Roy Pearson, an administrative law judge in Washington D.C. has revived his $54 million suit against a local dry cleaner who he claims lost a pair of his pants. Pearson claims that Soo Chung, owner of Custom Cleaners in Washington, owes him over $54 million for loosing a pair of his pants. Pearson’s suit claims that the dry cleaner owes him the exorbanent fee strictly because the store had a sign that read “satisfaction guaranteed” in their window. Pearson claims that the sign is what drew him in to the store, even though he admittedly claims he had no car at the time of infraction and lived within walking distance from the cleaners. Pearson claims that ”(he) would have never tried the store out if it were not for the sign that stated “satisfaction guaranteed”. In the beginning Custom Cleaners agreed to offer Pearson $1200 for a new suit. When he declined the cleaners then offered him $2000 then $4800 and then finally $12,000.
How Pearson Decided on $54 Million
Pearson justifies the monetary amount of the claim due to a statute in Washington law that states that plaintiffs can sue for up to $1500 a day, per infraction. The suit has been going on for more than 1200 days. In addition, the Washington judge is suing for emotional distress north of $500,000 and an additonal $540,000 for legal fees. (EVEN THOUGH HE IS REPRESENTING HIMSELF!).
Defense attorney for Custom Cleaners, Christopher Manning, stated that “this case is cut and dry. It is all about one sign and a plaintiffs gross misinterpretation of law (and a judge no less!)” Manning also stated that many of Pearson’s peers (trial lawyers) even can’t believe the outlandish lawsuit that is “obviously an abuse of power of the judicial system.”
What His Peers Think of The Suit
Bill Schulz, representative for the American Association of Justice, states that “This is incredible as it is shameful. To essentially try and bankrupt this dry cleaner is a travesty of the legal system.’
Because Pearson is a lawyer he has had to spend relatively nothing to keep this case going. On the other hand, Custom Cleaners has been forced to file for bankruptcy due to the mounting legal fees associated with defending themselves regarding this case.
Sir Austin understands paying just restitution for a mistake that has been made. However for Pearson to be able to abuse the legal system in this manner is a shame. The fact that Pearson was not trying to merely receive just compensation from Custom Cleaners but really trying to inflict the most financial harm on the couple is evident by the fact that he turned down $12,000 for one pair of pants!
If our readers feel so compelled, we encourage you to contribute to Custom Cleaners defense fund by clicking on the line below.
To donate to Custom Cleaners Internet defense fund (Click Here)
Below Is a Video Describing Custom Cleaners Account of the Situation
In it’s basic form, pre-spotting clothes in a commercial dry cleaner can be equated to you placing Shout or other home pre treating agent on a freshly laid stain at your annual Christmas party. However 99% of home stain removal products are essentially “one product fits all” stain removal methods. Pre-spotting in a professional dry cleaner is much different. Different types of stains require different stain removal products and being able to identify what type of stain you are dealing with is the first step in being a great pre-spotter. Whether the item is being dry cleaned or laundered will determine the method you will use to pre-spot the garment.
Clothes that are “dry clean only” are pre-spotted on a machine called a spotting board and the process is much more time consuming than pre-spotting clothes that are going to be laundered. This is because you can’t put any clothes that are wet inside of a dry cleaning machine due to the axious nature of dry cleaning solvents. Therefore each portion of the garment that becomes wet from the spotting gun must also be dried by the hot air peddle. Below is a diagram of a spotting board and an explanation of how the entire process works.
Dry Cleaner Spotting Board Controls
-Vacuum Pedal
The vacuum foot pedal causes a sucking motion that allows the garment to hold fast to the end of the spotting board. This makes it easier for the person pre-spotting the dry cleaned item to keep the garment in one place and position the stain in the middle of the vacuum tray. This is important for the next step, applying steam to the stain area.
