Many dry cleaners charge more to launder a woman’s shirt then they do a mans. Recently there have been a number of lawsuits filed against the dry cleaning industry to force cleaners to charge the same. Women often feel discriminated against by this price discrepancy and rightfully so.
Due to increasing woman participation in the professional workforce more and more women are needing dry cleaning and laundry services and don’t want to have to pay more to get the same service.
It’s a Man’s World….Or at Least it Used to be…
Although the dry cleaning industry can trace it’s heritage to as early as the 1600′s dry cleaning didn’t come to prominence as an industry until the early 1900′s with the advent of steam powered dry cleaning presses.
At the time the business industry was dominated predominately by men with most women being content to living a life of watching the kids and “taking care of their man” who was often the sole bread winner so it made sense for dry cleaner equipment manufacturers to cater to their target markets-target market, which was men.
The first laundry presses ever made were built with men in mind and because the shirt sizes and cuts didn’t vary greatly most shirt presses were built with the medium to large sized man in mind (most “shirt bucks” are still made to press a med to large sized mans shirt).
Speed is Huge Factor Affecting Dry Cleaning
In the dry cleaning industry speed is a huge factor that cleaners have to take into account. A lot of dry cleaners have next day and even one day service and the faster you can finish clothes ultimately determines the volume you can handle and the money you can make.
Because they manufacture the laundry presses with men in mind in order to press a woman’s shirt you have to deviate from the same pressing style as a man’s shirt and thus the process takes three times what it takes to press a mans shirt.
How Austin Cleaners is Different
The real issue in regards to pressing ladies shirts is the size of the shirt and not really the gender of the shirt owner. For instance if you have a shirt that is a ladies large and it will fit on our normal shirt press then we only charge the customer for the normal price it costs to launder a mans shirt.
The only time Sir Austin charges a little more is if the shirt is so small (or the cut is prohibitive) that it can not fit on the normal laundry press and it takes more time to press the shirt through an alternative method.
Sir Austin wants his lady customers and friends (and trust me he has LOTS of “lady friends”) to know that he will never charge them more simply because they are women. He will only charge more if it costs us more to press a shirt thus being as as fair to all parties as possible!
Local Dry Cleaners in Nashua, New Hampshire lent a much needed helping hand to the local Salvation Army to equip unemployed residents with necessary tools for successful job seeking. Major Carl Carvil, CEO of the Nashua Salvation Army said, “In this tough economy, with so many people out of work, in addition to basic necessities, we want to help those seeking work to be prepared”.
For a time this summer, the Nashua Salvation Army ran a “Dress for Success” program with inspiring results.
Free Suits For Job Seekers
Job seekers visited the Nashua Salvation Army to receive free business clothing to wear on interviews and to job fairs. The dry cleaners involved in conjunction with the Salvation Army Thrift Store all donated men and women’s business suits, dress shirts, socks, neckties, skirts, dresses, blouses, hosiery and shoes in fine condition.
“One issue with job interviews is first impression,” said Tom Jenkins, chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. “We are affording people looking for work the chance to dress appropriately.”
Sir Austin commends the Salvation Army and all dry cleaners involved in the program for helping job seekers look their best.
(blood, egg) Spray spot with diluted dish washing-soap solution & allow to sit. Rinse in lukewarm water. If stain persists soak in an enzyme detergent then wash as usual.
VEGETABLES & FRUITS
(juice, jelly) Quickly spray with a diluted dish washing-soap solution. Next, flush the stain with vinegar & hydrogen peroxide. Finally, use an enzyme detergent and wash per label directions.
GRASS
In a well ventilated area apply a dry solvent (mineral spirits or acetone) to the stain. Using cheesecloth and a soft-bristled brush, remove as much of the stain as possible by pressing down with the cloth then lightly scrubbing with the brush; repeat as necessary. Rinse stain in isopropyl alcohol & allow to dry naturally. Apply an enzyme detergent to the stained area then wash as usual.
LIPSTICK
Scrape off as much of the lipstick as possible, apply dry solvent & gently dab with a soft brush. Rinse area with isopropyl alcohol. Repeat until no pigment is visible & allow to dry naturally. Soak with diluted dish washing-soap solution. Use an enzyme detergent & wash as usual.
