Content about Biology

Drycleaning & Laundry Institute Cleaning & Stain Removal Course.

CHICAGO — There are plenty of things that cause a drycleaner’s blood pressure to rise, and many of them—based on the results of July’s unscientific Wire survey—have to do with employees.

Of the specific stress inducers we asked about, respondents find the failure of a drycleaning machine during a busy time most stressful. More than 76% said such an event causes their blood pressure to “soar” (27.5%) or “rise a bit” (48.8%).

Fifty percent become stressed when a new drycleaner opens nearby, and 41.3% feel the pressure when they have to negotiate with their landlord.

Least stressful among the scenarios we presented is the front-counter attendant who starts showing up late or missing shifts. More than 50% said this is rarely or never a concern.

But when drycleaners were asked to name the single drycleaning-management issue that causes them the most stress, nearly half of their wide-ranging responses were related to their employees.

CHICAGO — The New Year is a perfect time to modify practices that no longer contribute to the bottom line. And today, getting stains out is no longer something you can leave to the “old pro” up the street. You can’t afford to return or turn away a single garment due to a lack of knowledge or a lack of the proper chemical tools.

Once the holidays are over, there will be plenty of chances to set yourself apart from the competition through quality stain removal. And common holiday stains will help you exceed customer expectations.

I just finished the last stain-removal test necessary to requalify for the Award of Excellence (AOE), a voluntary certification that helps cleaners distinguish themselves while demonstrating a commitment to the industry, the community and continuing education.

This year, the swatches — on white silk with a plain weave — were stained with nail polish, coffee with cream, ink, egg, spaghetti sauce, and red wine. These are stains every cleaner should be able to remove.

I was standing with my back to the hors d’oeuvre table at my 40th high school reunion. I was catching up with a guy I hadn’t seen since 1969 when I overheard a comment: “Oops, you’re going to have to take that to Martin.” I turned and saw a lady with cocktail sauce down the front of her silk blouse.

Not all stains come out in the machine. That statement may be contrary to what you’ve been told by equipment salesmen, or what you’ve convinced yourself to be true.

Stains fall into four distinct categories: solvent-soluble (drycleaning), chemical-soluble (using additives), water-soluble (steam spotting, wetcleaning, laundry), and insoluble (lubrication and mechanical action). Stains that originate from a living thing are usually water-soluble.

Q: With all of the snowstorms this year, we’ve been getting a lot of garments with salt stains. What’s the best way to remove them?

A: Rock salt (sodium chloride) and calcium chloride are both used to melt ice and snow. While it’s fairly easy to remove these salts when they’re fresh, they may damage dyes and disintegrate fabrics, especially silk and wool, when left in garments for a period of time.

You may not be familiar with the hemispheres of the brain, but generally speaking, the left side of the brain performs certain functions and the right side performs others. Sometimes they work together, but not always.

Why is this important to managing a drycleaning operation? Because today, the challenges aren’t always easy to solve. To address them, you may require a new way of understanding the business environment.