-Steam Pedal
The steam pedal is the work-horse of the spotting board. Once compressed, 300 – 350 degree steam hits the surface area of the garment and shakes loose the stained area. Commercial dry cleaning steam lines, by far, heat up hotter than any home pre-spotting steam kit on the market. That is because the steam lines are powered by a piece of equipment that powers the entire dry cleaning plant and is built to distribute extreme heat.
-Hot Air Pedal
As stated before all garment surface area that is hit with steam from the spotting gun must also be dried. Once depressed the hot air pedal sends hot air through the spotting gun and dries the area that has been wetted from the steam. The fact that you have to dry the area that is wet from the steam is the main reason that pre-spotting dry cleaning items very time consuming (compared to pre-spotting laundry, explained in Sir Austin’s next blog post).
SIDE NOTE
Although the pedals act independently from each other and accomplish different functions they are always used in conjunction with one another and the person pre-spotting the dry cleaned garment most of the time presses two of them together to combine functions.
-Spotting Gun
The spotting gun could be called the eyes of the different foot pedals and following is the process of pre-spotting a dry cleaned item from start to finish.
Apply steam to the stain. Next you determine what stain removal product will best fit the stain, apply the product and scrape the area with a scraping tool. Then you spray the area with the steam function hopefully lifting the stain. Finally you dry the area and check to see if the stain has been lifted. If it hasn’t the process is repeated until the stain is gone.
The term “dry cleaning” is actually a misleading statement. The word originated during the 1600’s in early Greece when the Mycenaean’s would use a dry compound to clean stains out of their garments. Although the technology used by dry cleaners to clean clothes has obviously changed significantly over time the word dry cleaning has stuck as the term used to describe a method of cleaning clothes.
Most dry cleaning machines are very similar to the front side loaders that you find in laundry mats across Austin. In fact the two machines look and behave almost identically in terms of how they fill the drum of both machines and also how they agitate. Most solvents that are used in the dry cleaning process are far superior when cleaning delicates then cleaning the garments using water due to the fact that they have a lower PH balance then water making them lighter substances and therefore easier on fabrics. Dry cleaning is far superior at removing stains that are fat soluble and are also superior when trying to preserve the color, size and texture of a certain garment. Dry cleaning however is not as effective when removing stains that are water soluble.
Dry Cleaning & Laundry Machines Side by Side
Dry Cleaning Machine Laundry Machine
Another reason for the term “dry” in dry cleaning is because solvents that are used in the cleaning process have little to no water mixed with the substance therefore causing a different reaction on fibers than cleaning clothes with water. Dry cleaning aids in keeping your clothes looking as new as possible by preventing color stripping, size reduction and general fabric distortion due to the fact that all dry cleaning solvents are lighter substances than water and therefore less aggressive cleaning agents. Be sure to tune in to our next post when we explore pre-spotting.
Sir Austin is proud to report that Austin has been named one of four cities in the U.S. to be visited by the United States Mint for the launch of a new program to educate the public about coin money. The U.S. Mint reports that the American public could save as much as $522 million a year if the entire U.S. switched from paper currency to coined money.
Greg Hernandez, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the mint states “The main advantage for using coined money in place of paper is that coined money lasts on average 30 to 40 yrs. and in addition can be melted down at the end of its life and made into new coins making the currency 100% recyclable. Long term, the GOA (Government Accountability Office) estimates that if America made the choice to use $1 coins in place of dollar bills the U.S. could save billions of dollars over time.
The U.S. Mint also reports that even though prices are down from last year it still costs the government a little more too print pennies and nickels than the coins are actually worth. On the flip side the $1 dollar coin is actually a good investment for the U.S. Mint. $1 dollar coins cost around .20 per coin to print giving the Mint a great Return of their investment.
