December 1999
November 1999
The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance has updated its ever-popular guidebook, "Safe Handling of Perchloroethylene," featuring a new section, "Beyond Compliance." If you are a drycleaner, hard copies will be coming to a mailbox near you soon. Other interested parties, as well as cleaners who just can't wait, can get it now from the HSIA web site.
October 1999
September1999
The New York Times looks at David Porter's Smart Box as a solution to the nobody at home for delivery dilemma.
Another wedding gown maker agreed to pay a civil penalty to settle an FTC complaint over the use of care labels that call for cleaning by the "Zurcion" process.
August 1999
Texas Congressman Joe Barton has reintroduced his Small Business Remediation Act which is aimed at easing remediation problems the confront many cleaners.
After four years of continuous operation on Dave Spensley's uncled.com server, the industry's Farbicare Forum has moved to a new location. Current forum members know all about it. Anyone else who is interested will want to read this.
July 1999
Five drycleaning companies reached a settlement agreement with FTC stemming from a complaint filed a more than a year ago over the use of care labels that called for cleaning by the "Zurcion Method."
A survey of drycleaners by Dow Chemical shows that perc transfer machines have all but vanished from the US drycleaning scene, but perc itself is still the solvent of choice for the majority of cleaners.
June 1999
It's called phytoremediation: Using plants to clean up ground contaminated with toxic chemicals. It's still laboratory stuff, but researchers are making progress and are optimistic. The EPA is interested, too. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports in its June 14 edition.
Procter & Gamble's new product is designed for at-home care of dryclean-only garments. While it may seem Dryel could cut into the drycleaning business, P&G says no. Dryel should make dryclean-only garments more popular with consumers, the company says. And since it's not a full replacement for drycleaning, they'll still need their professional cleaner.
Along with its exclusive license to print money, the US Mint seems to have found a way to turn a buck, too. For years, US coins and currency went without design changes. Now change is the order of the day. The Mint has announced that the old "Suzie" dollar coin will be revived, with a whole new dollar coin coming soon. These go along with the new-look currency. Collect the complete set.
The height of the wedding season is upon us. Long after the ceremony is over, the bridal gown becomes a key that unlocks the memories of that day for many years to come -- provided the gown has been carefully selected and properly cared for. Here is some expert advice for brides-to-be on gown selection and aftercare from specialists in the field.
A third course -- Fibers and Fabrics -- has been added at IFI's Cyberspace Learning Center. Also on-line are Drycleaning and the Environment and Customer Service in Drycleaning.
A UK drycleaning company and a clothing retailer stirred a fuss when they collaborated on a care labeling scheme. The program has been discontinued, but was it really such a bad idea?
Free home-page web sites for small business are being offered by New England Business Services and WebNow.com. Also, a NEBS VP has practical advice for building a useful small business web site.
Whether you are selling or buying a drycleaning plant, you need to know: Is the property is contaminated? And you need to know the best way to find out.
May 1999
Perc usage in the US continues to plummet, a 20-year trend that TCATA says is due to more efficient machinery and better operating practices. What's more, TCATA added, a significant portion of the perc that is used by drycleaners ends up being recycled and used in pother industries, making for an even greater reduction of perc released into the environment than plunging perc sales figures indicate.
Who's wearing the pants? Women, according to a survey, are wearing pants to work more frequently than ever.
Another drive to raise the minimum wage is getting started in Congress.
IFI has opened its Cyberspace Learning Center on the web with two courses as the initial offerings and more to come in the future.
April 1999
A 20 percent tax credit for purchasing drycleaning equipment that uses "reduced amounts of hazardous substances" has been introduced in the US House of Representatives. Don't get excited, perc and petroleum users. You are excluded.
Better, but still with room for improvement, according to garment experts who try to determine why some articles of clothing fail to survive the cleaning process.
HSIA's March/April newsletter covers papers presented at The Society of Toxicology meeting in mid-March that cast doubt on the likelihood that perc is a human carcinogen. The newsletter also presents HSIA's response to a home drycleaning gizmo called the BioDryCleaner which has been marketed on the internet.
Another garment maker is taken to task by the Federal Trade Commission for providing inaccurate care instructions. In this case, drycleaning proved to be harmful to garments even though the instructions said it was OK. A $30,000 penalty will be paid by the manufacturer, Laissez Faire Inc.
March 1999
Care label instructions that don't work have brought a $300,000 civil penalty to Tommy Hilfiger from the FTC.
