The status of wetcleaning and how to maximize its potential as a component of professional fabric care were examined at a one-day conference at the Hohenstein Institute in Germany by experts from Europe, Canada and the United States.
All parties at the June 18 conference agreed to work on development of international wetcleaning care labels and to conduct research and set standards to verify claims for what wetcleaning can and can't accomplish. They also agreed to work in concert with the textile and apparel manufacturing industry toward these goals.
The participants were also in general agreement that whatever the future role of wetcleaning, there will always be a need for "non-aqueous cleaning."
The first part of the conference, which was organized by the European Wet Cleaning Committee, featured presentations on the status of wetcleaning in nine countries -- Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. The second portion focused on potential developments in wetcleaning technology.
U.S. participants included Dr. Manfred Wentz of R. R. Street & Co. Inc., Bill Seitz of the Neighborhood Cleaners Association, Jo Patton of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Ohad Jehassi of U.S. EPA, and Dr. Nancy Cassill of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Papers presented at the conference by European representatives showed that wetcleaning has been under the microscope there at least as much as in the United States.
Robert Lhuillier of France said the attitude of drycleaners in his country is one of "curiosity and scepticism," giving them much in common with their counterparts in the United States.
"They (cleaners in France) do not see a way of increasing their turnover and of competing with hard discounters who are cleaning for a cheaper price and are delivering garments faster," he said. "But perhaps the ones who believe in wetcleaning were up to now too technical in their approach and not good enough as salesmen."
French cleaners, he noted, are comfortable using perc and are under no pressure from the government or news media concerning its use. Combined with concerns for the cost of water and the possibility of new solvents in development, that has made French cleaners cautious about expanding the role of wetcleaning. Lhuillier, however, said his personal experience with wetcleaning in his own plant leads him to believe that "it is possible to clean up to 70 percent of the garments, to wetclean them better and more easily than with perc."
Willy Dierckx of Belgium said there are about 40 wetcleaning machines in operation in his country. The editor of the trade publication Textilreinigung, Dierckx said, "Among all the drycleaners I interviewed, there was not one who regretted the purchase of a wetcleaning machine."
However, there have been some problems, starting with exaggerated claims by machinery manufacturers for the percentage of articles that could processed in the new equipment, he said.
"Discussions on the percentage that can be wetcleaned will continue," he said. "Representatives have different opinions depending on whether or not they sell drycleaning machines."
The percentage also differs based on who decides whether a garment will be wetcleaned or drycleaned. When it's the cleaner's decision, there is a tendency to take as few risks as possible, which means that more articles are drycleaned, he said.
Other wetcleaning problems he noted include:
"Wetcleaning is an excellent complement to cleaning with solvents, but never a substitution. A lot of problems are still to be solved by research," Dierckx concluded.
The European Wet Cleaning Committee has started some of that research, reported Mirjam Verbeek of The Netherlands. He works for the Dutch Cleaning Techniques Research Institute's department of drycleaning technology and is responsible for projects concerning alternative drycleaning methods -- hyrdrocarbons and HCFC 225 as well as wetcleaning.
Verbeek said the ban on fluorocarbon solvent, more severe environmental regulation of perc and demands of consumers has increased the interest in wetcleaning in his country. Approximately 20 percent of the garments coming into drycleaners in the Netherlands are now wetcleaned, he said.
The lack of a wetcleaning symbol for care labels is a major reason for the low percentage, he said. Dutch cleaners will wetclean only garments that are labeled with a washing symbol.
Verbeek said the EWCC has completed an initial a series of round-robin tests that could lead to the development of a care label that would indicate that a garment can be wetcleaned.
"To come to such a care label symbol, a test method has to be defined. Such a test method will be used to test garments on their wetcleanability. When garments endure the test method well, they can obtain the wetcleaning care label," Verbeek said.
The first round robin tests should a great variety of performance in wetcleaning on untreated woven wool fabric. The type of machine used for wetcleaning was the main source of difference in performance, he said, but other factors figured in, too. Those included mechanical action during washing, rinsing with or without detergent, centrifugation speed, drying time and the hardness of the water.
Most of the shrinkage noted in the testing occurs in the washing process, he said.
With the knowledge gained in the initial testing, "we are able to optimize for wetcleaning and time to an improved second round-robin test which will lead to the development of a care label symbol for wetcleaning," Verbeek said.
With a key deadline in the phase-in of federal clean-air rules for drycleaners coming up, now is a good time to review the requirements in case any steps must be taken to ensure compliance.
Here are a number of rules that drycleaners who use perc must observe by Sept. 22:
Weekly measurements of the washer exhaust from the open door cycle is also required for transfer systems.
The status of transfer equipment under the regulations has been a point of confusion and dispute. Although transfer equipment can't be used for new or replacement installations, there is nothing in the federal rules that bans continued use of existing transfer equipment. The regulations say only that, since September, 1993, all new installations must be either dry-to-dry with add-on refrigeration or dry-to-dry no-vent refrigerated machines. If you have transfer equipment that was in operation before 1993, you may continue using it provided you meet all applicable emission control and reporting rules.
This latter requirement is still subject to a final EPA rule. The agency has proposed "grandfathering" of transfer equipment installed between Dec. 9, 1991 and Sept. 22, 1993. The International Fabricare Institute petitioned for a change in the rules that would allow cleaners to keep using transfer machines that were installed by Sept. 22, 1993.
In May, EPA published proposed revisions to the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) that would do that. Although it believes few transfer units were actually installed during the less than two-year period, IFI advises the matter still awaits final dispositon by EPA.
While equipment requirements of the clean-air rules vary depending on the amount of solvent purchased in a year, the type of equipment in place and when it was installed there are a number of other rules that all drycleaners using perc must follow. These include:
Additional information may be attained from your state, regional or national trade association or through one of the EPA regional offices.
Region I Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont Abdi Mohamoud EPA Region I (AEO) JFK Federal Building Boston MA 02203-2211 Phone: 617/565-2734 Fax: 617/565-4044 Region II New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Venkata Rao 290 Broadway New York, NY 10007-1866 Phone: 212/637-4053 Region III Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, District of Columbia Sang Nam 841 Chestnut Building Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: 215/597-9318 Region IV Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Phillip Barnett 345 Courtland St. NE Atlanta, GA 30365 Phone: 404/347-2904 Region V Wisconsin, Illinoism Undiana, Ohio Sam Portanova 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604 Phone: 312/886-3189 Region VI Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Mary Maruska 1445 Ross Ave. Dallas TX 75202-2733 Phone: 214/665-7598 Region VII Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska Gary Schlicht 726 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, KS 66101 Phone: 913/551-7097 Region VIII Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming Heather Rooney 999 18th St. Denver Place, Suite 500 Denver,. CO 80202-2405 Phone: 303/293-1886 Region IX Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam Mae Wang 75 Hawthorne St. San Francisco, CA 945105 Phone: 415/744-1200 Region X Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington Chris Hall 1200 Sixth Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 206/553-1949
Florida drycleaner Gary Dawson took a group of air pollution control inspectors to school this spring, using his plant as a classroom.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection asked if its air inspectors could visit his Belleair Bluffs Cleaners to learn about drycleaning plants before they set out to enforce the rules.
The inspectors scheduled their visit for April 1, and Dawson soon learned that it was no April Fool's joke.
"Thirty-one people gathered around the drycleaning machine and I began my presentation," Dawson reported in an article in the June issue of The Reclaimer, published by the South Eastern Fabricare Association.
The inspectors had spent half a day in class learning what to look for in a plant. Dawson's job was to show them a plant. Only five had ever been inside a drycleaning plant.
The students demonstrated they had paid attention in class, asking Dawson some "tough questions."
"I was able to stress to the regulators that this industry is still in its infancy when it comes to regulation and reports," Dawson said. "I stated that we need their help and guidance in order to comply with them."
And Dawson has this advice for other cleaners:
"We must all be forewarned that these rules and laws have been in effect for some time and our ignorance of them is no excuse.
"We have far too many sources of information at our disposal. We should begin with our trade association, SEFA and IFI," he said.
The drycleaning industry's position on gender-based pricing was explained to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights at a June 14 meeting in Washington, DC.
Representing the drycleaning industry at the meeting were David Norford, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Cleaners and Launderers Association, and Ed Boorstein of Parkway Custom Cleaners in Maryland.
Pricing based upon race, color, religion, nation origin, gender, martial status or age has no place in the professional cleaning industry, Norford told commissioners. Fair and equitable prices for servicing any garment should be based upon its characteristics and the amount of labor and expertise required to clean and finish it, not on the gender of the customer who wears it or brings it in for cleaning, Norford said.
Norford added that Fair and Non-Discriminatory Pricing Guidelines benefit the industry and that is necessary for customer service representatives to know the policy and how to apply it.
"Most often, I think allegations of bias are the direct results of poor or no training. I have never seen an employee purposefully incorrectly charge a charge a customer," he said.
He also told the commission that the industry has taken this "proactive stance" since the 1980s.
NEW YORK, NY -- The Korean Drycleaners Association of New York will host the Green '96 trade show in upstate New York on July 20-21. The program includes a presentation of awards to five industry members at a Saturday evening banquet.
Exhibit hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. As of late June, all but 10 of the 177 booths for exhibitors were sold, a show representative said. Most major manufacturers and distributors will be represented at Green '96.
Educational programs will be held on Sunday from 9:10 to 10 a.m. The first is a three-doctor panel which focuses on health issues. Dr. Richard Hann will focus on allergies, Dr. Hiewon Hann plans to discuss liver problems and Dr. Joan Yoon will review foot problems.
Rynex Corp. will introduce "Rynex biodegradable dry cleaning solvent" at a seminar at 10:50 a.m. on Sunday, July 21. Rynex director of sales Jim Colletti and company CEO and president Bill Hayday will demonstrate the solvent in an operating drycleaning machine.
Social activities start with a Friday evening cocktail party at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and then a sing-along Karaoke program. On Saturday, a golf outing is planned from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. In the evening, dinner is planned for 7:30 followed by the "Drycleaners Annual Night Ball" lasting until midnight. A second golf tournament will start at 7 a.m. Sunday.
For show information, call KDANY president In Sun Yun, (718) 729-8825. For Nevele Hotel information, call (800) 647-1000.
A survey conducted by Kurt Salmon Associates and published by Women's Wear Daily in May contains several bits of information that should be of concern and interest to cleaners.
The survey was taken to give apparel makers and retailers a better grasp of what today's consumer wants and expects. They realize that consumer attitudes both in general and specifically toward clothing are changing rapidly and they are trying to adapt their industry to meet these changes. Whatever the customer wants, the customer must get, they say.
As manufacturers and retailers adjust to this new, more demanding consumer, there's something missing from the plan. No mention is made of the part of the apparel industry that maintains the clothing after it is made and sold. This omission is the part of the survey that should be of most concern. The people who make, sell and buy clothing are talking to each other, albeit through surveys, about the future of apparel with no participation from garment care specialists. A worst-case scenario: Suppose these demanding, time-starved consumers tell the apparel makers that one thing they want is no more visits to the drycleaner? Knowing the apparel makers' commitment to giving consumers what they want, where will that leave us?
