National Clothesline

With an array of cleaning system options now available and continued pressure on perc, the industry ’s favored solvent, the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute is advising cleaners who are planning to purchase a new system to first consider using one of the non-perc alternatives.

The advice is part of “A Review and Evaluation of Industry Solvents” released by DLI during its solvent options seminar on Tuesday morning at Clean ’07 in Las Vegas.

The review and evaluation examines all of the major systems available to cleaners — perc, petroleum and hydrocarbon, Green
Earth, carbon dioxide and Solvair, Drysolv (n-Propyl Bromide), Pure Dry, Rynex and wetcleaning. Users with experience in all of those systems, except for Rynex, participated on the panel, telling listeners about their trials and triumphs with each system.

The DLI paper noted that more work has been done on equipment for perc and its detergent systems than any other solvent and “the modern day perc system arguably continues to give the best overall cleaning results of any solvent. ”

Also, DLI said, it believes that “the best evidence indicates that perc is unlikely to be a human carcinogen and that it is unlikely to contribute to neurological or developmental problems. ”

Nevertheless, regulatory pressures continue to mount. California adopted a statewide phase-out of perc earlier this year and there have been rumblings in other states — notably New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York — that bans might be in the offing. When revising its clean-air rules for drycleaners last year, EPA resisted pressure from environmentalists to initiate a nationwide ban but did enact a phase-out of perc operations in co-residential locations.

Life for perc cleaners also has been made difficult by some landlords who, concerned about potential liability for soil and groundwater contamination, have refused to permit perc cleaning systems on their properties. Negative media portrayals of perc add to the hassles of those using the solvent, estimated to be about 80 percent of all drycleaners in the United States.

“In light of the regulatory/political issues and media scrutiny of perc, DLI believes that a member considering an investment in a new drycleaning system would be best advised to first consider alternative solvents and to evaluate them against the difficulties of using perc today, ” the evaluation concluded.

The complete report will be published by DLI in the next issue of its magazine.

A few of the cleaners who have already opted for alternatives participated on the solvents option panel sponsored by DLI at the Clean Show. One panelist, Chris Edwards of A Cleaner World in High Point, NC, continues as a perc cleaner, which his company has used since it was founded in 1969. He noted that he experimented with GreenEarth and DF 2000 but currently is 100-percent perc.

“We believe that with today’s equipment and with proper operator training, we can still do what is best for our customers ’ garments while at the same time protecting from a release to the environment,” he said.

One of the many cleaners who has switched from perc to hydrocarbon was panelist Gary Dawson, a former DLI president and the owner of Bellair Bluffs Cleaners in Bellair Bluffs, FL.

The advantages he has found, in addition to minimal regulations, include the fact that hydrocarbon is easier on fabrics, especially items with sequins, plastics and elastics, and there are fewer problems with zippers. Also, no special pressing procedures or equipment were needed to make the switch.

However, Dawson cautioned would-be switchers that the cost of the equipment is 50 to 60 percent higher than an equivalent perc system and that running times per load are longer. The machines require more maintenance, too, he said. Water separators need to be cleaned weekly and base tanks once or twice a year to prevent bacteria build-up. Also, care must be taken not to put damp items or anything with chemical residue into the cleaning machine.

Panelist Tom Ustanik of Lansing Cleaners in Lansing, IL, has had experience with just about every kind of cleaning system and he is one of a relative handful of cleaners using carbon dioxide, having installed a Micell system in 1999. The carbon dioxide machines have a high initial cost, he said, but they are engineered for a long life. He expects to get 20 years out of his unit.

Carbon dioxide is gentle on garments and, because there is no heat involved in drying, shrinkage issues are minimal and pressing is faster and easier. Up to 25 percent of his volume can be processed through a steam tunnel with little or no touch-up, he said.

Another advantage is the ability to run full 50-lb. capacity loads every time (with a cycle time of 40 minutes) because there is no need to separate loads by color and weight or to isolate potential bleeders.

