EcoGreen Philosophy: Using
environmentally-friendly equipment, cleaning solutions, bio-degradable
products, and recycling, we are a friend to Mother Earth and are
constantly looking for innovative ways to keep pushing the envelope
toward minimizing our impact on the environment.
What We DO NOT Use: For decades, dry cleaners have used a solvent called perchlorethylene (perc) in their dry cleaning processes. During the past few years, many scientific and regulatory agencies have concluded that perc is a hazard to the environment and the employees exposed to the solvent and can sometimes harm the garments it was supposed to be cleaning (eg, melting buttons, color bleeding, etc). That terrible smell left behind in your suits, dresses and sweaters was caused by perc. Because of the high cost associated with disposal of the filters and “dirty solvent” (solvent that could no longer be used in the machines), customers were charged an “environmental fee” to help the dry cleaner defray the hazardous waste costs. California has banned the use of perc and other states are moving in that same direction. Nonetheless, it is estimated that 85% of dry cleaners still use perc and have not made the switch to alternative solvents because of the high cost in purchasing new equipment and converting their plant to an eco-friendly environment.
What We DO NOT Use: For decades, dry cleaners have used a solvent called perchlorethylene (perc) in their dry cleaning processes. During the past few years, many scientific and regulatory agencies have concluded that perc is a hazard to the environment and the employees exposed to the solvent and can sometimes harm the garments it was supposed to be cleaning (eg, melting buttons, color bleeding, etc). That terrible smell left behind in your suits, dresses and sweaters was caused by perc. Because of the high cost associated with disposal of the filters and “dirty solvent” (solvent that could no longer be used in the machines), customers were charged an “environmental fee” to help the dry cleaner defray the hazardous waste costs. California has banned the use of perc and other states are moving in that same direction. Nonetheless, it is estimated that 85% of dry cleaners still use perc and have not made the switch to alternative solvents because of the high cost in purchasing new equipment and converting their plant to an eco-friendly environment.
What We DO Use: There’s a country song called, “I was Country Before Country was
Cool”. Merritt Gano, who owned the plant in Lee’s Summit for many years and used
perc in his plant, had the foresight to switch to an alternative solvent before
environmentalists, governments and regulatory bodies started looking into the
harmful effects of perc. Mr. Gano made the switch more than 20 years ago to a
hydrocarbon-based solvent that had already proven to be an effective cleaner for
all garments, was safe to use and was not associated with the “perc odor”
previously described.
MVC Laundry List
EcoGreen Dry Cleaning
Shirt Laundry
Designer Brands
Formal Evening Attire
Households
Leathers
Laundry-by-the-Pound
Alterations
Reweaving
Shoe Shine/Repair
Before purchasing Lee’s Summit Cleaners, considerable research was performed
investigating the different types of dry cleaning machines and available
solvents as this would be the best time (ie, at the time of purchase) to make
any changes to the cleaning processes. In this research, we discovered that
newer solvents had been introduced in recent years; however, independent studies
and conversations with users of these new solvents confirmed that the
hydrocarbon-based solvents continued to outperform the new solvents like liquid
silicone and CO2. In one of my conversations with a recent convert to liquid
silicone, an owner told me that, “if the customer brings it to me clean, he’ll
get it back clean!”
As previously mentioned, more than $200,000 was invested in taking the plant to
the next level in environmental stewardship in a manner that would not sacrifice
quality, convenience or customer service. We upgraded our solvent to a newer
generation hydrocarbon-based solution called DF-2000 and replaced all the dry
cleaning equipment with state-of-the-art machines (Firbimatic EcoGreen 50).
These machines have more than 15 computer programs that allow us to clean
everything from the most fragile silk gowns with beads & sequins, to the bright
red garments that women are finding to be the latest fashion trend to your
favorite Tommy Bahama 100% silk shirt. During the cleaning process, we add the
best soap and sizing solutions that guarantees your garment will be returned
comfortably soft, full of body and a richness to the garment’s natural color
that you can see and feel the minute you get it home!
One last point worth noting about our new dry cleaning equipment is the process
that keeps the solvent in the machine, out of your clothes and away from the
environment. Each of these Firbimatic machines contains three chambers for
holding 50 gallons each of DF-2000.
100% pure solvent from Chamber A is pumped into the cleaning wheel in the amount appropriate for the type of garments being cleaned. At the end of the cleaning cycle, an extraction process begins that transfers 100% of the solvent back to Chamber B for holding while the solvent in Chamber C goes through the distillation process to produce pure solvent that is then pumped to Chamber A. As you can see, this is a closed-loop process and is the reason why Firbimatic machines are so friendly to the environment. When using the old, inefficient machines prior to purchasing the new equipment, we were purchasing 500 gallons of solvent every 4-6 months (solvent loss due to evaporation, ineffective extraction and filters 10 times larger than those used in the current machines). We purchased 300 gallons of solvent in 2007 when we converted to the Firbimatic machines and, as of July 31, 2009, no new solvent has been purchased!
Recycling: In addition to the use of eco-friendly cleaning processes, we recycle all hangers and will recycle the plastic protective bags that cover your cleaned garments. Just place the hangers and/or plastic bags in your garment bag with your next order and we’ll handle the rest!
100% pure solvent from Chamber A is pumped into the cleaning wheel in the amount appropriate for the type of garments being cleaned. At the end of the cleaning cycle, an extraction process begins that transfers 100% of the solvent back to Chamber B for holding while the solvent in Chamber C goes through the distillation process to produce pure solvent that is then pumped to Chamber A. As you can see, this is a closed-loop process and is the reason why Firbimatic machines are so friendly to the environment. When using the old, inefficient machines prior to purchasing the new equipment, we were purchasing 500 gallons of solvent every 4-6 months (solvent loss due to evaporation, ineffective extraction and filters 10 times larger than those used in the current machines). We purchased 300 gallons of solvent in 2007 when we converted to the Firbimatic machines and, as of July 31, 2009, no new solvent has been purchased!
Recycling: In addition to the use of eco-friendly cleaning processes, we recycle all hangers and will recycle the plastic protective bags that cover your cleaned garments. Just place the hangers and/or plastic bags in your garment bag with your next order and we’ll handle the rest!
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