Content about Chemical

CONCORD, N.C. — In a previous edition of American Drycleaner, readers like you were given a “heads-up” about what to expect from the fashion styles entering the marketplace (Fashion vs. Fabricare, November/December 2012).

The Federal Trade Commission’s recent request for comments on garment care labeling is a symptom of the continuing problem facing our industry.

The manufacturer’s focus on marketability and profitability at times runs contrary to serviceability. It is the obligation of the garment care professional to recognize that the customer’s item has a unique set of handling characteristics and then determine the best way to protect those unique characteristics while reconditioning the item for continued use in the future.

That is a mouthful, I admit, but I hope you get the point. “They” design the garment and “we” have to clean and finish the garment.

CONCORD, N.C. — Many owners believe that pre-spotting is totally unnecessary. The continued evolution of the dry cleaning system allows for much better cleaning by machine than my father ever could have imagined. But this has led many cleaners to adopt an attitude of accepting any stains that do not come out in the dry cleaning machine and returning the garment—usually with a “Sorry” tag.

A “Sorry” tag is a poor advertisement for an operation that presents itself as a professional garment-care service.

Anyone who chooses to be a student of the cleaning industry can prosper by removing stains others routinely return to the customer. Knowledge, effort and experience effectively reduce fear of failure.

The customer brings his or her garments to a professional cleaner to have the stains removed. Any stains that remain in the garment make it appear to be unclean to that customer. No amount of advertising and no reduced pricing structure can sustain an operation that develops a reputation for poor quality. Developing the habit of selectively pre-spotting garments is a step toward improved cleaning.

CONCORD, N.C. — I have found that it is worthwhile to review the spotting basics from time to time. Without a reliable foundation, everything else contains unnecessary risk of failure or damage. But when information is applied through thought and effort, success is easily achieved.

CATEGORIES OF STAINS

Stains can be divided into four general categories: solvent-soluble, chemically soluble, water-soluble, and insoluble.

Solvent-soluble stains are those that will be totally removed by the solution used in the dry cleaning machine. As the number of choices for a cleaning solution has increased, the definition of a solvent-soluble stain has become a product of experience. With variations in chemical content comes a trade-off in the machine between being garment-friendly and being stain-aggressive. Typically, solvent-soluble stains come from light oils and greases that are uncontaminated with carbon or graphite.

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — When Best Cleaners owners Bill and Shawn McCann completed the conversion of their family-owned business to the GreenEarth® dry cleaning method a decade ago, they knew it was the right move for many reasons.

Despite the significant cost of modifying equipment in all 11 Connecticut locations, they believed that switching from perc to the environmentally safe silicone-based solvent would be a win-win for everyone. Customers’ clothing and household goods would be treated to a kinder, gentler cleaning process while chemical odors would become a distant memory. Soon, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection recognized Best with a Green Circle Award for voluntarily implementing a facility-wide pollution prevention plan.

In recognition of Best’s leadership and commitment to keeping Connecticut green, Connecticut State Sen. Paul Doyle recently presented the McCanns with a citation from Gov. Dannel “Dan” Malloy honoring the 10th anniversary milestone and Best’s ongoing community support.

CONCORD, N.C. — I am sure you have seen this stain. By its location and texture, you are certain that the stain is blood. But the color is all wrong. Instead of being a shade of bright red, this stain is dark “brick” reddish-brown and could even be called black.

Old blood is an extremely tough stain to remove. The procedure can be made easier with a digester. This month, I will present a straightforward approach to using an enzyme digester to your advantage, both in a soaking bath and at the spotting board.

Digesting is often ignored as being slow and time-consuming. Digesting is often overlooked, due to the highly effective pre-mixed protein stain removers available from the various chemical providers. Sadly, by not considering a digester in the removal of protein stains, the task is at times made less effective, more difficult, and riskier.

Digesters are available in both powder and liquid forms. The powder variety is most often used in a soaking bath while the liquid variety is most often found at the spotting board. The one additional item the stain-removal specialist must have is patience.

WASHINGTON — When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted the final health assessment for tetrachloroethylene—also known as perchloroethylene, or perc—to its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database in February, it deemed the chemical to be a “likely human carcinogen.”