On the downside, Ustanik said that water-based stains do not come out in carbon dioxide although they are easy to remove after cleaning since they are brought to the surface of the fibers and there is no heat to set them. He noted that carbon dioxide can ’t be used on every garment, giving as examples triacetate, some acetates and garments with glued-on beads that have hollow centers and no hole.

He also cautioned that in some cases built-up latex appliques and letters can absorb the liquid carbon dioxide and bubble up.

Ustanik said he chose to make his business as “green” as possible in part because he felt the size of his operation made him a target for regulatory enforcement. So far all the citations he has received have been good ones. Accolades have come not only from environmental agencies but also from Greenpeace. He believes, the consumer-driven push to make businesses environmentally conscious will continue to grow and cleaners will have to adapt.

“Green” is part of the name of one of the alternatives. And speaking on GreenEarth at the seminar was Fran Sadler who has been using the solvent at Medlin Davis Cleaners in Raleigh, NC. Sadler said Medlin Davis has three Green
Earth plants serving nine retail stores, cleaning 800 to 1,300 pieces per day.

At the main location, the switch to GreenEarth was due to a landlord’s stipulation, she said. At the other two locations, Medlin Davis owns the real estate and the switch was made to head off future liability and maintain the marketability of the property.

GreenEarth, she said, is gentle on garments and keeps them looking like new for longer. There is virtually no odor, very little free lint and clothes have an extremely soft hand, she added.

But, like Dawson’s experience with hydrocarbon, longer running times necessitated larger capacity equipment to maintain the same level of production. Also, Sadler said, operators must be diligent to prevent odor problems developing from bacteria. Separators must be cleaned weekly and base tanks, steam coils and condensing coils need to be cleaned twice a year.

Over the last year, cleaners have been hearing about another new solvent, n-propyl bromide, sold under the trade name Drysolv. Panelist Joe Iannarelli of Fi-Del Inc. in Bridgeville, PA, was the first cleaner to use the solvent, dropping it in as a replacement for perc about 18 months ago.

Iannarelli said only minor changes to his existing perc machine were needed to begin using Drysolv. Steam pressure in the still was reduced to 10 psi and the drying temperature was turned down to 110F. Satisfied with Drysolv results in one machine, Iannarelli has since dropped it in to his other two machines.

On the plus side, he cited more production with cycle times in the 30-minute range and fewer wrinkles due to a lower drying temperature. On the other hand, the solvent costs $40 a gallon, a cost that is somewhat offset by lower utility expenses because of reduced drying temperature, he said.

Iannarelli called Drysolv a “workhorse” solvent that produces excellent cleaning results. He said he has been processing 6,000 to 10,000 pounds per week in his three older-model machines and has had no corrosion issues or other mechanical problems.

A cleaner who has used all the solvents discussed by the other panelists and who plans to be starting up a Solvair machine from Street ’s soon spoke on behalf of wetcleaning at the seminar. Tom Janick of Craft Cleaners in Princeton, NJ, said that throughout his experience with the the other solvents, the common thread has been his use of wetcleaning.

One of his plants was 100-percent wetcleaning for a while, he said, but now it is used as an adjunct to solvent cleaning.

“Our experiment running 100 percent wetcleaning convinced us that while it was a valuable experience which forced us to learn about reading care labels and proper classification, it was too great a departure from what we were comfortable with in a high-volume operation, ” he said.

Wetcleaning accounts for 30 to 60 percent of his cleaning, depending on the season and the location of the plant — he has operations in Florida and New York in addition to New Jersey.

Janick said he has been pleased with the cleaning efficacy of wetcleaning and that stain removal has been easier. Wetcleaning also led him to use tensioning equipment for finishing and now he would never go back to traditional presses.

Cycle times for wetcleaning are shorter but countering that is the need for running more loads to accommodate the more extensive sorting and classification required for wetcleaning, he said. A batch of 50 garments might need to be sorted into as many as six different categories and since lots are broken down into different loads “reassembling the lots takes discipline,” he said.





