Drycleaning is a global industry says Chris Tebbs, executive director of the International Drycleaners Congress. In broad terms it varies little from country to country. With the exception of the USA and Japan, small, family-owned businesses dominate and apart from language have much in common. Shops look similar, clean a similar range of garments using similar equipment.
Common challenges include coping with rules and regulations, particularly those relating to the environment, and staying profitable while costs rise but the number of garments needing drycleaning falls.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the industry’s poor image. To help address this Tebbs quoted five rules for an effective business.
Be professional: Make sure staff have the right skills and that both staff and shop look smart.
Convenience matters: This doesn’t require a high street location. Home or office delivery/collection services, flexible opening hours and good parking arrangements all add to the convenience.
Be sales oriented: Counter staff must communicate well. Businesses should look for opportunities beyond the store, such as recommendations from fashion outlets. Diversify into related services.
Be environmentally responsible: Follow best practice as recommended by industry associations or the
e-dryclean training program. Become part of the recycle culture and let your customers know.
Market the business: Proactively promote the brand beyond the store, for example on packaging and delivery vans. Get to know your customers better by being part of the community.
Eamonn McCarron, advisory services manager for North Lanarkshire Council Trading Standards, argued that his organisation and industry bodies such as TSA and The Guild should see themselves as working in partnership.
Trading Standards is not just a policing body, it also advises businesses and helps them to be aware of their legal rights and responsibilities. Drycleaners are legally responsible to the customer for a collection/delivery service that is operated by an agent. Similarly if another business sub-contracts work to them, the sub-contracting company is responsible. In both cases it is essential to explain to the other company how you work.
As part of best practice, drycleaners should encourage staff to study for qualifications such as the Guild Q-Stars, or NVQ3.
In retail, problems will often stem from failure to meet customers’ expectations although these are not always realistic. He advised drycleaners to try to explain to the customer what had happened and to refer the matter to Trading Standards if the customer would not listen. A complaint log can be useful if the problem escalates. Expert witnesses may also be helpful but check they have appropriate credentials.
Get the best out of an inspector’s visit. Trading Standards requires inspectors to give clear explanations of their actions – 95% of problems are dealt with in one working day.
Visible signs of professionalism will help the business. Display official membership logos and training certificates. Explain to the inspector how the business operates and ask questions – "Trading standards is here to help," said McCarron. "If you are not satisfied, complain.
TSA’s Murray Simpson started by stressing that TSA and The Guild still have a strong partnership, even though the Guild secretariat had now gone to another source.
He explained that at the end of 2012 TSA had held a strategy day in an attempt to define what it stood for and was trying to achieve.
"We want to build an organisation that will help members’ businesses stay sustainable and grow more profitable," said Simpson.
He added that TSA aimed to demonstrate that its members were better than the rest and focussed on best practice and health and safety.
Martyn Lewis then introduced a video that TSA had produced to promote best practice in stain removal by highlighting the type of techniques employed by less skilled cleaners and showing the worst case results.
It then explained some of the principles of stain removal best practice.
The spotting area should be clean and tidy, with clearly labelled chemicals and a spotting chart.
Check the table inside as well as out. Follow the garment’s care label and make sure that all its meanings are understood – a one-dot iron warns against high steam temperatures
One garment can have different types of stain, which will need different treatments.
Use a clean absorbent cloth beneath the stain to avoid chemical spills causing damage,
After removing the stain, flush the treated area to remove moisture and dry it with air, vacuum and reverse steam before cleaning.
Most importantly, know when to stop. Some stains can never be removed completely, particularly those on delicates.
Wetcleaning – the next generation
A second generation of wetcleaning systems is emerging as interest in alternatives to perc grows. So the organisers had invited two speakers to look at this from different angles.
Andreas Thiel from Seitz examined the benefits of this method. He defined wetcleaning as "the cleaning of textiles in water using special professional technology (cleaning, extraction, finishing) and chemicals and additives to minimise any negative effects."
To prove its worth a wetcleaning system must provide optimum soil and stain removal, the best possible protection for the textile fibres and be able to minimise creasing to reduce the time needed to finish garments and fabrics correctly.
Most second generation systems meet these requirements but Seitz claims its 2.0 system exceeds them.
Thiel said that in general, professional wetcleaning systems can successfully clean most structured textiles, with the exception of very delicate fabrics such as raw silk. Garments with a special finish should only be treated this way if other methods would not clean satisfactorily or the fabric was too delicate.