Austin’s Progressive Populace Recognized
In a definite compliment to Austin residents the Mint stated that Austin was chosen as one of the four cities for the pilot program because of Austin’s progressive populace. The Mint also stated that Austin area residents were open to various types of new conservation programs such as renovations in recycling and the like. Deemed the “Real Change Exchange” the program hopes to educate as many people as possible on the benefits of using the lowly circulated currency.Hernandez stated that “the Real Change Exchange has been well welcomed by Austin businesses evidenced by the fact that more than 200 Austin businesses have already signed up to participate”. There are no plans to scrap using the greenbacks just yet but if Hernandez had his way Austin would serve as a test market for the country to wean itself off of paper currency and onto the currency of the future.
Sir Austin is proud to shine a spotlight on a unique and extremely thoughtful wedding organization, the I Do Foundation. Sir Austin came across the organization and fell in love with the idea. The I Do foundation “helps engaged couples bring a charitable focus to their marriage” by giving them a medium through which the couple can make giving to others the central tenant of their marriage. Sir Austin believes that there is no better way for two people to start a life together than by making giving the focus of their union.
While Sir Austin is an ELIGIBLE bachelor he one day hopes to have a philanthropically focused wedding. The I Do Foundation is a great way to make that hope come true by giving you multiple outlets to give back. One of the creative ways the I Do Foundation makes this possible is by giving marrying couples the option to bypass traditional gift registries and opt instead for a chariatable gift registry system. The gift registry system allows wedding guests to donate online to the marrying couples charities of choice. The I Do Foundation is a great answer to the question of what you get the couple who has everything and the answer by giving in their name. Along the same idea as traditional gift registries, the I Do Foundation guides the giving choices of your guests by informing them of your charitable giving preferences.
Additional Wedding Planning Assistance
The I DO Foundation also has other ways to assist you in your wedding planning endevours such as offering a free website tool that not only guides wedding attendees to your charities of choice but also gives them logistical information on your wedding such as directions to your ceremony and reception. As if all this wasn’t enough, the I Do Foundation also offers green wedding tips for the eco-friendly bride and groom. As many of our readers know environmental issues are near and dear to Sir Austins heart. The I Do Foundation gives such advice to the eco friendly couple as how to find organic flower distributors and how to pick the perfect eco-friendly wedding destinations. With these kind of credentials it’s no wonder why the I Do Foundation gets two coat hangers up from Sir Austin and the Austin Cleaners crew!
Most of us never think about the origins of the most widely used tools we interact with every day and the coat hanger is no exception. The wire coat hanger actually started out as a door hook before resembling the hangers we use today. Coat hangers on the surface seem like such a simple invention but how did the creator of the hanger actually envision the coat hanger?
The idea for the coat hanger actually started with a hook on the wall that was used to hold coats. Albert J. Parkhouse was working for a wire manipulating company at the time, Timberlake Wire and Novelty Co. Jackson, Mississippi. Frustrated by the lack of hooks on the wall to hold jackets, Albert decided to invent an apparatus that that could solve their problem of two many jackets and not enough hooks by bending a piece of wire into a hook at the top with two oval sides. With this simple invention the coat hanger was born.
Then in 1932 an improved design for the hanger was patented by Schuyler Hulett. The hanger used cardboard cylinders that were mounted one on the top and one on the bottom to prevent pants from wrinkling. This design is still in use today mostly for disposable hangers used by dry cleaners.
The coat hanger began to evolve over the years with plastic hangers being the hanger of choice for most American households. Plastic hangers keep their form and also have a greater circumference for the clothes to rest, aiding in keeping your clothes wrinkle free. Clothes hanger designs vary from wooden hangers used in many high end clothing stores to the cardboard and metal mixed hangers that you find at your local dry cleaner.
Retail stores make up a large part of many hanger manufacturers’ business so they pay special attention to the style of hangers. For example the hanger with clips at the top to hold clothes in suspension was invented solely because retail stores needed a hanger that could display an outfit in it’s entirety. Although we don’t think about the hanger much it has become a staple for dry cleaners and people alike that want to keep their clothes formed and wrinkle free. So long live the coat hanger!