It's time we as an industry get involved in this dialogue -- while we still have a chance to get a word in.
New York -- both the city and state -- are making noises that should alert drycleaners to pay attention to the news. A New York City Council member wants to ban perc drycleaning in mixed-use buildings and give perc machine owners 24 months to get rid of their existing units. New York State will pick up where it left off 18 months ago with its new perc drycleaning regulations. Public hearings begin July 15.
The New York City perc ban proposal has the potential of being a "foot in the door" for anti-perc forces. A successful effort could set the stage for a campaign regarding strip shopping centers and mixed-use commercial property bans. Once that happens, the effort could expand to any state where a drycleaner shares a wall with another business. More distressing is the potential economic ruin a number of small business owners face. Those who can not afford to upgrade their perfectly good equipment for other technology would have their livelihoods taken from them.
The Neighborhood Cleaners Association International has pledged to fight the perc ban. With its coalition of cleaners taking on City Council, it will represent cleaners nationwide in the media capital of America. Therein lies an opportunity to present the textile care professional as seeking a fair chance to pursue a craft; a professional who is careful in the application of cleaning solvents and committed to the responsible use of technology in restoring garments. The big show is in New York this summer. Whether it goes on the road to your town depends on how the industry presents its case. "All sold out" could take on new meaning for cleaners.
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Fabricare '96, The Great Western Exhibit, will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the California Fabricare Institute Aug. 8-11 with programs, allied trade exhibits and social activities at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach and the Long Beach Convention Center.
The CFI program includes a drycleaning outlook round table on Friday; Saturday presentations on California certification training and customer relations; and a Western States Fabricare Association meeting on Sunday.
In addition, plans have been made for a golf tournament, a CFI business meeting, a new member reception, a CFI anniversary banquet and a Fabricare Legislative and Regulatory Education group meeting.
CFI also said Rynex Corp. will exhibit its product at the show. Their participation will be "the West Coast premiere demonstration of the new solvent," CFI representative Cheryl Demetriff said. "This will be the first chance we have to see it in action."
The primary seminar programs begin with an 8:30 to 11 a.m. Friday round table with Dr. Manfred Wentz of R. R. Street & Co., Steve Risotto of the Center for Emissions Control and Dr. Charles Riggs of Texas Woman's University. They will provide an overview of the current state of the drycleaning industry.
On Saturday morning from 9 to 10, Kenney Slatten and Sang Kahng will discuss "How to Become Certified," an English and Korean language discussion of the California certification regulations.
Doris Easley follows with an hour-long talk on "How to Keep Your CustomersŠ Effective Communication Strategies for Counter Personnel."
Business meetings will take place daily. The annual CFI business meeting and election of officers will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday.
The FLARE meeting will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, the CFI board of directors will meet from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
Also scheduled at the same time is the Western States Fabricare Association meeting. A Korean members welcome meeting and seminar is planned from 10 to 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Social events include a golf tournament on Thursday, Aug. 8; a new member cocktail party at 6:30 p.m. on Friday; and the CFI anniversary reception and dinner at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The new member party is hosted by three local drycleaners associations -- Greater Los Angeles, Harbor South Bay and San Diego.
Exhibit hours are 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Hotel reservations are available through Hyatt, (310) 491-1234.
For more information, call CFI at (916) 443-0986.
FAIRFIELD, NJ -- The American National Standards Institute has published the 1996 edition of the Safety Standard for Laundry and Drycleaning Operations.
The consensus standards, which deal with the protection against known hazards encountered in laundry and drycleaning plants, have been promulgated over the years with the cooperation of the various trade associations and other groups involved in the industry.
The following is a brief summary of the requirements included in the 1996 revision of ANSI Z8.1 as provided by the Textile Care Allied Trades Association:
Beginning in the 1950s, TCATA assumed a leading role in updating the standards because many states and cities had their own codes and regulations, making the need for a uniform standard imperative. With the advent of OSHA and EPA in the early 1970s and then the proliferation of product liability litigation in the 1980s, the ANSI Z8.1 Standard assumed greater significance since ANSI documents are the frequently cited in litigation resulting from employee injuries on the job,
Although the standards specify that the responsibility for adherence to the rests with each plant operator, manufacturers and distributors of new equipment should be familiar with them since it is their obligation to see that new equipment initially conforms to the standard in effect at the time of delivery. Used equipment, if installed after the effective date of the standard, must be in compliance.
Copies of the new ANSI Z8.1-1996 standards are available from ANSI, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036 or by phoning the organization, (212) 642-4900. The price per copy is $24. Copies are not available from TCATA. For specific questions about the standards, call Steve Landon, chairman of the ANSI Z8.1 Committee, (817) 430-8451.
When a Northern California cleaning plant received the above letter from a customer urging a complete switch-over from drycleaning to wetcleaning, the plant owner asked Dave Spensley, president of Spensley and Associates in Redwood City, CA, for help in responding.
Included with the customer's letter were copies of articles describes how "perc" is linked to serious health problems, including cancer. It describes the drycleaning process as "dunking in dry cleaning chemicals" and using "large quantities" of perc.
Here is how Spensley responded. To preserve the anonymity of both the customer who wrote the letter and the name of the plant involved (the same or similar materials appears to have been sent to other plants in the area), their names have been changed in the letter.</p>
Dear Ms. Jones:
Thank you for your fax dated May 28, 1996, in which you suggest that we consider converting XYZ Cleaners from using the drycleaning process into a "wet cleaning" process.
Your letter suggests that the solvent we presently use is toxic to "our employees, the water, air and environment". To offer validation of this information, you also faxed a clipped article describing a Chicago fabricare plant, The Greener Cleaner and how they launder all the garments they accept.
We at XYZ Cleaners are very concerned about our employees and the environment and are quite familiar with the "Greener Cleaner" plant, the equipment, the manufacturer of the equipment and the process.
We are also familiar with several of the approaches their equipment manufacturer has used to promote the wetcleaning process, both within the fabricare industry and direct to consumers.
Unfortunately, our industry as a whole has lagged behind in consumer education. Perhaps you will take some time to read the following information on why we are doing things the way we are.
Over 10 years ago, when we built XYZ Cleaners, we purchased the very latest refrigerated, "closed loop" drycleaning equipment. This equipment is still "state of the art" equipment today, and complies with all local and federal laws for performance. Even so, we have just completed another refrigeration change updating the equipment to be even more efficient.
We also do "wetcleaning", and you may be surprised to know that over 50 percent of the pieces passing over our counters are laundered or wetcleaned presently! We do this simply because some clothing, like shirts, respond to a water process better than the drycleaning process.
Of course, all laundry shirts are "wetcleaned" as well as most sleeping bags, comforters, many sweaters, wash pants etc.
As you know since you are a customer, we read with you the labels in your clothing when you leave it with us at the counter. When a label says to "machine wash" or "hand wash" we advise you of that, and offer to do it for you.
Even if a label says to "dry-clean only," we will be glad to hand "wetclean" it for you for an extra charge, if you sign a release form. We need the release form as we cannot be responsible for going against what the clothing manufacturer suggests for the maintenance of their clothing.
If you wish, at your risk and for an additional charge, we will wetclean most garments you bring to us. Please just let us know.
Processing differences
Let's discuss the differences in the two processes. When cleaning natural fibers such as wool and cotton, the drycleaning process does not "swell" the garment fiber as any water process does. When a fiber swells it distorts, and often requires additional finishing labor to remove the wrinkles created by the water process.
In the case of laundered shirts, they are pressed in machines while still damp to remove the wrinkles. In our refrigerated drycleaning machines, your clothes are removed from the machines after cleaning at around fifty degrees Fahrenheit, which prevents much wrinkling of the fabric.
As a result, the "finishing" or "pressing" labor required to complete a shaped and wrinkle free garment is generally significantly less for drycleaned clothing than laundered or wetcleaned garments.
XYZ Cleaners spends almost fifty percent of its gross income for employee wages. When plants wetclean clothing that is drycleanable, there is an overall additional amount of time required to finish the items. This raises the cost to the consumer.
Another item to be considered is the fastness of dyes used in clothing. Bleeding dye is a problem. If you have ever tried to wash at home a silk blouse labeled "dryclean only" you will immediately understand the problem of using any wetcleaning process on the dye in some garments. Many dyes bleed to water that dryclean quite well. Another reason a professional needs to have knowledge of both processes and access to both processes.
Your personal impact >on the environment
During the last year, from 5/12/95 until 5/28/96, you personally did a total of $60.93 in business with XYZ Cleaners. This consisted of seven invoices which represented twenty pieces of clothing: 6 slacks, 3 sweaters, 2 sport coats, 2 skirts, 2 blouses, 2 jumpsuits, 1 vest and 2 machine pressable laundered shirts. I will assume that all but the shirts were drycleaned. This, however, may not have been the case.
I am enclosing a published article written by a Fabricare Industry expert, Mr. Stan Golomb. The article was first published in the NATIONAL CLOTHESLINE newspaper in March, 1996, and is entitled "Taking the Case for Perc to Court."
His article will explain how I arrived at the figures to follow. XYZ Cleaners consumes less solvent by far than the "average" plant in the US as described by Mr. Golomb, and we pride ourselves in being efficient. This is one of the ways we can maintain a lower price than other plants surrounding us.
To dryclean your 18 pieces required that we consume after purification and reclamation, less than 3.5 ounces of drycleaning solvent.
Almost all of this 3.5 ounces of solvent was hauled away as dirty solvent like the used oil from your car oil change, and not put into any sewer system.
Had we wetcleaned all of these 18 items, you would have contributed to releasing over 36 gallons (4,608 ounces) of water and chemicals into the sanitary sewer system!
Had we attempted to launder instead of drycleaning the total pieces that we cleaned in 1995, we would have released over 232,000 gallons of water and chemicals into the local sanitary sewer system. Think of the environmental impact if all cleaners had to do this!!
Summary
As time goes on there are many fashion and fabric changes. As fibers change so does the necessary processing. We at XYZ Cleaners are members of industry and other associations, and will keep informed on the best possible way to handle your garments in the most efficient, safe and cost effective manner for you.
We will upgrade to proven new systems and formulas as they become cost effective for us and our customers. We are now processing many garments using laundering and wetcleaning processes, but it is not our intention to unjustifiably raise your clothing care costs by indiscriminately jumping into unproven approaches promoted by machinery manufacturers and environmentalists.
If you are familiar with using a computer, you might also connect with the Neighborhood Cleaners Association International World Wide Web pages at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ncai/dc.htm
On this web page you will find many items of interest to consumers.
Another page that will update you on the industry is the "Corner Cleaner" World Wide Web pages located at:
http://users.aol.com/hhorning.
This page will also refer you to other items of interest in our industry. I hope this has been helpful in answering your letter to us. Thank you again for your time.
Sincerely yours, Henry A. Lamonte President XYZ Cleaners
She is known by the name Perky Lady on the Fabricare Forum on the Internet. Quick with a response to many of the questions posed on that list service, Nebraska drycleaner and cleaning consultant Sue Armstrong has been known to paraphrase Dr. Seuss, refer people to technical bulletins and offer advice to all comers.
