wetcleaning

Potential still to be fulfilled

1 August 2006



Wetcleaning has many benefits but has not yet found as great a favour in the UK as it has in international markets. Is it due for a boost? asks Elizabeth Griffin


When wetcleaning came to prominence in the 1990s, backed by environmentalists, it looked set to have a big impact on the textile care market.

In the USA, this specialised process has indeed enjoyed some success gaining approval from government bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

However, the technology is yet to have the anticipated impact in the UK, where drycleaning with perc still dominates, and wetcleaning is seen as an ancillary method. Some machine manufacturers though believe that the introduction of a wetcleaning care label and the implementation of the Solvent Emissions Directive (SED) could change its fortune.

Modern wetcleaning is a sophisticated process, employing specialised machines to control variables such as agitation, moisture, and chemicals to clean garments and other textiles that need gentle treatment. Malcolm Martin, product manager at Miele, says that the company was the first to put wetcleaning onto the European market, but he admits that the take-up was not significant: “We were pioneers but the market wasn’t ready.” In North America, however, wetcleaning is now big business, says Martin. “Environmental issues are pushing wetcleaning much more there than here”, and he adds that cleaners are invited to seminars and machine demonstrations. Other European operations – such as Greece – are also getting good business in “Wetcare” (Miele’s branding for wetcleaning).

Martin says that the problems with wetcleaning in the UK are historical.Initial over optimistic claims have made some customers sceptical. But now there is a specific care symbol, Martin believes the market is becoming more receptive: “People see the label in the shops and this creates expectations.”

The Electrolux group has also backed wetcleaning, and Ruth Cornish, marketing manager Electrolux UK, agrees: “As the symbol is implemented by the textile industry it will help consumers to understand that their garments can be wetcleaned professionally. This will drive demand.”

However, opinions differ and Jason Alexander, managing director of Renzacci UK, is not enthusiastic about this method although the parent company has supplied large numbers of wetcleaning machines worldwide, predominantly to the German, Canadian and USA markets. In the UK, says Alexander, the demand would be minimal and the introduction of the wetcleaning symbol has not increased demand.

Yet Martin is adamant about the benefits: “The same washing machines can be used for wetcare as for general applications – it’s the software that determines the programs, that selects the chemicals. Specialist programs enable the user to finely control the process, setting the drum motion, fill level, and so on. All the larger capacity machines offer wetcleaning.”

Martin points out that wetcleaning is more effective at removing organic soils. Drycleaners can expand on standard operations and can offer the customer something that is not chemically tainted. So, he explains, wetcleaning offers quality as well as the environmental benefits.

“We adopted the green issue and this was successful to a certain degree. But hydrocarbon and CO2 were also in development, and a lot of drycleaners sat on the fence and delayed purchasing decisions,” says Martin.

With the implementation of the Solvent Emissions Directive the use of perc and to a lesser extent hydrocarbon and siloxane in drycleaning will be subject to increased regulation. So will this lead cleaners to invest more in technology that does not use these solvents?

Electrolux’s Cornish says the SED will move drycleaners to welcome wetcleaning. But Alexander takes a different view: " Perc is here to stay. The SED has just made people more responsive and they are now investing in higher spec drycleaning systems – not turning to wetcleaning.”

“Wetcleaning is not something we really push. With a high spec drycleaning machine coupled to a stand alone washing machine I feel you have a better set up. If you are a drycleaner who relies solely on wetcleaning then you are on a non-starter as this won’t handle the full workload. If you are a launderer, then these machines can offer an extra dimension. It has a place, but not as a stand-alone method. In the past people made wild claims about wetcleaning – suggesting that it could handle 100% of the drycleaner’s load. But this is not right.”

Colin Hill, managing director of the Blue Dragon drycleaning group, which offers laundry and drycleaning services, says: “A lot of companies were marketing wetcleaning heavily and saying that drycleaning was going down the pan, but that wasn’t the case.”

Space constraints may have deterred some cleaners from having a wetcleaning machine, but now some drycleaning machine manufacturers are introducing systems that do not require a separate unit.

Firbimatic’s Trio is a three-in-one system that offers aqueous processing, drying and drycleaning. The system comes electrically heated or steam heated, with a filtration system and the further option of a distillation system. Jonathan Gray, director of sales for Firbimatic UK says it may be a particularly good option for start-up drycleaners and those with space constraints.

As a firm backer of wetcleaning Electrolux is staking its claim afresh with its Lagoon system, which is said to offer an alternative to drycleaning for all sectors. It promises an environmentally friendly method for the cleaning of all clothing and soft furnishings and it has the endorsement of Woolmark. The system comprises machines, wash programs, special washing products and finishing agents and equipment.

Electrolux has developed a promotional kit, containing window materials, customer handouts and so on. Its specialists can help businesses prepare and implement a project, providing advice, assistance with equipment layout, or help in managing work flows better. Hundreds of units have been supplied world-wide, including installations in Italy, France and Germany. The company is now planning the launch of Lagoon in the UK backed by advertising, seminars and demonstrations.”

While Electrolux is investing much in promoting wetcleaning, some feel that manufacturers have failed to communicate the benefits effectively enough,. Matthew Barker, managing director of Barker Group, says: “We are yet to understand the specific benefits of wetcleaning machinery. It is our belief that the best methods for total fabric care are still the responsible use of perc and old fashioned laundering.”

Likewise, Hill of Blue Dragon says: “We provide both laundry and drycleaning but we have never felt the need to go into the intermediate area of wetcleaning. We don’t do suede or leather work so there is no demand. It is no alternative to drycleaning.”

But at Jeeves of Belgravia, Ron Davidson, production manager finds it beneficial in a wide range of applications. The company offers wetcleaning for garments, from men’s beige trousers to lady’s blouses, to ski wear. “We are all cleaners, not drycleaners” says Davidson. He says that as clothing manufacturers move towards more garments suited to washing and/or wetcleaning, the textile care industry must adapt. “With an increasing amount of cash-rich, time-poor individuals, the wetcleaning percentage of the workload could increase [eventually] to as much as 25% and we must be able to demonstrate our expertise.” The company’s wetcleaning operation has increased over the last year to around 7.5% of the total.

There have been a number of studies carried out into wetcleaning covering its environmental impact, effectiveness and the economics but many UK cleaners remain unconvinced. Many cleaners may feel that the environmental strengths have been allowed to overshadow other considerations and that a sound economic case has still to be made.

But some are becoming more receptive to wetcleaning, though usually offered alongside traditional services, rather than as an exclusive option. However, the market forces that cleaners face, the high cost of new equipment, and the knock-on costs of training and maintenance, are unsurprisingly off-putting. Perhaps the lead needs to come from outside the industry, as Martin of Miele says: “If there were big government grants for environmentally-friendly processing, as there are in Germany, for example, there might be more impetus – and I think that this will come.”


miele_wetclean_duvet miele_wetclean_duvet
Lagoon_Woolmark_W3240_T3530 Lagoon_Woolmark_W3240_T3530
firbimatic_trio firbimatic_trio


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