Director
GreenEarth Cleaning
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