Her command of information, let alone the energy to share it, is a source of wonder. The industry is her heritage, something passed down through three generations of her family.
"Let's see. It's 25 years downŠ I've been in drycleaning probably all my life," Armstrong recalled. "My father was a drycleaner in a small community in Nebraska, a mom and pop operation."
An early memory of her father at work stands out. "My dad is standing at a press. He says to me, 'There's only one way to do drycleaning and that's fine finishing.'"
"I started out in drycleaning with a really progressive drycleaner, Liberty Cleaners in Kearney, owned by George Kotsiopulos," Armstrong said. "I learned a great deal from my father on the quality side. My father would talk about quality. That's where I get love of finishing."
"When I worked with George, he took me to all the cost management groups and I met a lot of drycleaners around country -- the more progressive ones."
Learning from this, she took a plant that was at an earning level of $125,000 and increased its business to $450,000 "in couple years," Armstrong said.
Then she married Curt Armstrong, a fourth generation drycleaner, and moved to Omaha. There she continues her family tradition. "It has been a very solvent relationship," she observed.
After a couple years in the plant, she got involved in consulting.
"Consulting is a lot of fun. I feel I'm best at finishing and production flow. There's so much to finishing," Armstrong insisted.
She developed her career carefully.
The national workload began "about four years ago when International Fabricare Institute sent out papers about certified trainers. I flew to International Fabricare Institute and did presentations. Then they started doing seminars around country and invited me to do seminars. Then I started doing plant calls for plants around country and getting calls on my own for seminars," Armstrong explained. "First, three years here and there and now its really busy. I guess my whole world is drycleaning; I love this business."
Her work starts with the finishers -- they "know what is going out. We have some really fine and experienced people. They are the most excited about me coming" to a plant. These are the people who safeguard the business of a plant, Armstrong contended. "They don't like to press garments with spots on them. Plant owners should talk to finishers and try to find out about quality."
She created a questionnaire for finishers to try to help them figure out what their work is about.
"Quite a few will come back with good, not excellent quality work," Armstrong said. Her job is to improve on that.
"Spotters need more education," she continued. "Every couple years (employers) should send them to the International Fabricare Institute or where ever." The problem in a store is that one spotter doing spotting for drycleaning soon finds "there is not enough time" to get the work done. I think that's why there is so much color loss."
"Instill pride in fine finishing in finishers," Armstrong added. "If they don't care what fabrics feels like, they don't have it."
In training spotters, Armstrong tries to expand their information base. She talked of digesting baths
"Digesting baths are fantastic. Every plant should have a bath going on -- great for removing blood. It removes it without taking color," she expounded. "With rayon and silks, you have to be careful of color loss. Only way to spot is with a digester." In her training she has students "physically make up bath. If they don't do it, they won't go home and do it."
Another chemical she thinks is not used enough is neutral synthetic detergent. "It is so gentle on fabric and color, wonderful to use. I see spotters reach for aggressive spotter when neutral detergent gets used."
Counter personnel are another group she deals with.
"Right now counter personnel are hired but not trained. Owners should do a survey of counter personnel and ask what they feel plants need to serve customers.
"They have a lot of ideas," Armstrong insisted. "It's real important that when your counter person answers phone, they know what's going on. A lot of first time customers will call a drycleaning plant first and you can make or break a customer on the phone. It could be a $500 month customer on that line."
Employers forget they need to set a time to train employees, what with everything demanding their attention.
"The cost? It costs more to not to train them than to train them," she charged. "A lot of counter personnel don't know how a shirt is processed because they aren't involved in it." The need to be taught about "gender pricing and why one shirt may cost more than another.
"They are so interested. You can't just talk to them, you have to show them what going on. Have counter person press a garment so they know how long it takes. Have them hold a spotting gun and use it. That way when they meet a customer, they understand what's happening to the garment," Armstrong said.
A pet peeve is when she sees owners who "are not in the process. An owner should walk into the line everyday and take a look," she insisted. "If there isn't anything to hand back, spotters need to know that. It only takes five minutes. That way inspectors, finishers, spotters and everybody knows quality is important."
It isn't just the small shop that needs an educational program. "Some of the largest drycleaners don't send their people" for training, she complained. "I know it's expensive to send people to seminars. But some of the largest plants need to have a handle on what's going out of their place. I think sometimes when they so big they think 'I've got this volume coming in anyway.'"
Armstrong keeps watch on changes in the industry.
"Wetcleaning is bringing in fantastic technology," she said. "We need to learn how to do it properly. Wetcleaning is going on today because a lot of fibers need wetcleaning."
Her own plant has six washers and dryers going from morning to night.
"With the technology being developed, sorting loads is very important. We sort wetcleaning from what must be drycleaned," she noted. The reason was underscored at a plant she was called in to evaluate.
"They had heavy, heavy losses," Armstrong recalled. "I was called in to find out why. They led me straight to the drycleaner. When I watched him, he wasn't sorting at all. That was it."
"People need to know what can and can't be wetcleaned," she added. "Knowledge of fiber and fabrics is important."
Cross training is very important too, and she made it clear she thinks not enough of it is done today.
"With high volume plants, employees have certain areas they work in," she declared. "Employers need to take people and work with them in other areas. In order to do training, they need to set a certain amount of time aside to work, say a half-hour a day."
"Drycleaning plants should be fun," Armstrong said. "If you're not having fun then something's wrong. Everybody needs to laugh and teamwork is the way to get it done."
Her method prescribes "meetings where the drycleaning and finishing departments get together and say what's going on."
"I don't care if you have tons and tons of volume. I think that after you've been in the industry a long time, you talk volume. But the mom-and-pops are the backbone of the industry," she insisted. "Sometimes when I feel too big for my britches, I go to a mom and pop and find out what this industry is about."
She loves bringing customers to the back to show them how things are done. "They don't understand what drycleaning is about. They love to see a shirt finished on a shirt unit."
"I've never met anyone who does not enjoy learning. In seminars, I'm hoping they will pick up one or two things," Armstrong said. "If you ever stop learning, you might as well quit. Even to this day I learn something every day when I walk in that plant."
This learning process shows itself in any number of ways.
"I have one plant (for a client) I am really proud of. When I first walked in the quality was really shabby. We started with finishing and worked with them to get quality to where it should be. The next time I walked in I told the owner, 'The first time this plant didn't have a heartbeat. Now I go down and that plant is really busy. There is so much quality -- quality that is really beautiful.'"
"There is so much bad public relations about drycleaning right now," Armstrong complained. "When on airplane I'm sometimes asked what I do, I say I teach drycleaning. The whole trip they talk about their drycleaner."
Her vision is simple: "We work on the quality. If your quality is not top-notch you will not get customers. Most people do not look at price. They want it done and done right."
SILVER SPRING, MD -- More than 90 cleaners and allied trades people passed the Certified Professional Drycleaner exam in March, the first time that the test was administered as part of the International Fabricare Institute's industry certification program.
On the same testing date, 70 passed the Certified Environmental Drycleaner exam. More than 800 have earned the CED designation since the program was started two years ago.
The 250-question CPD exam covers business management, customer relations, fibers and fabrics, drycleaning, stain removal and finishing.
Environmental subjects are the basis of the 150-question CED exam.
The tests are offered twice a year and will next be given Oct 5; the deadline to sign up for that test is Aug. 15. The cost for the CED exam is $175 for IFI members and $275 for non-members. For the CPD exam, the cost is $295 for members or $395 for non-members.
For more information or an application form for the either test, call (212) 852-0400.
Certified Professional Drycleaners
Passing the Certified Professional Drycleaner exam March 30 were the following:
Alabama: Timothy Powers, Madison.
Arizona: Lavetta Paul, Payson.
California: Bill Abbott, Pacific Palisades; Thomas Bertain, King City; John Christol, Saratoga; Jim Douglas, Sacramento; Michelle Edwards, San Mateo; James Foasberg III, Long Beach; Anthony Jorgenson, Orinda.
Colorado: Larry Posner, Denver; Gregory Shea, Denver.
Connecticut: Jeffrey Battiston, West Hartford; Robert Trahan, Plainfield.
Florida: Kirti Patel, Orange Park; Purnima Patel, Orange Park; Dennis Rodriguez, Deltona.
Georgia: Tracy Brickle, Martinez; William Brickle, Evans; Bobby Graham, Columbus; James Ledbetter, Savannah.
Illinois: Kevin Buskirk, Champaign; Choon Kon Kim, Wheaton; Dennis Lincicome, Urbana.
Kentucky: Marc Kreate, Florence.
Louisiana: Robert Bailey, Natchitoches; Larry Barrios, Slidell; Eric Dubuisson, Slidell; Timothy Pelto; Lake Charles; James Shepherd, Ruston.
Maryland: Barbara Harvey, Pasadena; Thomas Rubino, Crofton; Paul Stoy, Annapolis.
Massachusetts: Arthur Anton Jr., Tewksbury; Robert Dalton, Hudson; Dominic Ingemi, Canton; Ken Pomerleau, Lowell.
Maine: Peter Roy, Winslow; Phillip Roy, Waterville.
Michigan: Wesley Nelson; Traverse City.
Minnesota: Alan Goracke, Blaine.
Mississippi: Kevin Caldwell, Brandon; Steve Nester, Jackson.
Missouri: Jeffery Bohannon, Scott City; Ken Epping, Kansas City; Jerald O'Connor, St. Louis.
Montana: Marc Topel, Missoula.
New Hampshire: David Moraros, Nashua.
New York: Henry Cook, N. Syracuse; Douglas Mosack, Oneida.
North Carolina: Mark Dry, Albemarle; Christopher Edwards, High Point Michael Feudale, Winston Salem; Kevin Lawson, King; Michael Smith, Apex; Robert Tober, Charlotte.
Ohio: Dennis Bell, Sunbury.
Oklahoma: Don Lindauer, Oklahoma City.
Pennsylvania: Al Budavich, Coraopolis; James Bunting, Haverford; Paul Harootunian, Haverford; Travis Oberrender, Bloomsburg; Larry Mangold, Allentown.
Rhode Island: Peter Derhagopian, Providence; David Lancia, Cranston; Joseph Rosa, Middltown.
South Carolina: John Riser, Newberry; Gregory Watson, Charleston.
Tennessee: Britt Akers, Cookeville; Wade Elam, Nashville; Larry Sitz, Greenville; Robert Whitmire, Chattanooga.
Texas: Larry Atkisson, Kingwood; Health Bolin Houston; Bob Craig, Houston; Jess Culpepper, San Antonio; Raymond Farrell, Waco; Thomas Kell, St. Worth; Shirley Reichstadt, Dallas; Darrell Sawyer, Boerne.
Utah: Richard Reese, Ogden.
Vermont: Mark Gadue, Burlington.
Virginia: William Bohannon, Alexandria; Robert Clayton, Portsmouth; George Files, Altavista; Kathleen Mays, Williamsburg; Eugene Moorefield, Altavista; Mitchell Wheeler, Roanoke.
Washington: Brad Pickett, Mt. Vernon; Dae Uh, Spokane.
West Virginia: James Dowdy, Weirton.