RED WINE
Generously apply a diluted dish washing-soap mixture & dab at the stain with a soft brush. Rinse stain with water & apply vinegar with a cotton ball, dabbing lightly. Allow item to sit a few minutes before repeating above steps. If stain is still visible, try treating with hydrogen peroxide. Rinse area with water, apply an enzyme detergent then wash as usual. Before drying item check for remnants of the stain. If any exists try a powdered non chlorinated color-safe bleach and wash again.
WHITE WINE
Immediately rinse the area with cool water and apply a diluted dish washing-soap solution. Apply an enzyme detergent and wash according to directions.
GREASE
(oil, mayo, butter,
margarine) Treat any stain with a dry solvent, rinse with isopropyl alcohol then let dry. Spray area with a diluted dish washing-soap solution, soak in an enzyme-detergent then wash as usual.
Likenesses of the Virgin Mary have appeared many places; a highway underpass, a tortilla and also on a grilled cheese sandwich that sold on Ebay for $24,000! However witnesses in Harlingen Texas agree that a siting of the Virgin Mary on a dry cleaning press was the real thing. This was the Virgin Mary’s first known visit to a Dry Cleaners.
Janie Guerra, an employee of a Comet Dry Cleaner in Harlingen had just finished eating her lunch when she returned to her pressing station and got the shock of her life. Janie was looking at what she believed could only be the silhouette of the Virgin Mary of Guadelupe on the machine pad she’d been using. She immediately called her co-worker Emma over to see if Emma could also see the image. Emma did and both women were awe struck at what they were seeing. After snapping a photo of the image the two women phoned the owner of the Dry Cleaner.
Dry Cleaner Owner Sees Silhouette As Well
Buddy Fisher, the franchise owner of the Dry Cleaner, has had a life that has been riddled with hardship & tragedy. He’d survived a brain aneurysm, prostate cancer and the murder of one son but his faith in Jesus and the Mother Mary was strong. He said, “When I saw the picture, I said, ‘you have got to be kidding me!’ When you see this, you see it. It leaves nothing to the imagination – it’s that clear.” He told a local television crew “As the owner of a new business, I’ll take divine intervention.” He said,”If the Virgin Mary chooses my store to bless, who am I to complain?”
Dry Cleaner Refuses to Profit Off Likeness
Fisher chose to hand out photo copies of the image instead of turning his machine into a shrine. He and his employees felt it would be wrong to profit from the apparition and soon the image faded with use of the machine. “She’s still there she’s just not on the pad,” Fisher says. “Like Jesus told St. Thomas, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.’ I believe she’s there all the time. I don’t know why it happened, but it happened. She found a way to tell us that everything is going to be all right.”
Krochet Kids originally started as a way for friends Travis Hartanov and Kohl Crecelius to help raise money for their high school prom. The friends conceived a plan to learn crocheting and start making and selling beanies as a way to raise the money they needed to fund their prom. Little did they know that their small idea would grow to become an international non-profit organization providing great economic opportunities to impoverished families in Africa.
From Vision to Reality
During the summer before the friends freshman year at Whitworth College the three of them went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Seeing the extreme poverty that the Dominicans were living in on a daily basis the three decided to do something to help make a change. Out of their desire for change Krochet Kids was born.
What is Krochet Kids?
Krochet Kids is a non-profit organization that teaches women of impoverished countries how to crochet beanies which the group then turns around and sells to fund the organization. The entire idea is breathtakingly selfless. Not only do the women get a salary for making the beanies but the organization then takes the profits made from selling the beanies and reinvests it back into the very villages in which the beanies are produced.
The Groups Focus Turns to Africa
Although their journey started in the Dominican, Krochet Kids main philanthropic focus is in Uganda Africa.The three friends are committed to not only producing a quality product but also helping to pull African families out of poverty in the process.
Hartanov states that “we kept hearing a lot of our family and friends saying things like ‘this is a great idea’ and ‘you really should pursue this’”. After fund raising for an entire year the trio picked a group of ten friends to travel to Uganda to teach a number of African women to crochet beanies. At first they were worried about how quickly the women would pick up crocheting however after only one day the women were crocheting like pros.
Tangible Results That Make a Real Difference
These women now are employed full time from crochet kids and each women crochets a maximum of three hats per day, a comfortable pace according to Hartanov. In total Krochet Kids now produces 150 beanies per month.
Being a Christian organization Hartanov says they “want to not only provide them with physical work but spiritual development as well”. Hartanov goes on to state that their passion is combining business and mission work together. A noble pairing according to Sir Austin!
