National Clothesline

or less than $500 you can convert your laundry dryer into a drycleaning dryer, a smoke removal chamber and a moisture controlled dryer for wetcleaning

Drycleaning dryer

I was the first person to obtain the patent on a drycleaning dryer, patent #5,940,988, which cleans lightly soiled clothes using no solvent. The dryer was manufactured by Hydra Wash which was used successfully by drycleaners.

The cost of the dryer is nearly $20,000, which is a deterrent for cleaners to invest in this technology. In conjunction with the East Coast School of Drycleaning, I have been able to convert regular laundry dryers so this technology can be used.

The laundry dryer uses an injection of air, chemicals and chemical sprays to remove soil and neutralizes perspiration odor in fabrics. The dryer can be used in conjunction with your regular drycleaning machine, which can increase production while reducing solvent loss and hazardous waste costs.

It can also be used on unserviceable garments that cannot be immersed in solvent. Stain removal is accomplished using routine spotting procedures to remove wetside stains. The garment is then feathered and tumbled in the dryer.

Many bleaching techniques in spotting can also be used. For example a bleach such as hydrogen peroxide can be applied to a stain and then tumbled in the dryer. The heat will activate the peroxide which subsequently dissipates into water.

Smoke odor

At the present time, ozone is the most effective way to remove smoke odors. We have been able to use the drycleaning dryer effectively to also remove smoke odor. This was tested at Betty Brite Cleaners in Windsor, NJ, and Radiant Leather Care in Riviera Beach, FL.

The process works by tumbling the garment and then spraying a chemical that neutralizes the odor. Ozone works by releasing free oxygen that combines with and neutralizes odor forming substances.

Chemicals can be added to the dryer that also neutralize the odors, which differs from sweet smelling additives that only temporarily mask the odor.

Moisture content

It is very important in wetcleaning to leave fabrics 90 percent dry, or slightly damp, so that they can be finished properly. Sophisticated dryers used in wetcleaning work on regulating the moisture content in fabrics using sensors and computer technology.

You can obtain similar results by timing your dryer to obtain the proper moisture left in fabrics. For example, a three- to five-minute drying may leave silks with a slightly damp feel while 10 to 12 minutes may leave the cottons with the proper dampness.

This may vary on different dryers using various temperatures, but it is an easy task to obtain the proper drying ratio. You would dry the garments and check the dampness at various time intervals. You are looking for dampness on the seams. If the fabric is slightly damp on the seams you jot the time down on a chart.

On the chart, you can have various time intervals for different fabrics. You then set the dryer at the time desired or use an alarm clock timer to remind you that the garment is ready. If you are drying a mixed load of garments, you can pull out different fabrics at different time intervals. On a mixed load of polyesters and cottons, you can pull out the polyesters in 5 minutes and the cottons in 12 minutes.

Summary

The drycleaning dryer is only a supplement to your regular cleaning process. It does not have the ability to clean heavily soiled garments which need drycleaning immersion or wetcleaning.

Cleaning a percentage of clothes using no solvent has many advantages. For information on how to convert your laundry dryers into the drycleaning dryer contact me at (772) 340-0909 or e-mail me at cleandan@adelphia.net. You can also contact Rick Watson at the East Coast School of Drycleaning. The phone toll-free number is (866) 783-3322. Courses are now being set up to introduce drycleaners to this new technology.

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.