Wisconsin: Dale Graser, Pewaukee; Debra Nass, Wisconsin Rapids; Steven Ste. Marie, Milwaukee.
Certified Environmental Drycleaners
Passing the Certified Environmental Drycleaner exam March 30 were the following:
Arizona: Jacqueline Logan, Mesa.
Arkansas: Lou Schickel, Little Rock.
California: Toran Brown, Sacrament; Frederic Jones, Modesto; Etha Nemson, Sacramento; Marlene Schultz, Los Osos; Rod Smiley, Paso Robles.
Colorado: Edward Clotter, Littleton.
Connecticut: Michael Grassner, West Hartford; Joseph Gesner, Wallingford; John Hamre, Windsor Locks; Richard Hess, E. Windsor; Cynthia Jackson, Wallingford; Gary Jackson, Wallingford; Perry Johnson, Bloomfield; Bruce Kloter, Rockville; Eric Kloter, Tolland; Ken Luginbuhl, Ellington; Michele Mele, Newington; Gary Nadeau, New Britain; James Reiner, Hartford; Daniel Santoro, Torrington; Gaetano Santoro, Torrington; Sheryl Stewart, Newington.
Georgia: David Shipp, Conyers.
Indiana: Leon Neal, Indianapolis; Clifford Rafferty, Evansville; Steve Schmitt, Evansville; Christopher Seifers, Indianapolis.
Iowa: Mary Broessel, Dubuque.
Kentucky: Earl Jones, Lexington.
Louisiana: Perry Comeaux, Maurice; Nita Meshell, Shreveport; Raymond Tassin, Houma.
Massachusetts: Gary Biela, Chicopee; Nancy Honey, Medway; Gerald McCarthy, N. Andover; Dale Stauffer, Westwood; Justin Stratton, Duxbury.
Michigan: Steven Fry, Brighton.
Missouri, Dennis Loomis, St. Louis; Shawn Miller, Kansas City.
Nebraska: Sue Armstrong, Omaha.
New York: John Parker, New York City.
North Carolina: Teresa Lemmond, Lauringburg.
Ohio: John Cipkala, Columbus; Gary Resnick, Toledo; Ronald Tyndall, Akron.
Oregon: Tammy Campbell, Corvallis.
Pennsylvania: Charlie Broadnax, Lemoyne; Brian Lorenz, Lemoyne; Debbie Sheaffer, Lemoyne.
South Carolina: Lane Craven, Florence; James Laing, Summerville; Sheila Laing, Summerville; Jimmie Miness, Charleston; Rick Osbon, Aiken.
Tennessee: Melissa Hagewod, Nashville.
Texas: Dana Davies, Denton; Pat Gardner, San Antonio; Mickey Walter, San Antonio.
Vermont: Randi-Anne Duvall, Burlington; Laurie Gadue, Burlington.
Virginia: Harvey Bohannon, Alexandria.
Wisconsin: Joel Butz, Depere; Julie Husberg, Brown Deer; Thomas Lambeseder, Fon du Lac; James Leroy, Oshkosh; Joseph Leroy, Oshkosh; Charlie Mathers, Glendale; Rick Thomas, Madison; Judy Verhasselt, Wausau.
By Bill Bogus
There are things that are not readily changeable. They are those that are rooted into our social environment and become cultural habit.
Drycleaning is cultural habit. Some may feel such a statement is far-fetched and should be considered as opinion. However, cultural habit is how we behave, live and learn within a given period of time. Cultural habit is life-style.
How many of us are aware that Coca-Cola is part of our cultural habit? Probably not many.
Not even the heads of the Coca-Cola Company believed such a status was possible. But many of us remember the year 1985 when the corporate heads of the Coca-Cola Company felt some changes were long overdue and necessary. They believed changes had to be made to improve their competitive position. They also believed that Coca-Cola drinkers would appreciate a little change in taste that would enhance their enjoyment.
The thinking was wrong. A mistake. People refused to accept such changes. They wanted coke to remain just the way it wasŠ including the bottle. Even occasional drinkers agreed with that.
Knowing that, how will consumers react to changes within our industry? When the sole purpose of change is to diminish the use of drycleaning and favor the use of wetcleaning? Even with a new identity, wetcleaning is still wetcleaning. People not in the business call it laundering.
Drycleaners have more than just a good idea of what's going to happen in our industry with wetcleaning. They are closer to customers' and their needs, more so than others who are affiliated with our industry.
They also know that women consumers are more concerned and are a major influence as to how drycleaners should perform their services. The reason for that is they buy most of the clothing and shop harder and, without doubt, working women are the best customers.
Drycleaners who understand this, are the "Mom and Pop" operators, and rightly so. Working as a team, "Pop" takes care of the production and the technical part of the business. "Mom" on the other hand takes care of the front part. She trains the counter personnel. She is in charge of marking-in, assembly and inspection. She is never too busy to listen to what customers want. She is the communicator. She believes in quality and friendliness. She insists that the customers' name be used when saying, 'thank you."
Those who want to know why women like drycleaning should ask "Mom" and Pop." They know.
SILVER SPRING. MD -- "Strategic Business Issues for Today's Drycleaners" is the title of the International Fabricare Institute's fourth annual business management seminar which will be held Oct. 25-27 in Nashville, TN.
A three-person instruction team, led by Robert Swift of Robert Swift & Associates, will lead the seminar. Discussion will focus on what drycleaners need to know in today's completive market, how it can affect them, how to determine critical success factors, how to read and use market signals and how to win back a customer.
The fee if $395 for IFI members and $495 for non-members. Registration fees include instructional materials, a reception on Thursday and a luncheon on Friday. IFI offers a money-back guarantee with the seminar.
IFI will also hold the second of three scheduled classes in wetcleaning Aug. 3-4 at its headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.
The course covers wetcleaning techniques, including load classification, cleaning cycles for different fabrics, hand cleaning precautions and procedures and fiber and fabric construction and identification.
Enrollment is limited to 24 students and the costs is $22 for IFI members and $295 for non-members. The class will be offered again and Sept. 7-8.
IFI will also offer a one-week stain removal course later this year. The Sept. 16-20 session will cover the fundamentals of stain removal, including fibers and fabrics, fiber identification, care label rules, stain removal tools, agents, techniques and bleaches and identifying and solving special problems. The cost is $350 for members and $455 for non-members.
Regularly scheduled drycleaning courses are continuing at IFI, also.
Two levels are offered -- a basic course for persons with less than one year of experience and an advanced course for graduates of the basic course or those who have more than one year of hands-on production experience.
Tuition for IFI members is $350 for the basic course and $700 for the advanced course. If the two courses are taken consecutively, the cost is $995.
Remaining starting dates for the basic course this year are August 12, Sept. 30 and Nov. 4. Starting dates for the advanced course are Aug. 19, Oct. 7 and Nov. 11.
A variety of self-study courses are also available from IFI. Subjects include: Fibers and Fabrics; Stain Removal; Power Plant Operations; Fundamentals of Laundry Management; Drycleaning Fundamentals; Customer Service in Drycleaning; Drycleaning Business Management; Drycleaning and the Environment; Finishing Procedures in Drycleaning.
The cost of each self-study program is $95 for IFI members and $125 for non-members.
For more information, call IFI, (800) 638-2627, ext. 144.
Everett Childers conducted a successful two-day drycleaning classes in Oklahoma City June 1-2.
Childers reports that the class was delayed slightly in order to make more space for the overflow of people wanting to attend.
More classes will be held throughout the year, Childers said. Two others were scheduled in June in Vancouver, British Columbia and Atlanta, GA.
A scheduled class in St. Louis class will be delayed a few weeks; then a class is scheduled for the Chicago area on September 7-8.
Childers said he attempts to bring a complete drycleaning and wetcleaning education to the students in the classes, making it more convenient for them than having to travel to a central training facility.
He is assisted in the courses by Doug Porter and Norm Oehlke. Porter is an associate educator who tries to make complex subjects simple and understandable. He is a columnist for Fabricare Canada magazine and runs two successful drycleaning operations in Montana. Oehlke is also an associate educator and will be co-teaching the classes in Atlanta and St. Louis. Oehlke recently retired from the International Fabricare Institute and is widely known and highly respected in the industry.
For information on upcoming classes or the possibility of having one in your area, contact Childers, (360) 604-0267.
Hank Kim, a leader in the Korean-American business community, officer in the California Fabricare Institute and two-term president of the Federation of Korean Drycleaners Associations, died June 14 after an extended illness.
A long-time resident of Laguna Hills, CA, he is survived by his wife, Katherine, and three children.
Mr. Kim's passing was announced in a message from the California Fabricare Institute which he served as sergeant-at-arms.
"Hank served the drycleaning industry both in California and the nation as president of FKDA. He will be greatly missed," CFI executive director Lee Adler said.
Mr. Kim arrived in the United States 26 years ago and worked in several different industries before becoming a drycleaner in 1981 as owner of Aliso Cleaners in Laguna Hills. When asked why he became a cleaner, Mr. Kim said that he "worked in several kinds of industries. I found drycleaning to be simple and easy."
By 1994 he achieved universal recognition as a drycleaning industry leader. He was called "one of the most knowledgeable people industry-wide on the topic of the environment and drycleaning in southern California" by the Korean Drycleaners Times.
This praise was supported by the efforts Mr. Kim expended as he temporarily unified the northern and southern California Korean Drycleaners Association chapters. This resulted in the two groups working together on a performance bond issue facing California drycleaners. He was a leading player in both Korean-American industry politics and the national associations level.
Mr. Kim first sought the FKDA presidency at the urging of Washington, DC, cleaner Max Oh. Last year he became the first federation president to seek and achieve re-election. He was aggressive in promoting Korean-American business interests and often represented cleaners in the local media. It was only in the five weeks preceding his death that Mr. Kim became too ill to perform his office duties and an acting president was designated to watch over federation business.
Funeral services were held June 19 at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, CA.
Members and friends of the Neighborhood Cleaners Association International gathered some 400 strong to celebrate the association's 50th anniversary at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in New Jersey May 18.
The evening was filled with remembrance. Past presidents of the association dating back to the 1950s were among those honored for their contributions to the growth and development of NCAI since it was founded after World War II by small cleaners who wanted to ensure their place in an industry then dominated by big operators.
Bill Seitz, NCAI's executive director reflected on the history of the association, focusing on the people who have worked hard for the organization over the decades.
He was particularly poignant in recalling Frank Polletsek, the association's first executive director (Seitz is only the second) and Don Tripolsky, Seitz's right-hand man for many years before his death in the late 1980s.
But no contribution to the association went unrewarded as dozens of people were brought forward for accolades and awards during the course of the evening.
NCAI received accolades of its own from many political luminaries, not the least of which was a letter of commendation from President Bill Clinton. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani issued a proclamation for NCAI and other greetings were sent from state governors and members of Congress.
The following day the NCAI board got down to the business of its second half-century. Irv and Elaine Albert of Gateway Cleaners in Wayne, PA were elected co-presidents, the first time two people have shared the office.
"It happened because Elaine and Irv have always worked as a team for both NCAI and the Delaware Valley Chapter. The board couldn't figure out how to make a choice so they made them both presidents," the association said.