The assessment replaces the 1988 IRIS assessment for perc and for the first time includes a hazard characterization for cancer effects. The assessment underwent several levels of rigorous, independent peer review including: agency review, interagency review, public comment, and external peer review by the National Research Council, according to the EPA, and all major review comments were addressed.

The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance says 70% of U.S. commercial dry cleaners use perc; EPA estimates the total number to be 27,000. So what does this development mean for the future of the industry’s preferred solvent?

CONCORD, N.C. — There are times when all stains begin to look alike; they seem to be a shade of tan or yellow. The problem is, not all yellow stains are the same.

They do not have the same origin; they do not have the same composition. This yellow/tan can range from caramelized sugar, to a beverage stain, to a stubborn oxidized oil stain.

The earlier the stain is identified, the easier it will be to remove the stain. This points to the need for your customer service representative to form the habit of asking each customer, “Are you aware of any spots or stains on any of your garments?” Information gathered should be passed on to the spotter to assist in establishing the proper course of action to effectively remove the stain.

Stain content will determine the chemical tools necessary and the protocol to follow in stain removal. Fiber content and garment construction, as well as the age of the stain, can adversely affect the stain-removal process. Any attempt by the customer to remove the stain will make professional stain removal more difficult or even impossible.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday officially characterized tetrachloroethylene—also known as perchloroethylene (perc)—as a “likely human carcinogen,” but the agency does not believe that wearing clothing dry-cleaned with perc poses a health risk.

EPA issued its final health assessment to its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database, which describes health effects that may result from exposure to various substances. The assessment provides estimates for both cancer and non-cancer effects associated with exposure to perc over a lifetime.

The agency has already taken several significant actions to reduce exposure to perc. It has clean air standards for dry cleaners that use perc, including requirements that will phase-out the chemical’s use in residential buildings by Dec. 21, 2020.

EPA also set limits for the amount of perc allowed in drinking water, and levels for cleaning up perc at Superfund sites throughout the country, which will be updated in light of the IRIS assessment.

ALBANY, Ga. — Equinox Chemicals has announced that it has acquired Adco Cleaning Products, based in Sedalia, Mo. Terms of the acquisition were not announced.

Equinox will move Adco’s manufacturing operations to its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Albany, according to Yalda Harris, Equinox’s executive vice president for Global Product Management. Dr. Jim Schreiner, Adco’s chief product technology officer, will also be relocating, she says.

Customer-service and order-taking staff will remain in Sedalia, and there will be no changes to the way customers or distributors order from Adco, Harris adds. The national sales team will remain the same.

Nine operator jobs and one office employee have been relocated to Albany, with many key employees receiving relocation package offers, according to Harris.

Equinox is a specialty chemical manufacturer with specialty research, innovation, product development and commercialization capabilities that reach markets spanning the globe, the company says.

CONCORD, N.C. — If you have been in the industry for less than three years, if you have never received formal training in the “ins and outs” of garment care, if you are dependent on outside salesmen for your information and technical set-up, I urge you to take a minute or two and read this column. It will cover a variety of subjects related to stain removal, and even a little about good, basic dry cleaning that contributes to stain removal.

I have the opportunity to visit a variety of operating plants during a given year and see the ideas of other business people being applied. It breaks my heart to meet someone who has invested their own money plus borrowed money, only to find that volume was much less than they expected. Each and every time, I find someone who failed to research the technical side of cleaning and assumed that buying equipment and leasing space were going to make them rich. Pride goes before destruction.

TAMPA, Fla. — Ever since regulatory pressure started to increase on perchloroethylene, the industry has been looking for a product that could fill its place in the industry as an easy-to-use, effective solvent—but without the baggage.

MILAN, Italy — German chemical company Kreussler & Co. announced a new solvent system at Expo Detergo early last week. Known as SystemK4, the process is safe and environmentally friendly, Kreussler says.

The process centers around a new solvent, SolvonK4. The solvent is biodegradable and nonhazardous according to current European regulations, Kreussler says, and still delivers cleaning results on a par with perchloroethylene.