							Consider the alternatives, DLI tells cleaners




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							With an array of cleaning system options now available and continued pressure on perc, the industry ’s favored solvent, the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute is advising cleaners who are planning to purchase a new system to first consider using one of the non-perc alternatives. The advice is part of “A Review and Evaluation of Industry Solvents” released by DLI during its solvent options seminar on Tuesday morning at Clean ’07 in Las Vegas. The review and evaluation examines all of the major systems available to cleaners — perc, petroleum and hydrocarbon, Green Earth, carbon dioxide and Solvair, Drysolv (n-Propyl Bromide), Pure Dry, Rynex and wetcleaning. Users with experience in all of those systems, except for Rynex, participated on the panel, telling listeners about their trials and triumphs with each system. The DLI paper noted that more work has been done on equipment for perc and its detergent systems than any other solvent and “the modern day perc system arguably continues to give the best overall cleaning results of any solvent. ” Also, DLI said, it believes that “the best evidence indicates that perc is unlikely to be a human carcinogen and that it is unlikely to contribute to neurological or developmental problems. ” Nevertheless, regulatory pressures continue to mount. California adopted a statewide phase-out of perc earlier this year and there have been rumblings in other states — notably New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York — that bans might be in the offing. When revising its clean-air rules for drycleaners last year, EPA resisted pressure from environmentalists to initiate a nationwide ban but did enact a phase-out of perc operations in co-residential locations. Life for perc cleaners also has been made difficult by some landlords who, concerned about potential liability for soil and groundwater contamination, have refused to permit perc cleaning systems on their properties. Negative media portrayals of perc add to the hassles of those using the solvent, estimated to be about 80 percent of all drycleaners in the United States. “In light of the regulatory/political issues and media scrutiny of perc, DLI believes that a member considering an investment in a new drycleaning system would be best advised to first consider alternative solvents and to evaluate them against the difficulties of using perc today, ” the evaluation concluded. The complete report will be published by DLI in the next issue of its magazine. A few of the cleaners who have already opted for alternatives participated on the solvents option panel sponsored by DLI at the Clean Show. One panelist, Chris Edwards of A Cleaner World in High Point, NC, continues as a perc cleaner, which his company has used since it was founded in 1969. He noted that he experimented with GreenEarth and DF 2000 but currently is 100-percent perc. “We believe that with today’s equipment and with proper operator training, we can still do what is best for our customers ’ garments while at the same time protecting from a release to the environment,” he said. One of the many cleaners who has switched from perc to hydrocarbon was panelist Gary Dawson, a former DLI president and the owner of Bellair Bluffs Cleaners in Bellair Bluffs, FL. The advantages he has found, in addition to minimal regulations, include the fact that hydrocarbon is easier on fabrics, especially items with sequins, plastics and elastics, and there are fewer problems with zippers. Also, no special pressing procedures or equipment were needed to make the switch. However, Dawson cautioned would-be switchers that the cost of the equipment is 50 to 60 percent higher than an equivalent perc system and that running times per load are longer. The machines require more maintenance, too, he said. Water separators need to be cleaned weekly and base tanks once or twice a year to prevent bacteria build-up. Also, care must be taken not to put damp items or anything with chemical residue into the cleaning machine. Panelist Tom Ustanik of Lansing Cleaners in Lansing, IL, has had experience with just about every kind of cleaning system and he is one of a relative handful of cleaners using carbon dioxide, having installed a Micell system in 1999. The carbon dioxide machines have a high initial cost, he said, but they are engineered for a long life. He expects to get 20 years out of his unit. Carbon dioxide is gentle on garments and, because there is no heat involved in drying, shrinkage issues are minimal and pressing is faster and easier. Up to 25 percent of his volume can be processed through a steam tunnel with little or no touch-up, he said. Another advantage is the ability to run full 50-lb. capacity loads every time (with a cycle time of 