Content about Cleaning

CHICAGO — March proved to be a challenging month for dry cleaners across the nation, as the West was the only region to post sales gains, up 1.5% compared to March 2012, according to results from the latest AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey.

Despite this, market conditions in the West remain mixed, according to respondents. One cleaner in the region explained that conditions were “increasing slightly” while admitting that other cleaners haven’t been as fortunate. “[There were] five dry cleaners in town, now I'm the only one.”

Though other cleaners in the region provided similar reports, some are seeing improvement. “It’s [been] getting better for [the] last six weeks,” says one respondent from the West. “I have started using online advertising to add new customers.”

CHICAGO — American Drycleaner has received word of new dry cleaning operations from Lapels Dry Cleaning and Tide Dry Cleaners having opened in the past couple of months.

New Massachusetts locations for franchisor Lapels have opened in Cohasset and Cambridge. The Cohasset store is owned by William Ryan, a former sales and marketing executive.

“I started researching business opportunities about 15 years ago and a lot of thought went into making the decision to buy a Lapels franchise,” said Ryan. “Between Lapels products and service and this location, this was the right decision and well worth the wait.”

The new store is open daily and utilizes an eco-friendly dry cleaning process, he says. It features free home delivery to residents of Cohasset and nearby Scituate.

“There were so many reasons why I chose to purchase a Lapels franchise,” Ryan says. “The environmental piece was certainly up there on our list, but it was an overall commitment to a high-quality customer experience that truly sold me.”

GILBERT, Ariz. — The newest Lapels Dry Cleaning plant from Massachusetts-based franchisor Next Step Franchising features granite counters, custom cabinetry, chandeliers, pendant lighting, French doors, etched glass, crown moldings, and a fully separated call area from the on-site plant.

Lapels offers dry cleaning, shirt service, on-site tailoring, leather/suede care, shoe repair, 24-hour drop-off, heirlooming, and same-day service, pickup and delivery.

The air-conditioned production area in the 2,200-square-foot facility includes a Firbimatic hydrocarbon dry cleaning machine, Wascomat wet cleaning equipment, and Forenta and Unipress finishing and tensioning equipment. Boiler room equipment is by Fulton and Ingersoll Rand. The plant utilizes DCCS and SPOT Business Systems point-of-sale software.

This Lapels location employs 12 full-time-equivalent workers.

Next Step Franchising designed the plant layout, and Mike Marden, Marden Design, was architect.

DENVER — The Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is partnering with several dry cleaning-related organizations to present a Dry Cleaning Alternatives Summit and Trade Fair here later this winter.

The Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association, GreenEarth Cleaning, CDPHE’s Hazardous Materials Waste Management Division and the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute are partnering with the agency to present the March 9 event showcasing dry cleaning alternatives “due to increasing concerns over dry cleaning solvent releases to the environment, and related impacts on air, water and soil,” the CDPHE says.

The one-day event at the Denver Marriott Tech Center will feature presentations and panel discussions on dry cleaning alternatives from industry, allied trades and CPDHE speakers. Also, there will be an exhibitor trade fair offering a multitude of resources in dry cleaning, laundry and wet cleaning equipment supplies.

TORONTO — There are dry cleaners that are confused about what to charge for their services, where that pricing structure places their operation within the industry, and how the consumer perceives them.

It is important to explain what goes into the pricing structure used when charging customers for their dry cleaned items. There are a number of ways to do this.

A cleaner could play a continuously looped video at the counter that illustrates how a garment is processed (including as many different processes as are used), place signage at the counter, or use various advertising mediums.

The cost of production starts at the cleaner’s front counter. When a customer drops off clothes, they should consider what system is in place to create the invoice and receipt they receive and how the cleaner identifies their items so what they brought in will be returned to them.

Proper identification includes a complete description of each article, indicating the type of item, color, label identification, and any stains or tears that may be on the garment at the time it was marked in.

CHICAGO — Half of dry cleaners asked to offer their rough forecasts for sales in 2013 believe that volume will improve in their area next year, according to the results of American Drycleaner’s final Wire survey for 2012.

Sales volume will either “improve substantially, with at least a 5% year-to-year gain” (18.8%) or “bounce back a little, with a gain of 0% to 5%” (31.3%), these respondents predict.

