Has wetcleaning come of age?
The thought of having your Armani suit or
Paris creation cleaned in a washing machine is something that
may be hard to justify.
But you have to think of today’s
“wetcleaning units” as truly what they are, and
that is sophisticated cleaning machines, using water as their
cleaning element.
They have dozens of agitation cycles,
gentle cycles, high and low level, similar extraction speeds
and, most important, variable drying temperature controls. Of
course, the technology takes in a
variety of detergents which makes the
entire system successful.
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I have seen just such garments in the
hands of an expert with the skill of knowing what programs to
use, what chemicals and amounts to allow, what temperature,
agitation, time, etc.
Unfortunately there were many claims back
in the early days of drycleaning with perc, as to what caused
dye bleeding, imitation leather to harden, and plastic buttons
to melt, to name a few disasters.
I will long remember the failures and
improper labeling with perc, which leads me to appreciate some
of the brilliant results in wetcleaning. Cashmere, leather,
chiffon, etc., wetcleaned like new, as well as some very
expensive wedding gowns, all hemlines hand brushed on the wet
side, total restoration. The garments have great hand and no
chemical odors, and few problems in finishing.
I’m afraid it takes a courageous
drycleaner to tell that customer, “We are going to
wetclean this garment,” when the label states “Dry
Clean Only.”
“You’re what?”
I hope everyone has read Mike Achin of
Laidlaw’s excellent piece on why, in simple terms,
“wetcleaning is not washing.” We have progressed to
the point of chemical balance and complete control of what
program to take advantage of, depending on what garment we can
clean, safely and effectively.
Most important, we can control the content
of moisture in the drying cycle, and release the load not by a
timer, but by in-depth reading of the clothes being dried.
This process has reduced the problem of
tedious pressing and specialized skill in finishing. Yes, I
have seen garments restored and returned as new, with pride and
to any price range. Can wetcleaning take care of 90 or 100
percent of the garments brought into the average drycleaner on
a daily basis?
Some experts say only 50 percent, which I
challenge, since we were doing wool pants, for decades to
remove stiff perspiration in the knees, and thoroughly wash
soiled khakis.
There is still the problem of rayon
linings, hidden canvas and pelon or felt inner linings,
shrinking etc., and the need for some hand finishing or, in
some cases, of air drying, but it takes the expert to determine
when and which garments. Some special pieces with risk
involved, which we are not obligated to take, should be
properly drycleaned in solvent.
Wetcleaning, I believe, has come of age.
It’s the fabrics on the market today that tend to scare
me. I’m referring to the shoulder pads and the buckram
inner lined facings/collars that are prone to dye bleeding and
shrinkage and a host of other non-serviceable attachments.
Labels have a long way to go for consumer
protection and there’s just about zero protection for
whoever will do the processing. The support becomes two fold:
1) Manufacturers give little or no direction for consumer risk
and; 2) foreign manufactures simply care less in what market
these goods are sold or purchased.
This is where the drycleaner and the
launderer have to be vigilant and inspect the risky garment and
know the store where it was purchased. Assume the risk and
importance plus responsibility before processing.
It does no good for the customer to assume
any risk, because if and when something goes wrong, the
customer takes the assumption the drycleaner wasn’t
expert enough to handle a difficult garment.
I still remember the customer who brought
in a “bathing suit” with the label “Dry Clean
Only”!
Will they ever outlaw water? I think not,
but I’m sure if they want to, they will find a need to
attack “polluted contaminated waste water.” The
septic tank areas are especially prone to future regulations,
but there are systems that laundries and sewer systems have
used for years, which collect the contaminated waste water,
filter out the solids, treat the remainder and return it to be
used again or to be returned to the environment safely
— to the field, river or bay — totally free of
contaminants or odors.
Wetcleaning still needs some hand-holding.
The number may never be 100 percent, but the overall usage is
at a practical and profitable level. For instance, you can do
excellent shirt laundering of all colors with various
injections of starch; leather cleaning; water repellency;
sizing — all in your wetcleaning unit. Progress is upon
us and in our favor.
I believe tomorrow holds the key to newer
and care-free fabrics that will be serviced by the professional
cleaner, and today’s modern housewifewant,s and will
demand, easier care-free garments. The two-income household is
not going away; it will keep on increasing, always seeking more
convenient services.
I also believe we have seen the fading
demise of the easy-care “home use” products which
proved to be a dismal failure. There were no less than a
half-dozen simple products that told the drycleaner he was not
needed, and big business spent millions trying to market them.
Try to buy a product like
“Woolite,” the last hold-out, which may have a few
dusty bottles left on the shelf. As it is now, there are not
enough hours in a day to free busy households to take care of
the necessary family business, and doing family drycleaning or
laundering will never be one of their favorite tasks.
Do we need a solvent system now? Yes, and
more so! Fortunately, we have the technology, the skill and
methods to make our future better than ever.
I strongly believe the answer is in the
professional drycleaner and his faith in the future. Full use
of perc and wetcleaning is the solution, and the combination
will be the answer to complete fabric care. Next month:
“Why perc is proven and here to stay.”
Ray Colucci, a consultant to the fabric
care industry, has revised and made available three timely
pamphlets: “Up Front Is Where It Counts” for
counter training; “Pressed for Perfection” for
finishing techniques; and the popular “Route to
Success” for complete route training. The pamphlets are
$20 each or all three for $50. Immediate delivery with all
postage paid is promised for requests sent to R. Colucci, 410
Warren Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543.