The group has plans of ultimately putting the entire operation in the hands of the African women and having them run it all. This will enable Krochet Kids to move on to the next tribe and repeat the same process. When Sir Austin first read about the group he could not wait to tell all his readers about the exciting work that Krochet Kids is doing. Also Sir Austin wants to encourage all beanie wearers and friends of beanie wearers out there to make sure and stock up on the beanies that are krocheting hope for African families!
Every year the dry cleaning industry hosts a major trade show creatively titled “the clean show”. However cleaver the name the show always brings out the heavy hitters of the industry showcasing what is hot right now in the world of dry cleaning clothes. Over the last couple of years I started to notice a trend that has been developing year after year at the clean show .
Clean Goes Green
More and more dry cleaners are looking for ways to green up their businesses and attract eco friendly consumers and industry manufactures are coming up with new technologies to satisfy those requests. Being a staunch advocate of small business and the free market system I am happy to see that the dry cleaning industry is following suit in mking those technologies readily available for dry cleaners wishing to “go green”. Sir Austin will be in attendance and will be sure to report the newest technologies that will be on display!!
White Conveyors is a company that offers innovative conveyor and storing solutions for dry cleaners across the U.S. White has been in business for over 55 yrs. and even though they offer conveyors for all types of businesses they got their start in the dry cleaning business. Currently the company boasts over 75,000 conveyors built under their watch in the U.S. and the world over.
The White Conveyor Co. divides their dry cleaner productivity products into three areas: delivery and dry cleaning automation products, conveyors for storage and sorting and assembly products.
Their website is easy to navigate and has product specifications on each page. Although White was based in the dry cleaning industry they also offer innovative delivery and productivity products for other industries as well.
Automated Dry Cleaner Delivery System
The main product that Sir Austin found to be most interesting that White offers is their automated dry cleaning delivery conveyors. Basically they are automated conveyor systems that allow for automated drop off and pick up of your dry cleaning without having to have an employee present.
These boxes allow the customer to pick up their clothes without having an employee present helping to reduce costs while increasing profits. White offers a number of other different productivity products that increase profitability for the dry cleaner so if your in the market be sure to check out their website.
Dry Cleaning Order Assembly System
Another really cool product that White offers is the Mercury Order Assembly System. The system integrates seamlessly with all major POS systems and can sort up to 300 pieces in an hour with only one operator. In an industry where speed and accuracy is a major concern the Mercury OAS is a dry cleaner owners dream.
After each piece is identified in your POS system you then load that data into the Mercurary. After all garments are cleaned and placed on the conveyor the system then effortlessly sorts all of the orders for you and then places them in the correct location for bagging. Sir Austin gives gives the White Conveyor Co. two thumbs up!
Proctor and Gamble is set to open up dry cleaners in Kansas City, Kansas. The company who makes the popular detergent brand Tide is hoping their success in the home cleaning market will spill over into the commercial dry cleaning market. Vice President for business development, Gary Coombe, stated that the three dry cleaners are slated for a mid-September opening.
Dry Cleaning is a Billion Dollar Industry
Coombe stated that P & G sees an opportunity in the $9 billion a year dry cleaning industry. Coombe also stated that being in the cleaning business in some form or fashion for almost 60 years gives P & G a special start. P & G is making the decision to enter the crowded dry cleaning market after researching customers sentiment in the laundry and dry cleaning markets.
P & G is hoping to make it’s mark on the cleaning industry by being a cut above the rest of dry cleaners in the Kansas market. Coombe stated that “We have reviewed customer sentiment and feel that we can be a step ahead of our competition in the Kansas area”.
Not the First Time Big Businesses Try Hand at Dry Cleaning
This is not the first time that a bigger business that is symbiotic with the dry cleaning industry has tried their hand at the cleaning business. The Men’s Warehouse is another bigger business that also has opened up dry cleaning stores as well. They felt that because they already had a market in place for selling suits it only makes sense to open dry cleaning stores to be able to offer those same customers cleaning as well.
Even as P & G is launching “Total Care”, a home cleaning product that is supposed to keep your clothes looking better longer, be more aggressive on stains and also reduce you dry cleaning bill Coombe still sees growth opportunities. P & G stated that their research also indicated that a large portion of customers are not satisfied with their current dry cleaners and this is seen by the company as opportunity as well.
One major dry cleaning leader in Kansas stated that he was not worried because as he recalled P & G never did well with it’s clean at home product Dryel and he did not see much competition from P & G in the dry cleaning market as well.