SACRAMENTO, CA -- The California Fabricare Institute announced last month that it is ending its current formal joint state relationship with the International Fabricare Institute.
CFI said the move is part of a "restructuring of the member service delivery system: approved by its board of directors at its May 31-June 1 meeting.
California drycleaners will be able to join CFI at a lower dues rate than the current level which, under the join state program, includes membership in both CFI and IFI.
CFI said the new system will give it the financial ability to provide more educational programming and an expanded list of member service, including establishing a drycleaning school in the state.
"The new structure will enable CFI to provide an expanded range of easily accessible programs, services and activities including technical bulletins and access to garment analysis" said the association's executive director, Lee Adler.
Kenney Slatten, an industry consultant and educator, is heading a task force that will put together the school. Slatten said he anticipates weekend classes will begin in September or October at the school in the Fresno area.
The state association said it will continue to be active at a national level.
"CFI's board of directors sees a value in supporting the national organization," said CFI president Harry Boucher. "It is our intent to support the national legislative efforts and other activities of IFI and to encourage our members to actively participate in the national association.
Under the IFI joint state program, a single dues structure that included membership in IFI and the drycleaner's state or regional trade association entitled members to services from both groups.
In recent years, the program had been expanded so that drycleaners in most states were under the joint-state umbrella. However, since the first of this year several state groups have decided to end their joint state membership arrangement. The Oregon Dry Cleaners Association was the first, followed by the Northwest Drycleaners Association, which covers Washington State, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
CFI, with some 700 operating plant members, is the largest of the associations to depart the joint state fold. All told, the departing joint state groups represent about 15 percent of IFI's operating plant membership.
The impact on the various associations' membership rosters won't be known until current members make their renewal decisions and non-members decide whether they want to join one of the groups under the new structures.
CFI said that all current joint IFI/CFI members will continue to be served by both organizations until their anniversary date at which time they will determine whether they want to belong to both, one of the other or neither organization. CFI membership will be on a common anniversary date, e.g., Jan. 1 of each year, the association said.
CFI is offering current non-members a partial membership from July 4 through the end of this year for $75.
Regular CFI dues will range from $150 to $6700 depending on the number of plant employees. The lowest dues level compares to the $270 cost of an IFI joint-state membership.
However, IFI-only memberships will be available for as low as $179 in those states that are no longer covered by a joint-state operating agreement. The cost of IFI-only and CFI-only dues will be comparable across the dues structures of both organizations, but for cleaners of all sizes, the cost of belonging to both associations will new be much higher. For example, at the low end of the dues scale, the cost of belonging to both will be $329 compared to $270 under the joint-state program.
Further complicating the picture are other association membership options available to cleaners in California. The Neighborhood Cleaners Association International, for example, offers an out-of-area memberships at a comparable price, and there are numerous local associations in the state, including large Korean drycleaner groups, which cleaners can join.
Declining membership has been a problem for both IFI and CFI in recent years. Boucher noted in his column in the June issue of the association's FabriFacts publication that CFI counted 1,700 members as recently as four years ago. The current count of 900 members includes some 200 non-plant memberships.
"If the downward spiral continues for one more year, I don't think CFI will be representative of the dry cleaning industry in California," Boucher said.
He added that the CFI board "has worked long and hard at setting the right path for CFI, and I can assure you that what we are doing, in our opinion, is the only path for the future of CFI."
Bill Fisher, IFI's executive vice president, said he regrets CFI's decision and thinks it's a mistake.
"I'm sorry they have chosen this course," he said. "Members want to belong to both associations which has contributed to the growth and strength" of industry associations.
Now, more than ever in the past, the corporate world is swinging away from total "stiff collar" male employees' dress codes.
However, this applies only to personnel stationed inside the corporate walls who have little or no contact with customers or prospects. My personal observations tell me that sales persons on the road still wear shirts and ties with suits or sport coats with dress slacks.
The good news is that there are plenty of salesmen on the road and in the showrooms, and they are wearing shirts and ties, too.
The bad news is that the whole country is going casual to most upscale restaurants, theatres and social functions. Men who wear suits and ties to work can't wait until they leave work so they can shed that "rope around the neck" as many have referred to it.
But don't give up altogether. I can tell you that all the "no press" cotton pants that I have bought within the past few years look like hell if they are merely washed and dried and then put on a hanger (with a pants guard or on a strut).
Not only is the front crease almost non-existent, but occasionally a second (factory-made) crease pops up to make the familiar "double crease." I think the garment industry has trouble with pressers who cannot follow the "seam to seam" concept of pants leg pressing, so when a good drycleaner's presser tries to remove the factory mislocated crease and press in a seam-to-seam crease, it results in a double crease. Unfortunately, the double crease doesn't show up until the pants are worn for several days or washed and dried, or drycleaned.
Speaking of drycleaning, these pants rarely have "dryclean" care labels, and to dryclean them instead of wetcleaning puts the cleaner in a state of liability if the pants fade. I have written many articles on wetcleaning and following care labels and the rule simply is: follow the care label or test every garment you're drycleaning against the label's instruction.
You and I both know that reading the care labels and testing every garment whose label you would violate by drycleaning instead of wetcleaning is a big burden on your productive process. It's just as bad as trying to manage your inventory without a computer. In other words, it's almost impossible.
So you had better realize that the wetcleaning process is here to stay, and the drycleaning process is gradually taking a back seat, especially during the summer months when wetcleaning actually exceeds drycleaning.
I have trained many plant operators in the past several years to read all care labels in garments other than 100 percent wool, or wool blends, which we know are to be drycleaned. They are told to wetclean as the label instructs. This is why I specify a complete wetcleaning department with as much emphasis as a drycleaning department.
Getting on top of pantsIf you really want top quality pants topping, you can easily put in the front (main) creases without any impression behind them. With a little practice, an operator can easily top a pair of pants in 20 seconds on the mushroom press since the buck is very oval and narrow and the steaming is super fast with the vacuuming, just as fast in cooling and "setting" the press job.
Also, these fabrics are processed with certain sizings and conditioners that permit you to vacuum them while the press head is down without shine or moire (especially with a nomex-covered grid plate). My own pants are finished sometimes on a laundry pants unit when I have them washed and starched (using warm water for suds and rinses and cool water of pH 6.5 starch and sour.
When using the drycleaning utility legger press, again the legs are easy to lay provided the pants have been dried, after being wetcleaned, in a laundry tumbler with the last five minutes on cool air, or on a wind whip with each cuff clamped separately.
NOTE: Always put belt loop to belt loop and snap the legs by throwing them outward as soon as the pants have been dried. This will keep them fairly smooth until they are pressed. Place them on a grabber-type hanger by the cuffs together and send them to the drycleaning pants finishing unit. If you can't find the grabber-type hangers, then use a regular strut hanger (or suit hanger with pants guard), but make sure you hang the pants straight and without making a double crease.
Use high head pressure during the head steam cycle for about two to three seconds, then stop steaming and begin the vacuum cycle for about four seconds while the press head is still down in the high pressure mode. Then release the press head while continuing the vacuum cycle for another four seconds.
The smooth finish is now set and almost cured. Remember, it's the vacuum that cools, dries, sets and almost cures the press job. After the pants are hung on the hanger, they will completely cure in about 10 minutes provided the vacuum cycles mentioned above have been applied.
Shirts need professional care
People who take pride in their casual wear like a little starch in their sport shirts (hard-finish cotton and cotton polyester blend with button-down collar). In the Sun Belt, especially north of Florida, and almost 95 percent of the men and 50 percent of the women west of that state, like their shirts laundered with heavy starch along with the heavily-starched cotton pants and jeans. Almost all drycleaners there have laundry pants units and they use starch blended with PVA (poly vinyl acetate) in order to stiffen the cotton-polyester blends.
Set the head down-time on all shirt presses long enough to totally dry the shirt area while it is under the head. The collar-cuff press should be timed at 32 to 35 seconds with steam pressure at the unit of at least 100 psig. The padding must be changed at least twice a week if using 20-oz. or 30-oz. nylon flannel and changed even more often if your volume is heavy.
If you use a silicon pad under the cover of your collar cuff press, you will not need to change it too often since its life is much longer than nylon flannel, but it should not be ignored. In other words, it is management's responsibility to observe the padding occasionally and the quality of the shirt's collar (and other critical areas) every day.
My previous article on shirt finishing procedure (May, 1994) outlines the sequence of lays for both single and double buck units using shirt hanger posts on both ends of the collar-cuff presses in order to get longer head down-time with no loss of production time.
I developed this technique for my Army plant where I processed heavy khaki and fatigue (now called BDU's) uniforms that had to be perfectly pressed for inspection and daily duty stations. I had a volume of about 10,000 shirts and 9,000 pants per day and had no time for hand touch-up.
If shirts are laid properly and given enough drying time (under the head) they will need no touch up unless they are very large or very small, and then the touch-up would be minimal.
I designed a special buck for my cabinet body-bosom-yoke pressed called "Military-IA" for shirts from size 14 form-fitted to size 171/2 full cut for mess sergeants who liked their own cooking.
One unit had a special buck called "Military II-A" for very small shirts and women's blouses. Female soldiers tops were called blouses, not shirts, since they were very form-fitted and cut larger at the bust line. When I spec out a shirt unit today, I specify the military buck I-A for most single buck units and the II-A and I-A for most double buck units. These bucks are shaped somewhat like a fiddle and have air bags on their sides (not solid expanders) to fill out the contoured shape of the shirt.
If a tail clamp is used, it must be extra wide in order to accommodate very small shirts which are fastened at each end of the clamp. Of course, now that vacuum bucks are available, that option is strongly recommended.
Note: You should inspect the base metal pad of your cabinet body-bosom-yoke press together with the vacuum tank for small bits of lint and congealed or coagulated starch. Inspect and clean the base pad at least once per month.
Review my article of October, 1994, for information on packaging shirts.
Sport jackets, too
Let's not forget the sport jackets. They represent the formal wear of the "dress-down revolution." In the western areas of the United States, you will see men wearing a sport jacket, starched jeans, a starched western-type or sport shirt (button-down and open at the neck) in the finest, upscale restaurants. In fact, this fad has even worked its way east, especially in the southern states.
There's a steak house in the Dallas/Ft. Worth/Denton (my school) area that will actually cut-off your necktie if you wear one inside. The good news is that you will receive a free cocktail or beer when that happens.
The cut-off neckties are nailed to the wall and there are plenty of them, too. Actually, I don't think any drycleaner will miss processing those flimsy, unlined, 100 percent silk ties that stretch and lose their shape even when worn and not cleaned.
Now back to the sport jackets (coats). The biggest problem here is the pressing of the collar through the gorge seam (about 11/2 to 2 inches) and then rolling over the lapels to a point about 3/4 inch above the top button.
The best type of equipment is the Hoffman Coat-A-Matic that combines the collar-shoulder press with the steam-air form finisher (the vacuum-equipped model is the better).
Next is the press called "Korrect Kollar" which is the collar press (manual) only. The bad news is that it is no longer being manufactured. The good news is that a few rebuilder-distributors sometimes get one from bankrupt garment manufacturers.
