Not only was the new Unipress Hurricane Double Buck Shirt Unit a hot topic at the 2015 Clean Show, heated hydrocarbon dry cleaning machines also generated a lot of buzz. That’s because for years now, dry cleaners have been trying to find a more eco-friendly cleaning product that produces the same results as perc. Unfortunately, few have performed at an adequate level, leaving many dry cleaners both holding off on upgrading equipment and wondering if there will ever be a magic bullet solution to the problem.
An organization in Texas conducted some testing using a hydrocarbon based cleaning solution, somewhere around 1970-1980. Unfortunately, the testing didn’t progress too far. We’re not sure why, but perhaps it had something to do with the machinery’s technology. Fast forward to 2010, a long-time dry cleaning guru, recognizing that there needed to be an alternative to perc, analyzed the data from the previously mentioned testing and believed he’d found that magic bullet solution. He also found data related to heat successfully cleaning industrial work gloves loaded with grease. He believed that heat in conjunction with a high class petroleum based solvent was the ticket.
After hooking up with a dry cleaning friend that had a Georgia-based cleaner and specially ordering a machine, they started testing the theory. Somewhere along the way, in addition to the heat, he determined that the proper detergent played an important role, and Wes Brunson with Fabritec International supplied that missing piece. The results were simply amazing. Pre-spotting, with the exception of things like ink, blood, and paint, all but disappeared. Grease stains were removed easily. Food spots were coming out 99% of the time without pre-spotting. Dark loads were getting a 98% pass rate. Many beaded and embellished garments could be cleaned with this method. Whites were coming out brighter than if they’d been wet cleaned. The fibers relaxed resulting in a nicer feel to the hand and fewer wrinkles on the garments, which translated into reduced finishing times. And as an added bonus, there was no odor. There is one catch -- these results came as long as everything is done properly -- the right programming in the right machine with the right detergent, but “the magic is in the heat”.
“The dry cleaning industry has long been looking for a viable alternative to perc,” said Kevin Lawson, Vice President of Tri-State. “With its success in stain removal and reduction in waste, I see heated hydrocarbon as the future of the industry, possibly replacing perc permanently.” If you are one of those operators that’s been holding off dry cleaning equipment upgrades or purchases for the arrival of the magic bullet solution, now could very well be that day. Need help getting started? Simply call us at 866-885-5218; we are here to help.
Showing posts with label dry cleaning alternatives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dry cleaning alternatives. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Professional Wet Cleaning
When did people start cleaning their clothes? I suspect it’s when they started wearing them. Though I suppose that they didn’t clean them quite as often as they should have.
Web sources site the first form of dry cleaning being used by the ancient Romans. According to ecocleanaustin.com, they used ammonia and fuller’s earth to launder their woolen togas. Fast forward to the 19th century where Jean Baptiste Jolly, a French dye-works owner, noticed that his tablecloth became cleaner after his maid spilled lamp oil on it. He then developed a clothes cleaning service using this process which ultimately became known as dry cleaning. According to drycleancoalition.org, perc became the solvent of choice for dry cleaners in 1962. In recent years, however, the use of perc has declined as more environmentally friendly options arose.
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with David Knight of Kreussler, Inc. about an ever growing in popularity alternative to dry cleaning – professional wet cleaning. David explained that Kreussler, Inc. developed this process in 1985 as a healthier alternative to solvent-based cleaning processes. Professional wet cleaning is the practice of cleaning dry clean only goods in water. But please take note - professional wet cleaning is not like doing laundry. Professional wet cleaners use specialized equipment and processes to safely care for garments. It takes more than just having the special equipment to professionally wet clean a garment. It also takes considerable knowledge and skill as most items being cleaned are not durable goods but rather more fragile pieces. The specialized detergent must do the cleaning so as to eliminate the mechanical action that could lead to shrinkage and dye bleeding. In addition to the specialized detergent, a conditioner must be used so that the fabrics won’t get hard and rough to the hand. Finally, garments must be properly finished.
Why might you want to add a professional wet cleaning system to your dry cleaning plant? First, there are lots of garments that cannot be dry cleaned. For instance, items like beaded dresses, wedding gowns, and silk items are sometimes better suited for professional wet cleaning. Second, water soluble stains tend to come out easier in professional wet cleaning; it’s not that dry cleaning cannot remove them, it’s just that there will be a lot of spotting to get the same result. Third, more of the garments manufactured these days are washable as opposed to 30 years ago when everything had to be dry cleaned. Finally, professional wet cleaning doesn’t produce any hazardous waste.
There are lots of great companies out there that are heavily invested in wet cleaning soaps, conditioners, and processes. Besides Kreussler, companies such as Electrolux, Fabritec, Faultless, and UNX are leading the way in this exciting industry. If you are interested in learning more about professional wet cleaning, feel free to contact us. We are happy to answer any questions you might have.
Web sources site the first form of dry cleaning being used by the ancient Romans. According to ecocleanaustin.com, they used ammonia and fuller’s earth to launder their woolen togas. Fast forward to the 19th century where Jean Baptiste Jolly, a French dye-works owner, noticed that his tablecloth became cleaner after his maid spilled lamp oil on it. He then developed a clothes cleaning service using this process which ultimately became known as dry cleaning. According to drycleancoalition.org, perc became the solvent of choice for dry cleaners in 1962. In recent years, however, the use of perc has declined as more environmentally friendly options arose.
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with David Knight of Kreussler, Inc. about an ever growing in popularity alternative to dry cleaning – professional wet cleaning. David explained that Kreussler, Inc. developed this process in 1985 as a healthier alternative to solvent-based cleaning processes. Professional wet cleaning is the practice of cleaning dry clean only goods in water. But please take note - professional wet cleaning is not like doing laundry. Professional wet cleaners use specialized equipment and processes to safely care for garments. It takes more than just having the special equipment to professionally wet clean a garment. It also takes considerable knowledge and skill as most items being cleaned are not durable goods but rather more fragile pieces. The specialized detergent must do the cleaning so as to eliminate the mechanical action that could lead to shrinkage and dye bleeding. In addition to the specialized detergent, a conditioner must be used so that the fabrics won’t get hard and rough to the hand. Finally, garments must be properly finished.
Why might you want to add a professional wet cleaning system to your dry cleaning plant? First, there are lots of garments that cannot be dry cleaned. For instance, items like beaded dresses, wedding gowns, and silk items are sometimes better suited for professional wet cleaning. Second, water soluble stains tend to come out easier in professional wet cleaning; it’s not that dry cleaning cannot remove them, it’s just that there will be a lot of spotting to get the same result. Third, more of the garments manufactured these days are washable as opposed to 30 years ago when everything had to be dry cleaned. Finally, professional wet cleaning doesn’t produce any hazardous waste.
There are lots of great companies out there that are heavily invested in wet cleaning soaps, conditioners, and processes. Besides Kreussler, companies such as Electrolux, Fabritec, Faultless, and UNX are leading the way in this exciting industry. If you are interested in learning more about professional wet cleaning, feel free to contact us. We are happy to answer any questions you might have.
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