National Clothesline

Operating a drycleaning store without a drycleaning machine is now possible.

The drive to operate a drycleaning store without using drycleaning solvents is not to disparage drycleaning, but an attempt to just survive.

Drycleaners who use perc are faced with increasingly strict regulations, machine and solvent costs that make drycleaning in many cases unprofitable.

We see good and honest drycleaners fined for paperwork infractions and cleaners sued by landlords for preexisting ground contamination. Drycleaners are not allowed to operate in shopping centers, which is the mainstay of many small operators.

There has been a drive for cleaners to use alternative solvents, which may alleviate government regulations, but certainly not lower solvent or equipment costs.

We also do not know what future regulations may bring to these solvents.

A changeover to alternative solvents will certainly involve a major investment.

Several years back, there was an energetic attempt to operate a drycleaning store without a drycleaning machine.

Ecoclean was the forerunner of this concept and, although their vision was futuristic, the timing was wrong. Ecoclean advocated total wetcleaning at the time when wetcleaning technology was not as advanced as it is now.

The other downfall was that wetcleaning could not be used on all garments received and many wetcleaned garments were unsuitable for wear after processing.

We now have the technical ability to test this concept again. A knowledgeable operator should be able to wetclean between 45 and 55 percent of work received.

Wetcleaning equipment

The equipment that is now available for wetcleaning is far advanced beyond anything we once knew. It is far superior than any top-loader washing machine and even safer than soaking garments using pails and buckets.

When I was teaching in New York, I would demonstrate to students the fact that I could wetclean a tie and the tie amazingly was not mangled after processing. I am not advocating wetcleaning ties, but I use this item to prove a point. These wetcleaning machines use low water level, controlled mechanical action, fabric-safe water temperatures and varied extraction according to fabric. The dryers measure garment relative humidity, remove wrinkling and make finishing easier.

Finishing equipment

The new tension finishing equipment makes finishing wetcleaned garments easier, faster and more cost efficient.

Wetcleaning chemicals

The chemicals that are now available are capable of preventing dye bleeding, color loss and preventing shrinkage. The advancement of these chemicals expand the scope of wetcleaning far beyond the original concept.

Wetcleanable garments

These include silks, polynosic rayon, cotton, denims, khakis, polyester, acrylic, acetate, wool, and dynel.

Cannot wetclean

Due to the constructions and increased finishing costs, these garments should not be wetcleaned: silk suits, silk wedding gowns, viscose rayon, cotton fitted suits, wool suits, velvets (acetate and rayon), bleeded pleated fabrics made from natural fibers including rayon, and moire fabrics.

Hydra Air Dry

This is the only patented (Patent #5,940,988) air drycleaning dryer. The dryer is currently being used at Radiant Leather Care Cleaners in Riviera Beach, FL. The dryer is capable of drycleaning garments that cannot be wetcleaned.

The dryer uses prespotting formulations to remove stains and loosen soil. The air jet injection and vacuum system is capable of dislodging dirt particles.

The chemical injection formulation neutralizes and removes all perspiration and smoke odor. Radiant Cleaners currently uses the unit in conjunction with an ozone chamber.

How to use the Hydra Air Dry dryer

The clothes are inspected for stains and heavy soil. The stains and soil are then prespotted.

The garments are then placed in the dryer up to 30 pounds. The air system, vacuum, and temperature are then regulated according to the fabric.

The self-contained air system is used to dislodge dirt when the moisture content of the fabric is reduced. The self-contained vacuum system helps remove dirt similar to a vacuum cleaner.

Injection of safe chemical additives removes body odor and smoke odor. The cool-down cycle removes wrinkling and makes the garment easier to finish. There is no hazardous waste in the entire cycle which takes less than a half an hour.

What you cannot do

Some heavily soiled drycleanable garments may need drycleaning using solvents. This, however, should be below 10 percent of all drycleaning garments that are received.

All suedes and leathers should be given to a professional leather cleaner. Heavily soiled silk wedding gowns should also be given out for drycleaning.

Any other garments that cannot be properly processed should be sent out to a wholesaler or master plant if you operate this as a satellite store.

Dan Eisen recently retired as chief garment analyst for the Neighborhood Cleaners Association after 33 years with that organization. He is available for seminars, consultations and independent garment analysis. He also has published a book, “The Art of Spotting,” which is an indexed compilation of articles he wrote for National Clothesline and NCA over the past three decades. He can be reached at (772) 340-0909. His address is 274 NW Toscane Trail, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986. His e-mail address is cleandan@adelphia.net.