As hard as it is to believe, the origins of dry cleaning actually date back to as early as the 1600’s. Non aqueous substances, cleaning w/out water, were used in early Greece by the Mycenaeans, where the term “dry cleaning” first originated. The term Dry cleaner has showed up as an occupation on clay tablets that were recovered from archaeological digs from the Mycenaean period. Originally grease-absorbent sands and earth elements were used to lift stains from clothing, hence the name “dry” cleaning. Often times these different earth elements that were used to clean clothes were labeled as “fuller’s earth” after the tradesman that woulduse them to clean clothes and they were heavily guarded as trade secrets of their day. Although far from dry, today we continue to use non aqueous solvents in the dry cleaning process which undoubtedly is the reason we still label the process as “dry”. Although turpentine was documented as a “special secret” for removing stains as early as 1716, the use of organic solvents didn’t become widespread until the birth of the chemical industry in the 1800’s.
Father of Modern Dry Cleaning
The story goes that French born Jean-Baptiste Jolly, who owned the first commercial dry cleaner, found his calling by accident when his maid spilled Camphene from a lamp on his tablecloth. Jolly noticed the aggressive way in which the Camphene was able to remove grease spots on the tablecloth and after fine tuning his knowledge on cleaning with the solvent opened his doors to the first recorded commercial dry cleaning business in 1845
Dry Cleaning in the U.S.
The exact date is not known as to when the first dry cleaner was opened in America, however it is recorded that at least one New York dry cleaner was started as early as 1879. By 1910 dry cleaning was on it’s way as a major industry with widespread approval from a rising middle class and also with the invent of mechanized equipment it made it possible to clean a lot of clothes in a short period of time allowing for increased production. Surprisingly little has changed in the way of dry cleaning mechanical technology since it’s introduction to the U.S. with the exception of hydraulically powered equipment.
Developments in Dry Cleaning Solvents
Originally used solvents such as turpentine and the like were highly flammable and caused major public safety concerns for early commercial dry cleaners. Often these dry cleaning machines would ignite and could burn entire city blocks. That was untilperchloroethylene, or PERC for short, was introduced to dry cleaners and quickly became the industry standard of solvents due to it’s flame retardant nature. To tie into earlier blog posts on the negative effects of PERC, only recently have major advances been made in the area of dry cleaning with an expansion of green dry cleaners in the U.S. If you have any questions about dry cleaning or the processes used don’t hesitate to ask!
National Dry Cleaners Inc., which could be called the most recent attempt at a national dry cleaning chain, has filed for bankruptcy asset protection. The national dry cleaning chain had more than 231 stores in nine different states. The company cited increased energy costs along with court costs associated with environmental clean-up as two of the main reasons that the company was unable to service it’s debt to it’s creditors.
The company was known for it’s aggressive acquisition of local, well respected dry cleaners. The companies failure to establish a sustainable national dry cleaning business is, in my opinion, the latest example of Americans rejection of large centralized dry cleaning power. Dry cleaning is one of the most sparsely owned and operated businesses in the U.S. and I think this is the latest example of the U.S. market rejecting attempts for consolidated power in the hands of a few. I have often wondered why dry cleaning, as an industry, was so sparsely owned but being in the industry for over two years now I think that it is one of the last major industries in which customers want to patron a place where “everybody knows your name”. I have often pondered why this is so and I think there’s a number of different reasons, but three specifically
3 Reasons National Dry Cleaning Businesses Fail
1) First and foremost I think that people are very particular about who handles their clothes and would simply trust an owner/operated dry cleaner much more than a national chain. Dry cleaning, which is well documented as one of the largest independently owned and operated industries in U.S., is a very personal business. Some people spend thousands of dollars on their wardrobes and would prefer to see someone across the counter that has a vested interest in making sure their clothes come back looking great, not to mention all accounted for, as opposed to a 17 yr. kid making $7 hr.
