National Clothesline

Many of the attendees at the Drycleaning Laundry Institute (DLI) Five-Star Management Conference in New Orleans, LA, joined a tour of STARC Cleaners in Slidell, LA, to see the newest Solvair installation. The tour was offered after the close of the conference on Saturday.

Owners Eric and Mary DuBuisson suffered the total loss of their business, Slidell Cleaners, in Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The business had been in DuBuisson’s family since 1929.

Not wanting to give up on their community or their business, the DuBuissons accepted an offer to design, develop and operate a new retail drycleaning operation for STARC, which is a non-profit organization in St. Tammany Parish that provides employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled.

“The new Solvair system fits perfectly with STARC Cleaners’ mission to be “Good for Garments, Good for the Environment and Good for the Community,” Eric DuBuisson said.

The Solvair Cleaning system uses a biodegradable fluid to clean clothes and then dries garments without using heat. Liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) rinses the cleaning solvent from the garment, which is then dried as the CO2 liquid is depressurized, converting it to a gas.

Five-Star attendees and members of the DLI staff watched as DuBuisson put his Solvair machine through its paces, cleaning a load of clothes composed of random regular customer garments and garments chosen specially to illustrate how minimal classification is required with the Solvair System. Test swatches with various stains were also cleaned to illustrate the system’s stain removal capabilities.

“As a second-generation drycleaner with a lot of hours in the cleaning room, I was impressed with the system’s ability to successfully clean a truly mixed load of items, from white lab coats, cotton sweaters and a wedding dress, to shop towels and a red silk blouse efficiently,” said Sto Fox of Fox Cleaners in Greensboro, NC.

Added Mac Davis of Medlin-Davis Cleaners in Raleigh, NC, “The Solvair technology is one of the most exciting developments that I have seen in years. The stain and soil removal are excellent. I could hardly believe my eyes to see a true mixed load of rags and wedding gowns — in addition to mixed colors.”

“We have been anxiously awaiting this new technology,” DuBuisson said. “We are happy to show it off. The cleaning performance is incredible.”

“I feel like a kid at Christmas with the biggest train set on the block — everyone wants to come play at my house,” he added.




						Conference attendees tour Solvair plant





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						Many of the attendees at the Drycleaning Laundry Institute (DLI) Five-Star Management Conference in New Orleans, LA, joined a tour of STARC Cleaners in Slidell, LA, to see the newest Solvair installation. The tour was offered after the close of the conference on Saturday. Owners Eric and Mary DuBuisson suffered the total loss of their business, Slidell Cleaners, in Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The business had been in DuBuisson’s family since 1929. Not wanting to give up on their community or their business, the DuBuissons accepted an offer to design, develop and operate a new retail drycleaning operation for STARC, which is a non-profit organization in St. Tammany Parish that provides employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled. “The new Solvair system fits perfectly with STARC Cleaners’ mission to be “Good for Garments, Good for the Environment and Good for the Community,” Eric DuBuisson said. The Solvair Cleaning system uses a biodegradable fluid to clean clothes and then dries garments without using heat. Liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) rinses the cleaning solvent from the garment, which is then dried as the CO2 liquid is depressurized, converting it to a gas. Five-Star attendees and members of the DLI staff watched as DuBuisson put his Solvair machine through its paces, cleaning a load of clothes composed of random regular customer garments and garments chosen specially to illustrate how minimal classification is required with the Solvair System. Test swatches with various stains were also cleaned to illustrate the system’s stain removal capabilities. “As a second-generation drycleaner with a lot of hours in the cleaning room, I was impressed with the system’s ability to successfully clean a truly mixed load of items, from white lab coats, cotton sweaters and a wedding dress, to shop towels and a red silk blouse efficiently,” said Sto Fox of Fox Cleaners in Greensboro, NC. Added Mac Davis of Medlin-Davis Cleaners in Raleigh, NC, “The Solvair technology is one of the most exciting developments that I have seen in years. The stain and soil removal are excellent. I could hardly believe my eyes to see a true mixed load of rags and wedding gowns — in addition to mixed colors.” “We have been anxiously awaiting this new technology,” DuBuisson said. “We are happy to show it off. The cleaning performance is incredible.” “I feel like a kid at Christmas with the biggest train set on the block — everyone wants to come play at my house,” he added.