National Clothesline

The industry’s newest cleaning technology is coming from one of the industry’s oldest companies.

R. R. Street & Co. Inc. introduced its Solvair cleaning system at the California Cleaners Association’s Fabricare 2006 in Long Beach, CA, last month. Prior to its unveiling at the show, the system was in research and development by Street’s for eight years and a prototype machine has been cleaning all types of garments for the past two years, said Ross Beard, president and CEO of Street’s. Beard said it has been operating in “near commercial conditions” for the past six months, and over the past two months has been processing retail cleaning.

“We believe it is even better than perc, and we believe perc is the best that is available today,” Beard said.

Although it is a new concept, parts of the machine will be familiar to cleaners. As described by Street’s engineer Tim Racette, the machine consists of two sections — a low-pressure side and a high-pressure side. On the low-pressure side, clothes are cleaned in a rotating wheel into which solvent is pumped, circulated and filtered. A high-speed extraction removes most of the solvent at the end of the wash cycle.

The departure from the conventional occurs at the next step, but even here some cleaners will be familiar with the process. Instead of drying in a heated tumbler, the high-pressure side kicks in. Liquid carbon dioxide is used to rinse and dry the garments under 600 pounds of pressure. After four rinses, the pressure in the wheel is reduced until the liquid CO2 converts back to a gas, leaving the garments dry, clean and free of solvent.

“With CO2 drying, we can use solvents not used in the past,” Racette explained.

The Solvair solvent is described by Street’s as a “fluid that combines proprietary additives with an effective and environmentally-friendly solvent for exceptional cleaning power.”

Racette said the Solvair fluid has a minimal evaporation rate, a flash point above 200°F and low fugitive emissions. A single drop takes seven hours to evaporate, he said. Most of the fluid is recovered in the process with minimal loss in still residue and cartridges.

In the drying process, much of the CO2 is recovered, also, with a loss of about six pounds per load. The CO2 penetrates quickly and dissolves any cleaning fluid remaining in the garments. Drying temperature in the CO2 is 44°F which prevents the setting of stains. There is less mechanical action in the drying process, also. Racette said the clothes seemingly float while rinsing in the CO2.

The entire cycle takes 30 minutes. With a wheel capacity of 30 pounds, the system can process 60 pounds of garments per hour.

Street’s expects the machine to sell initially for about $125,000 and, while that’s considerably more than what one would pay for a more conventional 30-lb. machine, the company said that the overall cost per load to operate the machine will be similar to or less than other systems.

Several factors lead Street’s to that conclusion. First are the shorter cycle times. Also, all types of garments can be cleaned together so there is little need for sorting and classifying or running special, partial loads for certain types of garments. Not using heat in drying will save on utility costs.

Drying without heat and reduced mechanical action also means garments should be easier to finish.

Cleaners could also expect to save on hazardous waste costs and, in states where solvent surcharges are in place, they could avoid those costs, also.

Labor savings could also be realized. Mark Rockcastle, Street’s executive vice president, said the company will recommend no pre-spotting for garments to be cleaned in the Solvair machine. Most stains should come out in the wash cycle but any that remain should be easy to remove because no heat is used in drying.

Overall there should be less labor involved in processing garments in Solvair and the labor would not have to be as skilled either. Since all garments are processed at the same time, there is no need for different programs on the machine to accommodate different types of loads.

The machine comes in three separate components — the high-pressure CO2 side, the low pressure solvent side and a compressor — that can fit through a standard double-door. It uses about 56 square feet of floor space, similar to a 75-lb hydrocarbon machine. “It can drop into place where there is an existing machine,” Rockcastle said.

Training and tech support will be supplied by Street’s. The machine has an on-board diagnostics and a modem so that data on its operation can be relayed to Street’s. Operators can then be advised if any maintenance or adjustment is needed.

Street’s will also help potential buyers with an analysis that will compare their current cleaning costs to what costs would be if they were using Solvair and provide planning and installation advice for potential users.

Street’s goal is to have the Solvair operating at five demonstration sites by February 2007. The sites will be in major population centers so cleaners can visit and see the system in operation. By next summer, the company hopes to have Solvair installed in 50 plants.

For those who can wait a bit, the price might go down. Within a few years as the Solvair becomes more widely adopted, Beard said he thinks the cost of the machine could drop to about $90,000.