But there are times when an increase in business for one cleaner means that other cleaners may be suffering or have even closed. “The market in our area is improving. Weaker competition is failing,” wrote one respondent. Another reported that pounds and pieces for 2012 matched 2011 while two cleaners closed nearby.

The economy drives the dry cleaning business, according to one cleaner: “When economy is good, dry cleaning is a necessity. When economy is bad, dry cleaning is a luxury.”

The National Cleaners Association (NCA) will present its Wet Cleaning Course on Oct. 27 in Bronx, N.Y.

For more information, call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com. 

WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the FTC Rule that requires manufacturers and importers to attach labels with care instructions for garments and certain piece goods, so consumers have reliable instructions for dry cleaning or washing, bleaching, drying and ironing their clothing.

The Care Labeling Rule—officially the Rule on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods—has been in effect since 1971.

The FTC is seeking comments on potential updates to the Rule, including changes that would:

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a new law to impose tougher safety measures on the use of perchloroethylene (perc) by the state’s dry cleaners. House Bill 4526 requires Illinois dry cleaners to utilize “best management practices” while using the solvent.

The legislation includes improved control and containment systems, better training, and more comprehensive reporting, the governor’s office says.

The law will require all new dry cleaning machines operating in Illinois, beginning in 2013, to have “primary and secondary” control systems to reduce the concentration of perc, and to have sealed containment structures to contain leaks or spills by 2014.

“If improperly handled, dry cleaning solvents can seep into our groundwater and skies, and pose a threat to workers,” Quinn says. “This new law will help protect our drinking water, and we salute the dry cleaning industry — and especially the Korean American Drycleaners Association — for partnering with environmental advocates to get this done.”

LAUREL, Md. — Jan Barlow, CGCP®, owner of Jan’s Professional Cleaners, Clio, Mich., has become the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute’s (DLI) second female president, and the organization has welcomed a host of new faces to its governing body.

DLI’s board of directors recognizes valued contributions and inducts new volunteer leadership. New directors are sworn in as their predecessors move to an executive office or become DLI senators, an exclusive title for previous board members.

Barlow succeeds Charlie Smith, owner of Village Square Cleaners, Reston, Va., who completed his one-year term as president.

David Machesney, owner of Pratt-Abbott Cleaners, Westbrook, Maine, became DLI’s president-elect. Allan Johnson III, owner of Peerless Cleaners, Corpus Christi, Texas, became treasurer.

DLI membership elected two dry cleaning professionals to district directorships: Brad Ewing, CED®, Nu Way Cleaners, Greeley, Colo., representing District 7, and David Suber, CED®, owner of Perfect Cleaners in Los Angeles, representing District 8.

CONCORD, N.C. — Not all garments are created equal, just as not all stains can be removed on the dry side by a simple application of POG and dry cleaning. How a garment is constructed, the way its individual fibers are twisted, turned and woven is an important consideration when attempting localized stain removal. This month, I will address various fabrics and the characteristics that may impact the stain-removal process.

ACETATE

At one time, acetate was a commonly used fabric in garments. With the growth of polyester, acetate has been relegated, for the most part, to the role of a lining material. Unfortunately, this secondary use brings to mind an old cliché: out of sight, out of mind. The acetate and its sensitivities are still there, beneath the surface fabric.

When spotting acetate, be aware that it is highly susceptible to yarn slippage. Hold the steam gun a greater distance from the fabric to further reduce the pressure of the steam and air striking the surface of the fabric. Reduce the intensity of mechanical action used on acetate, and always apply this action over the solid portion of the spotting board.

SAN FRANCISCO — Are you thinking of changing or adding solvents? Are the various considerations adding to the complexity of making your decision? You are right to weigh all the issues, so perhaps we can outline some of them to help simplify your conclusions (for now).

Whatever choices you make, they may be only temporary because of the dynamic environment in which you operate your business.

This temporary nature is also true for this major decision regarding your choice of solvent(s), but the expense of a change complicates it further and limits the number of times you can make a change, so planning ahead is essential.

THE CONSIDERATIONS. For the purposes of this column, we are leaving the discussion of the negative effects of perc and other solvents to others. But the net effect of the perception-versus-reality argument is that many perceive dry cleaning as being “bad.” In addition to having a major impact on dry cleaners, that perception directly influences the thinking of politicians, regulators, landlords and consumers.

Your mission is to evaluate the impact on your operation.