It’s hard to believe but The Hanger Network can attribute the start of their company to a stain on a carpet. J.D. Schulman, COO of The Hanger Network was once throwing away a bunch of wire hangers that had been compiling in his closet from his local dry cleaner. After cleaning his closet J.D. began to walk across his mothers white carpet and suddenly the hangers punctured the bag dripping gravy all over her new carpet
J.D. soon conceptualized a replacement for the wire hangers that could be thrown away once you had taken off that freshly cleaned dry cleaning garment. The prototype for the eco-friendly hanger quickly went from concept to realty when they found a way to produce a sturdy alternative to wire hangers for dry cleaners everywhere.
Dry Cleaner Hangers 100% Recyclable
The hangers are one hundred percent recyclable and could displace large amounts of wire hangers that are used by dry cleaners everywhere. Sir Austin has well documented his love for customers who recycle their hangers and he loves this idea even more. Dry cleaners in the U.S. use over 3.5 billion coat hangers a year and what ever we can do to limit them ending up in landfills is a great idea
Hanger Network has even found a way to make the hangers free for the dry cleaners who use them and this is by selling advertising on the hangers themselves. The dry cleaning hangers are paid for by advertisers in all types of businesses. Dry cleaning hangers can cost as much as 8-12 cents a hanger and as with any other business dry cleaners are always looking for ways to cut costs.
The Hanger Network already has national companies lining up to buy ads. From the companies standpoint the program is a symbiotic one for both Hanger Networks and the dry cleaners participating in the advertising program. Schulman states “it was a no brainier. Dry cleaners are always looking for ways to save money and with the explosion of green dry cleaners in the U.S. many of them are looking for ways to make their businesses more eco-friendly as well.”
Eco Friendly Hangers Go National
So far the company has partnered mostly with cleaners in the New York metropolitan area but now they are expanding nationwide. Cleaners Supply, one of the largest dry cleaning product distributors in the world has started to offer dry cleaners the hangers on the homepage of their website.
Sir Austin gives The Hanger Network two green thumbs up for helping to make more Eco Friendly dry cleaners in the world.
Wet cleaning clothes can be equated to washing clothes in your home washing machine and then hanging them to dry as opposed to drying them in a drying machine. After the garments are dry they are then pressed. Wet cleaning is definitely the most environmentally safe cleaning method available because the clothes that are being cleaned are washed in water as opposed to a dry cleaning solvent that is manufactured. In addition, wet cleaning is the best cleaning method in terms of removing stains due to the nature of cleaning with water. As stated in previous blog posts water is a more aggressive cleaning agent than pretty much all dry cleaning solvents on the market.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Drawbacks
However wet cleaning has it’s draw backs. Being a heavier substance, cleaning clothes in water can not only strip color out of garments it can also alter the size and texture of delicate items as well. Therefore wet cleaning clothes is better suited for certain types or garments. However now we have suffisticated laundry machines that don’t agitate the clothes as much as traditional laundry machines. We wet clean a large portion of the clothes that we clean.
Green Cleaning of the Future
Wet cleaning is, in my opinion, going to be the dominant cleaning choice for green dry cleaners in the future. With advancements in wet cleaning machine technology it’s only a matter of time before all garments, including the most delicate ones, will be able to be cleaned in wet cleaning machines and not lose their integrity.
Many dry cleaners charge more to launder a woman’s shirt then they do a mans. Recently there have been a number of lawsuits filed against the dry cleaning industry to force cleaners to charge the same. Women often feel discriminated against by this price discrepancy and rightfully so.
Local Dry Cleaners in Nashua, New Hampshire lent a much needed helping hand to the local Salvation Army to equip unemployed residents with necessary tools for successful job seeking. Major Carl Carvil, CEO of the Nashua Salvation Army said, “In this tough economy, with so many people out of work, in addition to basic necessities, we want to help those seeking work to be prepared”.
Likenesses of the Virgin Mary have appeared many places; a highway underpass, a tortilla and also on a grilled cheese sandwich that sold on Ebay for $24,000! However witnesses in Harlingen Texas agree that a siting of the Virgin Mary on a dry cleaning press was the real thing. This was the Virgin Mary’s first known visit to a Dry Cleaners.
Every year the dry cleaning industry hosts a major trade show creatively titled “the clean show”. However cleaver the name the show always brings out the heavy hitters of the industry showcasing what is hot right now in the world of dry cleaning clothes. Over the last couple of years I started to notice a trend that has been developing year after year at the clean show .
