Alan Spielvogel
April 30, 2008
Q: I’m having difficulty removing grass stains. I’ve used various tannin formulas, but there is still a green residue. Is there a better way to treat these...
Everett Childers
April 16, 2008
Years ago, I wrote an article about pricing for profit. Now, I think it would be relevant to review pricing for designer garments. There’s a psychology behind...
Martin Young
April 9, 2008
There it is, all right. It’s a stain. The garment would look better without it. That’s why the customer brought it to you, the drycleaner. The vision the...
Alan Spielvogel
April 4, 2008
Q: A smaller fire station near me asked if I could clean their turnout gear on an as-needed basis. Do you have any washing guidelines for turnout gear?
A: Turnout gear,...
Diana Vollmer
March 19, 2008
You’ve been told it’s important to grow. Your alternatives? To shrink or stay exactly the same as you are now. Before you make a decision on this, explore your...
Martin Young
March 12, 2008
I just happened to be at the counter when I saw the lady get out of her car. I saw that look on her face — but was pretty sure I hadn't taken her candy.
It...
Alan Spielvogel
February 28, 2008
Q: We use perchloroethylene as our drycleaning solvent. For the past several years, we have been having serviceability issues with coats that contain polyurethane (bonding...
Howard Scott
February 27, 2008
With affluent customers and 24/7 automation, a tiny location in a retirement village is rewriting the rules for drop stores.
When Paul Ceccarelli was asked to put a drop...
Howard Kaschyk
February 25, 2008
Drycleaners are experiencing what may be the worst time in the history of the industry. Economists are predicting that the U.S. is either in a recession or at the start of...
Everett Childers
February 12, 2008
If we think of ourselves only as drycleaners, we limit our capabilities and ourselves. Think instead of being (or becoming) a “textile-cleaning professional”...
Ian P. Murphy
January 30, 2008
Whether the plant is an established hub of the community or a vanguard of new development, each of the runners up in American Drycleaner's 47th Annual Plant Design...
Alan Spielvogel
January 23, 2008
Q: I own a promotional products company in Cincinnati. One of my corporate accounts is a large moving company, and I have golf shirts made in Guatemala for its apparel...
Howard Scott
January 16, 2008
Every drycleaner spends money on advertising and promotions. But how many do it wisely? One marketing guru has figured out that only 10% of advertising dollars spent are...
Ian P. Murphy
January 9, 2008
While the Grand Prize went to a production-only, central plant, the three runners-up in American Drycleaner’s 47th Annual Plant Design Awards are freestanding plants...
Ian P. Murphy
January 6, 2008
NEW YORK — After years of searching in one of the highest-priced real estate markets in the nation, Meurice Garment Care operator Wayne Edelman got an unexpected...
Norm Oehlke
January 2, 2008
Ever hear this comment from a customer? "That underarm stain wasn't there when I dropped it off — you must have put that stain on my clothes." Lots of...
Alan Spielvogel
December 26, 2007
Q: A number of customers are complaining that their woolens are shrinking after several cleanings. What can cause this?
A: “Progressive shrinkage” often takes...
Diana Vollmer
December 19, 2007
There’s no good reason for you to do a budget. You understand your business’ history. Your labor costs and rents probably won’t change (much), and they...
Norm Oehlke
December 3, 2007
Some drycleaners refer to cleaning drapes, curtains, bedspreads and other household fabrics as something they must cope with in order to keep customers. But being able to...
Howard Scott
December 3, 2007
Lee Iacocca just came out with a new book, Where Have All The Leaders Gone? In it, he defines his “Nine Cs” of leadership. They are, he says, Curiosity,...
Alan Spielvogel
November 28, 2007
Q: We often receive electric blankets from customers. Some of them do not carry care instructions. Can electric blankets be drycleaned?
A: No! Under no circumstances...
Howard Scott
November 21, 2007
Your key person is capable. He (or she) follows directions well. He doesn’t miss work days. He gets along well with customers. You trust him completely. But...
Everett Childers
November 7, 2007
Let’s look at how many “alternatives” we have for cleaning clothes: There is perc, hydrocarbon, GreenEarth, Rynex and liquid CO2. Wetcleaning, Dry-...
Norm Oehlke
October 31, 2007
How often have you refused to accept a garment that is extremely soiled — so badly soiled that no one wants to touch it?
While visiting a drycleaning plant recently...
Howard Kaschyk
October 17, 2007
The stock market is down, profits are shrinking, prices are up and demand is down. The “good times” are over. This is how pundits have described the economic...