2) The second reason is a logistical one. One of the largest questions I get all the time is “do you do all cleaning on site”. Just speaking with customers I have heard horror stories about cusomters bringing their clothes to stores that don’t do all dry cleaning and laundry on site. This one is obvious because once you start bringing your clothes to other locations you run a greater risk of losing items during the transport.
Austin Cleaners Does All Cleaning on Site
3) The third and final reason I think it has been so hard to form a national chain is because in the world of large box stores and consolidated business ownership people see dry cleaning as one of the last bastions of small business ownership.
Although this is just the opinion of a proud independently owned and operated dry cleaner I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to see the rejection of large consolidated business power spread to other industries.
It’s happened to everyone, you get a new pair of pants or shirt and no sooner have you sat down for your daily coffee when, oops, there it goes all over your lap. “But these pants were advertised as ‘stain-resistant’”. Well if you’ve ever wondered if those stain resistant slacks are as advertised Susan Koeppen of ‘The Early Show’ decided to find out.
For clothes that are advertised as stain-resistant they are supposed to be able to resist staining on contact. Many new clothing lines are showing up from different clothing makers such as Dockers and Van Heusen. Although your best dry cleaners will be able to lift most stains, sometimes there are stains that just won’t lift so assisting them in the pre-spotting process with stain resistant clothes can help fight against those dreaded stains.
In order to put the stain-resistant clothes to the test Hannah Storm, Koeppens co-anchor, smeared a number of different substances onto a trench coat that she was wearing that was being advertised as ‘stain-resistant’. Among the substances were coffee and O.J. Unbelievably the substances didn’t stain the coat and just wiped right off.
Wanting to put the stain resistant garments through an even further test, next they smeared a number of different substances ranging from ice cream to pizza liberally on the front of the clothes they were wearing. However they found a different reaction this time in that most of the substances not only stained the garments but didn’t even come out in the wash. Basically their findings were that although the stain resistant garments did really well with liquids such as coffee and O.J. they didn’t do so well with oil based stains and other substances with heavy dies. But luckily for you Sir Austin has your back! (or front depending on the stain). We pride ourselves at Austin Cleaners on a great pre-spot. In short when you bring your clothes to Austin Cleaners if the stain can be lifted it will! Oil-based stains such as grease are easily separated from fabric during the dry cleaning process so if you ever find yourself in a bind just call on Sir Austin and he will be there to the rescue!
Wedding Dress Preservation is a means of preserving a garments appearance and quality as good as the day that the garment was preserved. If left out without preserving in some form of acid free box your garment, especially delicate ones, can yellow and fade. Museums preserve dresses and other heirlooms to ensure that no discoloration, fading or yellowing will happen to the dress. Preserving your wedding dress will guarantee your garment will stay in the same state as the day it was preserved for a lifetime.
How The Preservation Process Works
We first analyze your entire wedding dress or other garment for what type of fabric it is and also any and all stains that are on the garment. Stain removal is the most important part of the wedding gown preservation process. Light stains such as white wine and other hard to see stains can damage your wedding dress with time. Substances such as sugar as well. That is why we thoroughly pre-spot your wedding dress before dry cleaning and pressing the gown before preservation. After all stains are removed and the gown is pressed next your wedding dress is carefully wrapped in acid paper that ensures your wedding dress or garment will not age a bit. Also your gown should be removed from any extreme temperature area like direct sunlight and should be preferably stored in a cool dry place.
Why Preserve Your Wedding Dress?
Gown preservation is a great idea for anyone who wants to possibly have their daughter wear their Wedding Dress on their wedding day or anyone who wants to preserve any garment in the state that it’s currently in. A wedding dress should be preserved if it is not going to be used for at least three years. Although some experts say it’s OK to wait up to six months after the wedding before preserving the dress at the very minimum it should be dry cleaned immediately after your wedding to avoid any damage the dress might incur due to unforeseen stains.