These two units actually crease the collar and shrink it down through the gorge seam as explained above. The third best machine is the 15- to 26-inch mushroom press that has a very oval back and it does a real nice job of shrinking and creasing the collar down through the gorge seam about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. To my knowledge, only two manufacturers make this type press, although they all make the larger and longer mushroom topper.
The only other way to crease and shrink the collar is on the small or large end of the utility press or on the small end of the utility legger. This operation requires pre-steaming and then making one lay on the wide end of the utility press or three lays on the narrow end of the utility press or legger. The square end legger is no good for this operation.
The lapels must be pressed on both sides firmly and then firmly rolled to about 3/4 inch above the top button. Any button impressions and pocket flap impressions must be removed. The lapels must not stick out. They must be shaped to lay down by lightly hand creasing them after vacuuming-in the roll.
The coat sleeves must be rolled and shaped, not rounded like sleeves of a dress or gown. Shaping is achieved by lightly hand creasing each sleeve after the sleeve expander is removed.
Finally, the lining must be smooth and glossy This is achieved by lightly misting the lining with the water gun and hand ironing the lining (no shoe attached) with no steam applied.
Also, if the jacket is not fully lined but has a yoke lining, make sure that the yoke lining is creased in the center and the rest of the linings on the sides and upper ends are hand-ironed as described above.
Marketing casual clothesDuring the summer months, have promotions on walking shorts. Compare the finished product with home washing and drying since Sun Belt customers wear walking shorts to almost every nice place they visit.
One big precaution is to stay away from "pressing only" when the customer has washed the garment at home, especially white cottons which have been chlorine bleached. The customer knows nothing about decomposing the chlorine in a subsequent rinse with the proper anti-chlor chemicals as we know them, and you will get yellowing on the press if you merely mist the garment and then press it.
Tell the customers that you must launder the garment in your plant in order to ensure proper rinsing and bleach decomposition on whites and thorough wetting-out on both whites and colors. Therefore, the price is the same, and this should be noted on your price list of laundered garments.
Finally, don't list ladies cotton blouses as "blouses" unless you charge the same as a man's shirt and they are being laundered and pressed in a laundry press.
However, you can definitely list blouses as "blouses" and charge a drycleaning price provided they are priced the same as a sport shirt. Remember, don't call a garment by its gender. A dress is a dress, a skirt is a skirt and a coat is a coat, no matter who wears it.
I recommend posted price lists and itemized/priced receipts when garments are submitted, not when delivered (unless you want to give two receipts, which is really redundant). Use your computer to invoice orders when received, not when market in (tagged in). Customers are trainable. They will give you another minute to invoice the order provided you use a computer since they are acclimated to extra time with computers.
I had the pleasure of addressing the Chicagoland drycleaners group recently and again, let me say "I never stop learning!"
I try to open my talks by underscoring the importance of learning by attending meetings -- not so much from the invited speaker, but from each other. For instance, at my table were several very successful drycleaners who supported a few favorite theories of mine.
One was, "If you're going to discount (and then only if you know your cost ) do it by pay in advance!" There is little or no dead stock when it's paid in advance.
Next there was: "Insist on and constantly monitor the counter for efficiency and courtesy!" This is an on-going job.
Most profitable operations are also the cleanest and make it a practice and a set program of maintaining good housekeeping.
There was several other enlightening conversations and what I call "truisms" that I enjoy hearing because they support some of my own feelings.
One of the beliefs I have is if you took a thousand or so wealthy individuals and made then penniless and conversely made some thousand paupers wealthy that within a short period of time, the poor would soon be poor again, and the wealthy back to being wealthy! It's purely speculative but also amazing what you can learn from just a simple meeting with your brother drycleaners.
Time to diversify?
The conversation went on to those who tried diversifying. What success did they have? Does it apply to everyone and all situations?
When I speak about diversifying, I refer only to those activities that are not related to our industry. I like to think that shirt laundering, tailoring, storage, carpet cleaning, pillow cleaning or blind cleaning and any other fabric cleaning process or service always belongs to "drycleaning," and is presently in practice or has been considered by everyone.
The diversifications I'm talking about are outside our normal business. What can you offer your customers that expands your sphere of traffic and profit while staying in the confines of your present space, overhead and location? Although in no way related to fabric care, will this activity still serve the retail aspect of your everyday business?
Here the list knows no bounds since every area is different with specific needs that have never been answered. What you must do is ask the questions: "Do I have the space for such a venture?" "Would a service such as that be successful and also attract new customers for my main business?"
I don't know how much faith you put in statistics, but those who believe that "a new broom sweeps clean" report that their business increased 15 percent when they remodeled the front of their store with new counters, lighting and air-conditioning. Of course, you can do it with a little panache or ballyhoo and announce "Our Tenth Anniversary or "Come see our new look!". Your announcement should also bring free publicity from the local paper.
Also ask: Does the present location need a new image? Is potential traffic needed? Does the lease permit such a combination? Will a separate entrance be required? How about extended hours?
A short list
Let's look at a few possibilities and assume you have a usable six-by ten-foot space in your call office and you could sub-lease to a mail box rental service, a travel \agency, a real estate office, a watchmaker, a jeweler, a locksmith, a key maker, a packaging or copy and fax service, a tax accountant, a computer and VCR repair service, video rental, taxi/limo dispatch or any small retail art objects or novelty sales.
While I have only listed a mere dozen or so, the local Yellow Pages will show a hundred or more possibilities that could apply to your location. (Want a complete list? See below)
What are the rewards and advantages of all this with little or no investment? How does a 30 to 50 percent reduction in rent sound? For some reason it never seems to go down at renewal time. The new shared tenant pays for decorating your call office and you can conceivably get an increase of 15 percent in new faces and volume for your main business -- drycleaning.
Are there any negatives in such a bold move? I think not.
Some of our largest and most successful supermarkets are now offering a drycleaning service under their roof along with one-hour photo service, medical and dental clinics, pharmacies, opticians, and hearing and speech disorder laboratories.
Why?
Simply because they learned that everyone wants convenience. The gasoline shortage taught us that advantage of "one stop shopping." Are the super, supermarkets with their marketing skills, smarter than the drycleaner?
An insurance policy
I'm looking at the future of our industry and searching for an answer, somewhat in fear of what miracle fiber the research chemists will come up with next, maybe something like the old Alec Guinness movie, "The Man In The White Suit" -- it never wore out, and it never got dirty!
I'm really looking for an insurance policy or some means that will keep our industry firm and profitable regardless of how long the white collar recession goes on, or casual dress, or corporate down-sizing or the alarming trend of more and more people working at home thanks to the communications and computer revolution. Who's going to dryclean a housecoat or pajamas?)
I do know it's a changing world and the next century will see undreamed of working condition and a variety of totally brand new enterprises to accommodate them. I now askŠ Where will you be in the year 2000?"
For a complete list of possible diversification enterprises, send $5 and self-addressed envelope to Ray Colucci at the address below.
A fabric is stabilized when it retains its original size and shape during use and care.
Shrinkage is the reduction in size of a fabric or garment. Shrinkage of over 2 percent is considered excessive enough to alter the fit of a garment.
Unstable fabrics can shrink over 7 percent. Shrinkage of 7 percent can reduce a 15-inch collar of a shirt by over 1 inch and reduce the length of 32-inch trouser of over 2 inches.
There are several different types of shrinkage that can occur.
Relaxation (or fabric) shrinkage occurs in the first drycleaning. This shrinkage takes place because the woven or knitted goods are stretched during manufacture.
Most fabrics have a natural shrinkage potential that is removed by the pre-shrinkage process.
Felting shrinkage is extreme shrinkage of wool and other animal fibers when exposed to heat, moisture and mechanical action. The scales of the fiber have interlocked and the fabric becomes thicker and smaller.
Progressive (or fiber) shrinkage occurs during subsequent cleanings. A consumer may not notice this type of shrinkage until after several cleanings when the garment feels tight.
Improper heat stabilization treatment in manufacture.
Improper choice or application of resins, sizing and coating.
Residual shrinkage is the shrinkage properties remaining in fabrics after they have undergone a pre-shrinkage process
Shrinkage control
To be serviceable, a garment should not shrink more than 2 percent.
Manufacturers use the following processes to control shrinkage:
Compressive shrinkage controls are used on fabrics of cotton, linen and some rayon. A fabric is used to compress or shrink another fabric by heated rollers. "Sanforize" and "Rigmen" are trade names for compressive shrinkage processes used on woven cloth.
Heat setting or stabilization is used on thermoplastic fabrics. The fabric's dimensional stability is maintained by subjecting the fabric or yarn to a pre-determined degree of heat, moisture and pressure.
Resin or other coating is applied to a fabric yarn or fiber to stabilize it. Rayon fabrics are frequently impregnated with a sizing. Surface coatings are sometimes used to stabilize the scales of the wool fiber and reduce its potential to shrink and felt.
Factors that produce shrinkage
Heat, moisture, mechanical action and alkali are the four factors that produce shrinkage. Depending upon the fiber, one or more of these factors become dominantly critical. For instance, thermoplastic fibers are more sensitive to heat; natural fibers and rayon are more sensitive to moisture.
Identification
There is no practical way to determine in advance whether a fabric will shrink. Angoras and soft wools always have high shrinkage potential since the yarns are most often not pre-shrunk. Wool gabardines, crepe and matte jersey are potential shrinkage problems.
Drycleaning
Careful classification and control of heat, moisture and mechanical action will reduce the hazards of shrinkage.
Angora and blends should only be soaked in the cleaning machine without the wheel turning. They should be dried by letting the heat (120° F) and air circulate through the reclaimer without turning.
Soft wools, rayon and crepe should be run in a moisture free load 3 to 5 minutes. Loose knits should be placed in a net bag to reduce mechanical action. Reclaimer temperature should not exceed 120° F.
Thermoplastic fabrics (acrylic, polyester, nylon) are run according to fabric or knit construction: 3 to 5 minutes for fragile or soft knits and dried at 120° F. Fabrics with a more durable construction should be run for 7 to 12 minutes and dried at a temperature not higher than 140° F.
With cottons, the running time depends on construction. Eliminate moisture in the load to reduce shrinkage. Solvent temperature in any drycleaning load should not or exceed 80° F. Hot solvent releases free moisture and increases susceptibility of shrinkage.
Spotting
When garments are spotted, they should be dry before entering the drycleaning machine. The moisture content of only one garment being cleaned wet can increase the relative humidity of the solvent and affect an entire load of garments.
Wetcleaning
If tests of trimmings and accessories show they are safe with water, wetcleaning will not adversely affect polyester, nylon, acrylic and other thermoplastic fibers. Water temperature should be no higher than 100° F. Care labels or hang tags may suggest washing as preferable.
Finishing
Where shrinkage is a possibility, limit the use of steam and moisture. Don't over steam on the pressing machine or steam air finisher.
Correction procedure
Garments such as denims and cottons that have been wetcleaned are better finished while damp. Steam and pull the garment to straighten out seams.
A pants stretcher is a device that clamps to the buck of a pressing machine. It can be used to stretch the length of pants, length of jacket arms and body and length of dresses and skirts.
