National Clothesline

We wince whenever we hear that a government agency is coming out with new regulations for drycleaners. It always means more trouble and expense are on the way. In the worst case, it means the very livelihoods of drycleaners will be in jeopardy. So it was with trepidation that we began reading the latest proposal from EPA which amends the rules it adopted in 1993 to curtail perc emissions from drycleaners. In our view, the industry has done a commendable job reducing perc emissions. Some of that may be due to the 1993 rules, but much of it is simply the implementation of better drycleaning technology. By the time the clean-air rules took effect, the industry had already reduced its perc consumption dramatically. The 175 million gallons used by U.S. drycleaners in 1993 represented a 33 percent reduction from the level of just seven years before. But that was just the beginning. Now annual perc consumption in drycleaning is about one-fifth what it was in 1993.

Commendable, indeed, although we weren’t expecting to hear commendations from EPA as we began reading the proposed changes to the rules. Those expectations were met. No pat on the back from EPA, which still thinks the industry can do better. Now the agency wants cleaners to buy detectors capable of finding tiny perc leaks in the drycleaning system that might otherwise go undetected by eye or nose. For most drycleaners, that will be the extent of the effect of the new rules. And we were right — more trouble and more expense, but, fortunately, nothing that threatens anyone’s livelihood.

There are still some issues to be resolved, particularly concerning cleaners located in buildings with residences. Most of these cleaners are in New York and California where they are covered by existing state regulations. We think that is sufficient,. So if EPA doesn’t want to commend the industry for a job well done, it should do the next best thing — leave cleaners alone.

What if drycleaning customers could steam press their clothes at home without ever picking up an iron? If somebody could invent a machine capable of doing this requiring no effort on the part of the consumer, it could prove to be a thorn in the side to the industry. After all, one saving grace for cleaners is that they can perform magic on garments for those who do not have the motivation or means to do the job themselves at home. Who wants to waste their precious time and put forth any effort?

Oftentimes, when new “home drycleaning” products are released there is usually some speculation as to whether they are even capable of taking some business away from cleaners. Most of the time, that answer is a resounding “no,” but that doesn’t stop major manufacturers from trying again and again. Recently, LG Electronics joined the fray when they announced the advent of their new SteamWasher which is “like a washing machine that uses steam instead of plain water.”

The Tromm front-loader device boasts an extra large capacity drum (4.0 cubic feet) so consumers can wash more clothes, and it uses 44 percent less water than conventional washers. Because garments won’t be fully immersed in liquid, there stands to be less shrinkage. Additionally, the SteamWasher can unwrinkle garments and remove odors in minutes. It also has a remote-monitoring feature that allows consumers to track the progress of their clothes from a short distance.

Wired magazine put it on its 2005 list of “supercool gadgets for the technophile’s holiday wish list” and described it as a “cappuccino maker for fashion.” It sounds pretty cool, but there is a rub: LG is charging a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,499. That’s a lot of money for a fancy washing machine that purportedly reduces trips to the drycleaner, even though it still won’t match the quality workmanship produced by good cleaners and it won’t remove any stains.

It is painfully clear that major manufacturers believe that there is a “home drycleaning” market for them into which to tap and they aren’t going to give up anytime soon. These companies will continue to try to make small inroads in the drycleaning market and each new product gradually improves upon its predecessor, stealing a few more dollars from the industry. Of course, most consumers will still prefer to take their clothes to their favorite cleaning plant, provided they believe they can obtain a much superior quality there. So, really, the only cleaners who need to be worried are the ones who cannot answer yes to the questions: Is your quality at the high level it needs to be, and do your customers realize it?