Content about Occupational safety and health

CHICAGO — In today’s competitive business environment, it makes sense that every dry cleaning plant operator is seeking ways to increase profit. But one can increase prices only so much. And with any potential labor savings having generally been rung out of most plants, operators must find other ways. Simultaneously, environmental impact is a major concern.

One of the areas in which to save, yet one that is often overlooked or glossed over, is the high cost of energy: electricity, heat and water. Hence, prudent dry cleaning plant operators are, or at least should be, having a critical look at this expense and seeking ways to reduce this financial drain.

The best way to reduce this expense is to implement a pre-planned assessment (a.k.a. audit) of the energy consumers in your dry cleaning plant. Much of this you can do yourself. For those systems and equipment items that could prove more difficult to assess, most utility companies are more than willing to assist, usually at little or no cost to you.

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.

CANCUN, Mexico — When was the last time you shared ideas with industry peers on how to make your dry cleaning business more efficient, expand your customer base, or boost your bottom line?

More than 100 dry cleaning professionals traveled to a Cancun resort in January to exchange best practices during a joint conference sponsored by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) and the National Cleaners Association (NCA).

Brian Johnson, DLI’s director of education and analysis, called Secrets The Vine resort a “fantastic venue.” Attendees learned each other’s business secrets at daily, three-hour seminars. For example, motivational speaker and author Jack Mitchell discussed his “Hug Your Customers” philosophy that helps his business operating men’s and women’s specialty stores to thrive.

“His methods were fascinating,” says Johnson, explaining that “hugs” are unexpected gestures like placing a birthday card in a customer’s suit pocket.

CLIFTON, Va. — Crest Cleaners has become the first North American dry cleaner to install an ultra-low-water bead cleaning system marketed by Xeros Inc., a subsidiary of UK-based Xeros Ltd. Overall, it is Xeros’ third U.S. installation since first entering the market last September.

Historically, items that are not dry cleaned, such as men’s dress shirts, are laundered in traditional washing machines. Xeros’ proprietary system looks to replace those machines by producing “cleaner laundry with a significantly lower impact on the environment, using very little water and patented Xeros polymer beads,” the company says.

The beads’ molecular structure, coupled with a proprietary detergent, attracts and absorbs dirt from soiled items, the company says. It claims the system uses up to 80% less water, 50% less energy and 50% less detergent than conventional washing.

NEW YORK — Beginning next February, New York City dry cleaners will be required to disclose to consumers the primary chemicals used in their dry cleaning process, says the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

About 1,400 dry cleaning businesses throughout the Big Apple will be required to list the chemicals and a link to information about their health effects, so that consumers can access their potential impact.

DEP will work with affected businesses over the next year to implement the new rule ahead of the enforcement date.

“The local dry cleaner is an essential part of life for most New Yorkers, and it is important that information about all the chemicals used by these businesses is available,” says DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland. “At virtually no cost to businesses, this rule will ensure that this important public health information is available to the public.”

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.”

LUBBOCK, Texas — The newest location from Texas-based Comet Cleaners Franchise Group can be found in a fast-growing part of Lubbock. The clean, modern store, which covers 3,500 square feet, features two drive-thru lanes with a canopy. Friendly, professional staff greet customers with bottled water.

Comet Cleaners offers dry cleaning and laundry services, alterations, and wedding gown preservation, as well as cleaning of household items and drapes. Same-day service is available until 2 p.m. on weekdays.

The production area—customers can see the plant from the front counter—includes a Union dry cleaning machine, Wascomat laundry equipment, and Unipress and Forenta finishing and tensioning equipment. Boiler room equipment is by Lattner Boiler. The plant utilizes DCCS workstations.

Comet employs 13 full-time-equivalent workers and generates more than $10,000 in weekly sales.

Owner Ron Caffey designed the plant layout, Mike Lowe was architect, and Gulf States Laundry Machinery was the project’s equipment distributor.

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.

CONCORD, N.C. — I recently received a phone call from my friend, Norman Oehlke. Norm probably served IFI (now DLI, the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute) in most every technical position and wrote this very column until 2008. When he speaks, I listen. Closely.

He still keeps a close eye on the cleaning industry and the changing solvents. We talked about the changes we had seen and the struggles facing owner/operators in today’s marketplace. We exchanged a few ideas and agreed that many cleaners have fallen victim to the concept of processing over pampering.

A symptom of this is that large companies have perceived there is profit in home dry cleaning kits due to consumer dissatisfaction with the quality of garment care available. Sadly, these dry cleaning kits have intimidated a number of cleaners, owner/operators who consider the end product of their service to be little better than the level of quality delivered by a rag, a bag and a home dryer.

OXFORD, Miss. — Herron Rowland really didn’t want to sell the corner location his Rainbow Cleaners occupied. For months he politely declined the inquiries of a real estate developer representing a major drug store chain. The chain kept looking for a suitable site in Oxford but always came back to Rainbow’s corner. Eventually, Rowland agreed to sell the property and relocate his business.

He promptly set into motion a plan to build a better plant. Having seen his business operate out of what once had been a steakhouse, Rowland was excited to take advantage of the opportunity to build new.

He invested in excess of $1 million to design and develop a 5,000-square-foot “building that’s purpose was to function as a dry cleaning operation.” That high-visibility plant, located just seven blocks from Rainbow’s previous location, earned the Grand Prize for Best Plant Design in the 52nd Annual American Drycleaner Plant Design Awards.

CONCORD, N.C. — In order to honor reader requests and continue a tradition, this month’s column addresses some of the more common “land mines” awaiting the professional cleaner during the holiday period.

Party clothes can be a great source of income if you have earned the respect of potential customers and have built a reputation for reliable stain removal.

OIL AND BUTTER

When tablecloths and napkins containing oil and butter are put away, those substances will oxidize. This type of stain is relatively easy to remove when treated early, but the stain will turn deep yellow to brown over time.

Treat oxidized oil with paint-oil-grease remover (POG) on the dry side. Allow the garment to sit for at least an hour before dry cleaning as normal. If this procedure fails to completely remove the stain, repeat it. If the stain still remains, your last option is using KOH solution, made by mixing one-quarter tablespoon of potassium hydroxide into a quart of butyl alcohol. Apply the KOH solution on the dry side and allow the garment to sit for an hour. Tamp and re-clean the area to remove the remaining stain.

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.