A jacket placed on a steam air finisher should be pulled while it is being steamed. Knit garments should be steamed, pulled and dried thoroughly to set the fabric once stretched.
A major new book appeared on the market that is being promoted by my good friends, the Raphels of Raphel Marketing.
The author, Brian Woolf, is a New Zealander who attended college in Auckland. He also received a Master's degree in economics and accounting and an MBA from Harvard.
His book deals specifically with the supermarket field but is also generalized to the degree that there is a great deal to learn from this man. The Coca Cola Company hired him to do an extensive study on "measured marketing."
I met his wife, who was listening to Murray Raphel make his annual presentation at the National Food Show in Chicago. This is the fourth time I attended Murray's presentation, which is a sell-out every year. Woolf was making a presentation in another area at the same time, so I didn't get to meet him in person. I had read an advance copy of his book and wrote telling him how much I learned from it.
I'm reproducing the following section out of his book. Take your time and read what he found in his studies. Then I will paraphrase his statements with my observations of the drycleaning customer.
A look at five customersThe top quintile (20 percent) of customers, represented by Lucy Loyal, spends per week (SPW) about $53 with a gross profit of about 25 percent. Lucy's shopping life with us is more than 17 years. This means that Lucy Loyal will spend this year about $2,756 ($53 x 52 weeks = $2,756) in our stores, for an annual gross profit of about $689 ($2,756 x 25% = $689).
Stuart Split, representing the middle quintile of customers, spends about $8 per week (about $416 over the course of a year) with a gross profit percentage of 18 percent, yielding about $75 in annual gross profits.
Carol Convenience, representing the bottom quintile (comprising many convenience and occasional customers), spends over the course of 52 weeks, about $1 per week or about $52 in annual sales. With a gross profit percentage of 15 percent, this is about $8 in annual gross profit.
The other two customers, Russell Regular and Sherry Cherry, have results which fall in between those of the above three customers.
It becomes blindingly apparent that with a customer profile like this, charging the same price and offering equal benefits to all five customers not only doesn't make sense from an equity viewpoint, but also makes us extremely vulnerable! Any competitor with a better offer bundle, in the form of a combination of lower prices and greater benefits aimed specifically at our Lucy Loyals, could steal these most profitable customers (whom we are currently over-charging to subsidize our Sherry Cherrys and Carol Conveniences).
Of course, this is what warehouse clubs have done over the past decade. They lured away a significant portion of the traditional retailer's best (high spending) customers by offering them the lowest prices on large item purchases.
The warehouse clubs focused on the high-spending, high-profit segment and left the low-spending, low-profit customers with the traditional retailers. Unable to fight back because of their inability to differentiate their offers easily, traditional retailers suffered.
But the justification for differentiating becomes overwhelming when we consider how much in sales and gross profits each of the customers in Table 2-1 contribute over their shopping lifetime.
Lucy Loyal regularly shops in our stores for over 17 years; Stuart Split about four years; and Carol Convenience about one and a half years.
This means that Lucy Loyal, our typical top quintile customer, spends about $41,340 over her shopping lifetime with us, providing about $10,335 in lifetime gross profits (L/T GP). This compares to Stuart Split's $1,664 in lifetime sales and $300 in lifetime gross profits, and Carol Convenience's lifetime sales and profits of about $78 and $12, respectively.
What a dramatic difference in sales and gross profits from customers who, traditionally, have all been charged identical prices!
What a great opportunity it presents to a retailer to reallocate his advertising and promotional markdown monies in favor of his Lucy Loyals and Russell Regulars, and away from his Sherry Cherrys and Carol Conveniences, now that he has the information and tools to do so!
Yet, as you know, the practice of many food retailers has been just the opposite, with priority given to the convenience shopper.
For example, a Carol Convenience can walk into most food stores, buy the specials (some of which may be below cost), and then go through the express lane receiving priority service, while the big-spending, high-profit Lucy Loyals wait in lines two or three customers deep!
Applying Woolf's principle
to drycleaning
1. Let's call Brian Woolf's Lucy Loyal customer our Big Tuna.
A Blue Fin tuna will weigh as much as 1,600 pounds and is a prize catch for any fisherman, professional or amateur.
Our Mr. Big Tuna will live in an area with other Big Tunas, just like tunas swim in schools. Our Big Tuna probably weighs about 175 pounds and is a successful business or professional man and lives in an area of expensive homes or condos. The way he dresses is an important part of his life-style. The same goes for the rest of his family. They can easily spend an average of $20 a week, or well over $1,000 a year, on drycleaning services.
Because of the Big Tuna's income and life-style, he and his family buy expensive clothing and will pay top price to get what they want, which is impeccable service and quality. Mistreat his shirts by having a button missing or a crease in the collar and he may give you another chance, but if it happens again, he is gone.
This type of person demands high quality service and attention to detail. If he or his wife are promised their order on Tuesday and they come and the order is not ready, you are very likely to lose this Big Tuna.
Think of this type customer as a big fish on the line and the longer you can keep him hooked, the more business you will do.
To illustrate how important the Big Tunas are to your business, if you do $6,000 a week and you average $100 a year for all your 3,000 active customers, you will service about 150 Big Tunas, which equals five percent of your customers. This five percent will give you half your total sales volume.
2. Our Russell Regular is a good customer and will give you an average of about $300 a year in business.
This type of good customer may not have a lot of shirts. He may give you his cleaning but not give you any shirt business. It might be that his life-style and work does not require dress shirts, but he is regular and very important.
Add up all your Russell Regulars. You'll find they represent 15 percent of all your customers.
Combine your Big Tuna customers (5%) and your Russell Regulars (15%) and you have your top 20 percent spenders who represent 80 percent of all your sales.
The 20/80 formula applies to many businesses like your suppliers and competitors, and for the most part is infallible: 20 percent of all customers equals 80 percent of all dollar sales.
3. Now let's look at the Stuart Split type.
You get some of his business and various competitors get the rest. Stuart has no loyalty and trades wherever it happens to be convenient at the time. He may have an order that he plans to drop off at your store at 6:30 but you are closed so he drops the order off down the street where they are open until 7 p.m.
4. Sherry Cherry is your classic cherry picker.
She checks all the coupons and goes wherever she finds a good deal. She doesn't have much work anyway so you probably are better off without her because she won't let anyone make a profit from her business. The Sherry Cherries of this world are abundant but they are never loyal, and if the only way you can do business with them is on a loss leader, who needs them?
Some cleaners think they are important and do mass mailings way out of their prime and secondary markets and do get a bunch of Sherries. But these same cleaners don't track their customers and don't know who they are doing business with.
Marketing in today's business climate is getting highly sophisticated and, yes, location is still the most important single business attractor. But get a good tough competitor who knows how to market and that location advantage will start to lose its luster.
5. Carol Convenience is as Brian Woolf describes. There is no need to concern yourself about customers like this. They just don't spend much.
It's easy to see from all of this that the most important customers represent a very small number in comparison to the total active customer base.
Take care of your Big Tunas and your Russell Regulars and the rest will take care of itself.
The end result is that you will prosper if you use "Customer Specific Marketing."
Update on the marketing contest
A few months ago, I offered a $1,000 prize for the best marketing plan to increase a cleaning business by 3 percent market share to bring them from $8,000 a week to $11,000.
We received a relatively small number of responses. They are now in the hands of the five judges who will grade them. The entries are coded and none of the judges will know who the contestants are. I will publish the winning entry and have asked the judges to highlight worthwhile ideas from the others so we can publish some excellent ideas.
We did receive some extremely intelligent plans and a lot of good ideas and you'll be hearing more about this contest in the future.
For more information on Brian Woolf or his book, "Customer Specific Marketing," contact Retail Strategy Center Inc., 6 Parkins Lake Court, Greenville, SC, 29607-3628; or phone (864) 458-8277.
Stan Golomb is president of The Golomb Group Inc., a firm that designs marketing programs for drycleaners. Contact him at The Golomb Group Inc., 7664 Plaza Ct., Willowbrook, IL 60521; phone (708) 887-7339. His e-mail: address is: sgolomb@ix.netcom.com
Bad spots and stains are among the more common conditions found in suede and leather garments.
For proper handling of suede and leather when presented at your counter, examine the garment careful, especially bad spots and stains.
Spots and stains on suede, naked leather and cuir savage leather will most probably be soaked into the skin.
If the spots and stains are on a painted or dressed leather, they are likely to be on the surface of a lacquer finish. If this is the case, the spot or stain would normally be easily removed with a spotting agent designed specifically for suede and leather.
Do not use spotting products that are made for use on cloth garments. They will cause problems with the suede and leather.
Normally, all that will be required on a painted leather is a leather wet side spotter to remove all water-soluble spots and stains from the surface of the lacquer and a special leather dry side spotter to remove oils, paint, grease, ink or cosmetics.
If the spots or stains are on a suede, naked leather or cuir savage, the same procedure will be followed by the leather cleaner. However, the results may not be as successful since these spots and stains are soaked down into the skin and are not just on the surface as in the case of the painted leather.
Avoid disappointment
Bad spots and stains should be pointed out to the customer at the counter and they should be advised that it may not be possible to remove them, even using techniques and products that are safe for the color and the skin. Then the customer will not be disappointed if the safe spot removal technique is not 100-percent successful.
I am sure this approach to bad spots and stains is familiar to you since the same situation may exist on cloth garments where certain spots are set and difficult or impossible to remove. The chance of success without causing damage to the garment is greater on cloth garments because other products can be used that would be unsafe on suede and leather.
Removing too much Specifically, protein spotting agents and heavy-duty grease removers can cause problems on skins that they do not cause on cloth. This can be readily understood when you realize that the dyes used to color suedes, naked leather and cuir savage leathers are organic in nature.
The application of a protein spotter, which is intended to work on organic stains such as milk, food, etc., will also work on the dye by removing it along with the stains.
This will not make the customer happy, especially if the leather cleaner is not outfitted to restore dye that was removed.
The same is true of heavy-duty grease spotters. They also work well on removing paint and, if used on a painted leather or savage leather, they will do a good job of removing the lacquer finish and the shine from these leathers.
This, again, will not make the customer happy unless you are in a position to restore the color and refinish these articles.
In the case of removable spots and stains in suede and leather, the spot or stain may remain after spotting while color and finish are removed.
In the case of leather, if properly equipped, the leather processor in certain instances can cover up the spots and stains by using a pigmented finish or paint.
However, this may change the look, feel and character of the leather and that, too, may not make the customer happy.
In any event, anyone accepting suede and leather with bad spots and stains should explain the possibilities for successful removal and for covering up bad spots and stains to the customer.
Obtain a customer release if such spots and stains are to be treated with anything beyond suede and leather wet and dry spotting products.
Furthermore, if the customer does not agree to the more risky treatment, it would be advisable to request an advance payment to cover the cost of doing the work in the event that the customer is not satisfied and will not accept the garment after expensive processing.
Rain and snow spots
Suede and porous leather garments will also show spots when exposed to rain or snow.
On the suede, if the rain is clean, the spots are the result of the moisture causing the nap to mat down.