40 minutes) because there is no need to separate loads by color and weight or to isolate potential bleeders. On the downside, Ustanik said that water-based stains do not come out in carbon dioxide although they are easy to remove after cleaning since they are brought to the surface of the fibers and there is no heat to set them. He noted that carbon dioxide can ’t be used on every garment, giving as examples triacetate, some acetates and garments with glued-on beads that have hollow centers and no hole. He also cautioned that in some cases built-up latex appliques and letters can absorb the liquid carbon dioxide and bubble up. Ustanik said he chose to make his business as “green” as possible in part because he felt the size of his operation made him a target for regulatory enforcement. So far all the citations he has received have been good ones. Accolades have come not only from environmental agencies but also from Greenpeace. He believes, the consumer-driven push to make businesses environmentally conscious will continue to grow and cleaners will have to adapt. “Green” is part of the name of one of the alternatives. And speaking on GreenEarth at the seminar was Fran Sadler who has been using the solvent at Medlin Davis Cleaners in Raleigh, NC. Sadler said Medlin Davis has three Green Earth plants serving nine retail stores, cleaning 800 to 1,300 pieces per day. At the main location, the switch to GreenEarth was due to a landlord’s stipulation, she said. At the other two locations, Medlin Davis owns the real estate and the switch was made to head off future liability and maintain the marketability of the property. GreenEarth, she said, is gentle on garments and keeps them looking like new for longer. There is virtually no odor, very little free lint and clothes have an extremely soft hand, she added. But, like Dawson’s experience with hydrocarbon, longer running times necessitated larger capacity equipment to maintain the same level of production. Also, Sadler said, operators must be diligent to prevent odor problems developing from bacteria. Separators must be cleaned weekly and base tanks, steam coils and condensing coils need to be cleaned twice a year. Over the last year, cleaners have been hearing about another new solvent, n-propyl bromide, sold under the trade name Drysolv. Panelist Joe Iannarelli of Fi-Del Inc. in Bridgeville, PA, was the first cleaner to use the solvent, dropping it in as a replacement for perc about 18 months ago. Iannarelli said only minor changes to his existing perc machine were needed to begin using Drysolv. Steam pressure in the still was reduced to 10 psi and the drying temperature was turned down to 110F. Satisfied with Drysolv results in one machine, Iannarelli has since dropped it in to his other two machines. On the plus side, he cited more production with cycle times in the 30-minute range and fewer wrinkles due to a lower drying temperature. On the other hand, the solvent costs $40 a gallon, a cost that is somewhat offset by lower utility expenses because of reduced drying temperature, he said. Iannarelli called Drysolv a “workhorse” solvent that produces excellent cleaning results. He said he has been processing 6,000 to 10,000 pounds per week in his three older-model machines and has had no corrosion issues or other mechanical problems. A cleaner who has used all the solvents discussed by the other panelists and who plans to be starting up a Solvair machine from Street ’s soon spoke on behalf of wetcleaning at the seminar. Tom Janick of Craft Cleaners in Princeton, NJ, said that throughout his experience with the the other solvents, the common thread has been his use of wetcleaning. One of his plants was 100-percent wetcleaning for a while, he said, but now it is used as an adjunct to solvent cleaning. “Our experiment running 100 percent wetcleaning convinced us that while it was a valuable experience which forced us to learn about reading care labels and proper classification, it was too great a departure from what we were comfortable with in a high-volume operation, ” he said. Wetcleaning accounts for 30 to 60 percent of his cleaning, depending on the season and the location of the plant — he has operations in Florida and New York in addition to New Jersey. Janick said he has been pleased with the cleaning efficacy of wetcleaning and that stain removal has been easier. Wetcleaning also led him to use tensioning equipment for finishing and now he would never go back to traditional presses. Cycle times for wetcleaning are shorter but countering that is the need for running more loads to accommodate the more extensive sorting and classification required for wetcleaning, he said. A batch of 50 garments might need to be sorted into as many as six different categories and since lots are broken down into different loads “reassembling the lots takes discipline,” he said.