National Clothesline

KANSAS CITY, MO — Silicone-based GreenEarth Cleaning solvent has been officially declared a “green” solvent by the Illinois Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council, a ruling that cuts the state’s tax rate on the solvent by at least 82 percent.

The ruling was based on a recommendation by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. As a result of the ruling, the state tax on GreenEarth solvent has now been reduced from $10 per gallon — the same as perc — to $1.75 per gallon if used in a facility that previously used perc or a hydrocarbon solvent.

When used in “virgin” facilities — where no chlorine-based or petroleum-based drycleaning solvents have ever been stored or used — the tax is only 35 cents per gallon, a 96 percent reduction.

The Illinois Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund was established by the Illinois legislature in 1997 at the request of the industry, to pay for the cleanup of spills and/or leaks from drycleaning machines and solvent storage units. The fund is financed by solvent taxes, annual license fees and insurance premiums.

GreenEarth Cleaning solvent is listed as a preferred alternative to ozone-depleting chemicals in the U.S. EPA ’s Significant New Alternative Policy (SNAP). Because any spill of the GreenEarth Cleaning solvent quickly degrades to sand, water and carbon dioxide, it is not regulated by hazardous waste laws such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

GreenEarth Cleaning was created in 1998 by several drycleaners who were looking for an alternative to perc due to increasing regulatory pressure, concern for soil and water contamination, and other business issues. GreenEarth Cleaning ’s patented process is available to drycleaners worldwide.

GreenEarth users have earned 12 environmental awards, including citations from the U.S. EPA and the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

NASHVILLE, TN — The FabriCare Foundation has launched a FabriC.A.R.E. (Clothing and Retail Excellence program) to create partnerships with quality retailers and the foundation and promote excellence in clothing care, customers satisfaction and consumer education.

Through a publicity campaign and point-of-sale promotions, FabriC.A.R.E. will showcase retail partners as having high quality standards in clothing care.

Partners will be recognized for building long-term relationships with customers by providing quality merchandise, excellent customer service and education on maintaining the life of their garments.

Retailers who join the FabriCare Foundation’s partnership will receive nationwide exposure through a publicity campaign, a listing on the foundation ’s retail partners’ web page with a link to the retailer’s web site, cooperation with the foundation’s spokespeople for publicity initiatives, material to create a FabriC.A.R.E. page on the retailer ’s web site, FabriC.A.R.E. cards with tips on maintaining the life of garments and guaranteed service from FabriCare Foundation drycleaners.

NORRISTOWN, PA — Dry Cleaning Computer Systems (DCCS) has announced the full integration and support for Don Desrosier’s Tailwind System. DCCS software allows for the confirmation of the number of pieces, lot number, lot color, style, starting and ending piece. The user has the ability to change the style, lot number, starting and ending piece if needed. All of Tailwind ’s Styles are part of the database and the software can accommodate more.

LOUISVILLE, OH — No-Pucks has been invented by a drycleaner who was searching for a way to prevent unsightly marks left on the shoulders of larger-size sweaters, blouses, shirts and silks.

No-Pucks patent-pending design is intended to be used on a wide variety of wire hangers. They attach to the hangers commonly found in a cleaner ’s inventory and are easy for employees to use.

The developer, Fred Wallace of Reno Enterprises Inc., has owned and operated a drycleaning plant 14 years. He believes that No-Pucks will provide the advantage drycleaners need to justify pricing for quality pressed garments. He plans to exhibit No-Pucks at the Clean Show next month.

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Kaeser Compressors has announced the availability of its new 16-page four-color SmartPipe product catalog. The catalog provides technical details such as part numbers, product dimensions, weights and material information on Kaeser ’s modular aluminum compressed air distribution system.

All the specifications on SmartPipe, the versatile piping system featuring lightweight materials and push-to-fit connectors that can be installed without threading, welding or sweating, are included along with advice on how SmartPipe can be integrated into existing systems and modified to accommodate changing needs.

BOULDER, CO — Steve Boorstein, aka The Clothing Doctor, has developed a 90-minute live presentation, complete with clothing props, Q&A sessions, and “leave behind materials” for drycleaners and their customer service representatives.

These “Test Your CSR” seminars follow on the heels of Boorstein’s on-line “TestMyCSR,” which can be sampled on the web at www.testmycsr.com.

A recent seminar given to 30 CSRs at Burke’s Cleaners in Fort Collins, CO, revealed considerable thirst for information, education, and guidance, Boorstein said. Presented at 7:30 p.m. at the main plant in Loveland, the seminar was well attended.

Boorstein shared his vision of empowering the customer and helping them help themselves and the drycleaner until they could get their clothing to Burke ’s for professional care.

CSRs asked pertinent questions and learned how to be more attentive to customers’ needs, how to ask the right questions, how to identify pre-existing conditions, how to advise men about shrinkage in collars and the dangers of extended use of starch, how to “blot and stop” on silk neckties and silk blouses, and how to keep their alterations department busy.