The garment should air dry at ambient temperatures. No heat should be used to help it to dry or the skin may be adversely affected.
After the suede is dry, the nap should be brushed, using a suede garment brush.
Such brushes are either all-bristle for soft suede or a wire and bristle combination for cowhide and pigskin suedes.
Sponge brushes of various densities may also be used. Some come in the form of a mitt that fits over the hand to facilitate brushing.
Brushing will raise the nap that was matted down by the water. Once this is done, the spots will disappear.
However, if the rain or snow is combined with dirt, brushing may not be enough to remove the spots on suede garments. In this case, the garments will have to be leather cleaned.
The worst case occurs when the rain or snow contains acid chemical contaminants that soak into the skin and damage it by an etching action. In this case, neither brushing nor cleaning can restore the damaged areas. Refinishing may cover these areas on leathers.
The customer should be made aware of the above possibilities when a rain-spotted garment is brought in for cleaning.
It should be noted that most of these water spotting problems could be eliminated if the suede or porous leather were treated with a leather water repellent before it is worn for the first rime.
The next training session at the Royaltone Suedemate Leather Cleaner Center in Tulsa, OK, will be Sept. 12-13.
A powerful way of adding value to your services is to develop a corporate "personality."
People often mention that the better they got to know someone, the better they came to like them. By the same token, as you become more familiar with something, a sense of "ownership" develops. Regular customers can and often do help themselves. They feel like they "own the joint."
By making the personality of your service more tangible, more visual, to your customers, you create a sense of familiarity, a sense of ownership and comfort that adds value and builds customer loyalty.
A small dose of showmanship may be just the thing to highlight your customer's perception of your service. And when it comes to customer service, perception is everything.
Service that is unseen is no service at all. Customers may enjoy your service, they may even remark how good it is, but they cannot fully appreciate the value that you have added unless you tell them.
Anyone who provides a service should make tangible the value-added ingredients, materials, and services. Let your customers know all the extra things you are doing to make your cleaners better than any other cleaners. If you don't tell them, who will? Usually, no one.
For years, the auto rental business has recognized the need to offer tangibility to their service. Rent a car and, more often than not, you'll find a tag dangling from the mirror. The tag itself in no way makes the car run better or look cleaner. But like the toilet seat wrapper that says, "Sanitized for your protection," it lets the customer know that there is more to renting a car to you than simply handing over the keys.
Here are some suggestions for turning your services into a more "tangible" product.
Share insider's details. Think about the little details that make your services special. Do you use preprinted hang-tags or do you write short personal notes to let customers know that you have replaced a button sewn a seam? Was it done at no additional charge? Have you added new equipment that enables you to do a faster, more efficient job on their clothes? Is it more environmentally friendly? Your customers won't know unless you tell them.
Tell about the obvious. So-called "obvious" details are often worthy of note. Simply calling attention to the obvious adds value, especially if you tell it in an interesting way. Do you remind your customers, either verbally or in your advertising, about the benefits of drycleaning? How it's "better" for the environment than if all these clothes were done at home in the washer.? That it's healthier to have your clothes cleaned on a regular basis?
Add a label. Sometimes simply stamping a product with a single word like "Inspected" changes its personality enough to add value. If you put your mind to it, you can probably think of a half-dozen words that will add personality to your services.
One great word is "Certified." Just make sure that you are completely truthful. Let your customers know if you are a "Certified Environmental Drycleaners" or a "Certified Professional Drycleaner." Both of these designations will give greater value to your services and make customers feel that they are getting more for their money.
Create a myth. It may sound crazy, but this is the kind of fun that begins customers back for more. Let's face it, everybody wants more fun out of life! So why not give it to them at the drycleaner?
People love to read or hear a good story. The more outlandish, the better. Tell the world that your cleaning process is actually performed by elves, who come into your shop at night, like the ones who helped the shoemaker. Consider using elves in your advertising and to decorate your store.
Too far-fetched? O.K. So maybe you could tell them that you use an ancient process that was discovered in King Tuttankhamen's tomb. That your cleaning process can preserve the life of their clothes. Use King Tut and other Egyptian figures in your adverting.
Name it. Consider a name for your service that serves as a description of its unique properties, drawing attention to qualities that may not be obvious. We no longer sell drycleaning. We sell our "Exclusive Mountain Fresh Process." This adds a mystique to our product and eliminates our competitors, because we're the only drycleaner who uses this procedure.
Tell about the exception. There is a widely told story about a woman who ran out of gas as she was driving by a Nordstrom, the predominantly west coast department store famous for incredible customer service. The doorman rushed into the street, pushed the woman's car to the curb, and immediately proceeded to get her a tank of gas. Of course, this was all at no charge.
We've all gone out of our way to help our customers from time to time. So let these stories slip out. Without bragging about them you can put your heroic stories into circulation, perhaps in the form of a testimonial from the customer. Circulating positive stories about your store is part of your job. Do it!
Every week I run across a drycleaner, or two or three, who has decided to grow their business by taking on wholesale work.
This wholesale work comes in many forms, such as doing work for the person who wants to run a dry store; the coin-op who wants to take in drycleaning; the route operator who doesn't own a plant; the corporation who wants to offer employees the "benefit" of drycleaning pick-up and delivery at work.
The premise looks great -- you get the work but you don't have to pay any rent, you don't get an extra phone or electric bill and you don't have to hire, train, and pay counter people. Instant sales volume without the costs and aggravations. What could be better than this? Let's take a closer look.
I have always had a difficult time showing or explaining to clients the actual cost of doing wholesale work. I have finally developed a format (actually I stumbled over it) that is very simple to use and easy to understand. I have used this format to evaluate numerous drycleaning operations, including ones with routes, dry stores and wholesale customers. This format shows how much money each "profit center" contributes to your production and your overhead costs.
When evaluating wholesale work, you have to convert your wholesale sales dollars to equal retail sales dollars.
This is important because we must be sure we are comparing like dollars and not apples to oranges. I have seen drycleaners discount the work they do from 35 percent to 50 percent off their retail price, but they never consider these discounts as a cost of doing wholesale work. It is impossible to accurately evaluate wholesale work if you don't calculate the discount as a cost.
Again, this format is simple to use and easy to understand.
In the Example 1, you can see that the wholesale account doing $130,000 a year generates a 60 percent wholesale margin and the drystore also generates a 60 percent store margin at $130,000 in sales.
So far, everything appears to be equal. Both centers contribute 10 percent to the overhead costs of the business. The question is, "What happens when the sales in our example fluctuate up and down from $130,000 per year?"
Using Example 2 let's compare our two profit centers with both doing $100,000 per year in sales volume.
With this format, it is very easy to see that with sales of $100,000 the wholesale account generates a wholesale margin of 60 percent. This outperforms the drystore with a 48 percent store margin.
For most drycleaners the production costs, which include; direct labor, plant utilities, supplies, depreciation, repairs, etc. will run about 50 percent of sales. The margin that is generated by each profit center must first pay for the production costs associated with that center's sales.
In the case of the $100,000 store -- the margin of 48 percent is 2 percent below our production costs. This means that in this example, the dry-store is making no contribution to the overhead costs of the business.
The wholesale account in this same example shows a 60 percent margin. With 50 percent production costs, the wholesale account is contributing 10 percent of it's sales, or $10,000, to the overhead costs of the business. So far the wholesale account is looking good, but don't jump to any conclusions yet!
Let's increase our sales volume for each profit center as shown in the next two examples.
As you can readily see in Examples 3 and 4, as your drystore sales grow, the costs diminish as a percentage of sales. The cost of doing wholesale work (the 40 percent discount) is a constant expense. This means that the wholesale account, after deducting your production costs, will never contribute more than 10 percent to your overhead costs.
In example #4, you have to process $5,000 worth of wholesale work each week to contribute $500 per week to your overhead.
For the drystore in the same example, you have to process the same $5,000 worth of work each week to generate a $1,400 per week contribution to overhead. These examples do not include the additional costs that you incur with wholesale work in the areas of lost upcharges and increased claims.
You must decide if you're in this business to work hard for the benefit of your company and your employees or do you simply want practice!
Remember, in the game of business, the more you know the better you can play the game.
In most parts of the country cleaners are still facing difficult times. When things get tough many people look for someone to blame.
There has been more mudslinging sessions about who is at fault for the current lean times. I am sure that everyone has read or heard just about every reason why business is down, or just not what you would like it to be.
Although I am sure you do not need to hear one more excuse, I want to add some additional perspective to the problem and expand on possible solutions.
Our market-driven economy is dependent on an ever-increasing population to bring money into the economy. Unfortunately, we are in the middle of a drop in the size of the population that is coming into the workforce.
This decline comes in addition to many other factors effecting our economy. Compounding this is my generation, the baby boomers, reaching a critical stage in their lives. Some economists believe that as this big influential segment of our customer base reaches middle age, there comes a change in life-styles. Their spending habits and desires are affecting the marketplace in a drastic way.
Changing values
This group that we heavily depend upon is experiencing changing values that are drastically affecting the economy. While they are spending less on big ticket items, like new homes, the cycle of money flow in our country is being negatively affected. As I said, I know you do not want to hear one more story of doom and gloom. I will attempt to make this a more upbeat story mixed with some reality.
A new spending boom will come, but it may take a few more years before the next generation comes into the work force and brings its own influence and affluence into our businesses.
We must make the best of what we have. I have seen changing times slow the ringing of our cash registers, while we blame competition, environmentalists, negative publicity, changing dress codes, government interference and a shift of our economic base.
Meanwhile there are snake oil salesmen promising new innovations that will turn things around. I have my doubts about new solutions, and think we will survive by getting back to the basics, the basic principles that made McDonalds famous -- Quality, Value and Service.
If you think that we are being affected by change, let's look at some that have really seen change. The average American worker has seen a serious change in the future from downsizing, bank mergers and companies buying out their competition, among others.
Innovators surviveI remember when business in our industry was so plentiful that cleaners would tell customers, "If you do not like what we do there is another cleaner across the street."
Today most of the narrow-minded cleaners are long gone. Some of the new cleaners across the street have survived by staying with the basics, while the old-timers could not adapt.
A new major threat to our industry is public perception problems sparked by bad publicity surrounding environmental issues, gender-based pricing and perceived health risks from perc.
The publicity is created by special interest groups. We will overcome them because we provide a vital service whose survival is as important as the farmers. After all, people need clean clothes as well as they need to eat. Farming has not disappeared nor will drycleaning. The nature of the business will change, however. I suggest that our survival as business people, and our industry as a whole is in our hands.
Push the positive
If we want to see a bright future it is up to us to take matters into our own hands. We must get to work on putting out the word about our industry and refuse to give in to these enemies that would like to see us disappear, like the other industries I have mentioned. Every one of us in this great industry must stop looking for people to blame and learn how to put out our own message and start getting some good things said about the drycleaners.
A very astute cleaner, Tim Crawford of Alaska Cleaners in Anchorage, recently wrote on the Internet that we must put out our message.
He says we have some things to be very proud of.
If we used wetcleaning historically and someone just introduced perc as the new miracle cleaning method, it would be honored as the solution to our environmental problems. We conserve water and eliminate the waste ge