He then showed how wetcleaning could satisfy requirements such as cleaning power and removal of bleachable stains.
Professional cleaning business Mason McLean relies solely on wetcleaning.
From the start, Shaun Mason aimed to set the business apart by targetting the top end of the market.
He made sure that he and his staff were thoroughly trained by studying for NVQ levels one and two.
He is a member of both TSA and the Guild and of the BDMA (the organisation for the restoration drycleaning sector).
Over two years after the business opened, Mason believes that the decision to aim for a wetcleaning only business has proved successful and profitable. Initially he did have a perc machine but gradually proved he could clean a wide range of items using his Electrolux Lagoon system and finally switched off the perc machine in 2012.
Examples of the work he has processed by wetcleaning include
high-tech designer handbags, leather goods, a very elaborate silk curtain that had been flood damaged and even a stuffed parrot and Masonic banners.
He has also proved that this business can be profitable – charges can be very high for the more specialised items.
Marketing is carefully planned and targeted. He does offer discounts but does not promote them in the windows.
He listed some of the benefits he had gained from relying solely on wetcleaning:
Reduced water and utility costs
Lower detergent costs
Improved stain removal with reduced need for pre-spotting.
Using wetcleaning does mean the business spends more time in fabric sorting and some tasks, such as removing grease from silks and cleaning curtains, can be more difficult.
In its favour, he deals with fewer compensation claims and is convinced this is "the greenest" method.
Darren Walker of Alex Reid sought to answer the question:"What will be the drycleaning solvent of the future?"
The drycleaning industry is changing in character and the emphasis is now on professional cleaning rather than drycleaning.
Sales in the sector have fallen by 26% since 2006 and this has been influenced by several factors, the smoking ban, the economic decline, a shift in consumer trends and pressures for solvent change.
Globally restrictions on perc are growing. California led the way, and several other states are imposing severe restrictions. In Europe, France has ratified a ban from 2022.
He reminded the audience that perc had gained its dominance because it gave good cleaning results and there was no clear alternative with a similar cost:performance ratio.
Anti-perc pressures include limited solvent production, past problems with soil and groundwater contamination and fears that drycleaners might have to face remediation charges here as they have done in the USA.
Solvon K4, GreenEarth, hydrocarbon, and wetcleaning all have potential.
Alex Reid has spent a lot of time with K4, which has a similar Kb value to perc but the machines are more expensive than perc equipment and also than hydrocarbon machines.
The price is on a par with GreenEarth equipment but using the K4 system has the advantage of not requiring its users to pay a licence fee.
The industry seems to be in a turmoil over the next solvent but Walker believes that is up to each business to choose the solvent system that suits type of work it processes and the customers it attracts. He concludes:"One size does not fit all."
Phil Hicks, of Montpellier PR is convinced that the way ahead for business communications lies in social media, a collective term for websites that allow users to communicate with each other. He gave a quick guide with Global and UK stats for the main platforms, Facebook 3million, UK 33 million, LinkedIn 200million UK 11.5million; Twitter 200million (active) and 10 million, Google 800million and 33million, You Tube 343million and 3.5million and Pinterest, 25million and 200million.
He quoted stats about the relationship between brands and their use by social media, and to illustrate how and why consumers used these sites, but said users wanted answers and directions not messages and sales pitches.
The numerous Health and Safety regulations are seen as encouraging a compensation culture or imposing yet more red tape on overburdened small businesses.
For some time now reports have called for reform and the government has responded as part of its pledge to reduce the administrative burden for businesss and specialist consultant and former drycleaner Mike Clark summarised the changes.
From April 2013, businesses will only be subject to inspection if they are operating in a high risk area, or an employee has complained or following an accident.
They will only be held liable for civil damages if they can be shown to have acted negligently.
Clark stressed that businesses must still take sensible precautions to avoid problems as much as possible, and he advised businesses to get further information by visiting www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/health-and-safety.
An underlining theme of TSA/Guild conferences is the importance of training and qualifications to raise skill levels.
Much of the success of the Guild in promoting this has been due to its officers. President Archie Kerr made a special reward to Adrian Redgate who has been pro-active in The Guild since 2003, holding various posts from IT officer to President. Redgate was now stepping down as a Guild officer but will still be a Guild member.