A concerted effort by drycleaning and fashion industry trade groups will generate positive publicity for tailored apparel and related furnishings and accessories in an attempt to bolster the fortunes of the "dress up industry." Good timing, perhaps, since a consumer survey shows a growing interest in "fashion finery" and perhaps growing boredom with casual styles.
Barton bill supporters will meet in Chicago to coordinate their 1999 legislative campaign and, in the words of Barney Deden, "generate a higher level of enthusiasm and passion for the project."
February 1999
Micell Technologies has posted a FAQ about liquid carbon dioxide cleaning and the company's plans on its web site. The formal launch of Micell's Hangers franchise took place this month in Wilmington, North Carolina.
SpinCycle, a coin laundry franchise that has spread from coast to coast, says an arrangement with a large Texas drycleaning company will expand the availability of its wash/dry/fold services.
An article in the Washington Post describes the growth of discount drycleaning in the metroplitan area.
A portable appliance that fits on the door of a home clothes dryer and replaces the need for most commercial drycleaning! The price? A mere $278.57. Snake oil not included. Don't forget to read the little disclaimer at the bottom of the page that discusses the horrors and hazards of conventional drycleaning.
January 1999
The Federal Trade Commission will wants to hear more from the interested parties about its proposed revision in the Care Label Rule. A January 29 conference in Washington will be the opportunity. Information is available on FTC's web site and in an article in the January issue of National Clothesline. The News Archives of this site contain additional background material.
December 1998
November 1998
A UK cleaner whose perc plant exploded last summer has been fined in connection with the incident.
The use of computers by small businesses continues to raise, according to a survey supoported by New Engalnd Business Services.
Corporate "grin orders" put employees in danger when dealing with customers who can't distinguish a friendly smile from a leering come-on, according to a recently filed lawsuit.
October 1998
Cleaner's support of HR 1711 has put the industry on Congress's radar screen according to the bill's author, Texas Republican Joe Barton. Speaking to supporters during the October 1 March on Capitol Hill, Barton said he is pressing EPA to work with the industry to get reasonable cleanup standards but if that fails he will press ahead with hearings in Congress next year.
Most women don't believe they need a tailored suit for a professional appearance in the workplace, according to a new survey. More flexible twinsets, easily adapted from the office to after-hours activities are in favor. Two products for at-home garment care, touted as alternatives to or replacements for drycleaning, get weak reviews in Consumer Reports October issue. Meanwhile, one of the two products, Dryel from Procter and Gamble, has a full-blown web site extolling its benefits.
MiCell's work in developing liquid carbon dioxide garment cleaning systems landed it on the 1998 R&D Top 100 list. Last year, Global Technologies, which is working on a competing CO2 system called DryWash, received similar recognition.
September 1998
EPA released its Cleaner Technologies Substitute Assessment document Sept. 4. The Executive Summary and related items, including reponses from several industry organziations, are available here.
The National Coalition of Petroleum Dry Cleaners released a bulletin highlighting safety concerns when converting perc drycleaning machine to operate with petroleum solvent.
Protests by cleaners helped thwart plans by Dryclean Depot ("Home of the $1.75 garment") to open a franchise store in a Laurel, Maryland, shopping center. The weekly Leader of Laurel has the story.
The US Senate has turned down Ted Kennedy's a bid to raise the minimum wage by $1 an hour over the next two years.
An article in the September issue of Nation's Business discusses the problems many firms have dealing with OSHA. Sidebar features include tips for handling an OSHA inspection and an update on pending legislation concerning the agency.
The Jacksonville (Florida) Business Journal has a glowing report on a new technology for cleaning up perc contamination that is being tried out on a site once occupied by a drycleaning plant. The process has proven to be quick and effective at the test site. That's the good news. The bad news is that few sites are likely to have the appropriate conditions for applying this technology and that it would be more difficult to use on an operating drycleaning site.
The National Fire Protection Association's proposed rewrite of the code for drycleaning is available for review. A pdf version of the document can be downloaded from NFPA's web site.
August 1998
Recent rulings from Supreme Courts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania attach responsibility for pollution cleanups to companies that had little or no direct involvement in causing the problems.
Failing to put the required labels in garments proves costly for a manufacturer. The FTC is on the case.
The Federal Trade Commission has received comments from NCAI and from IFI, among others, on its proposed changes to its Care Label Rule. and thoseIn brief, the proposal would require washing instructions for any garment that can be washed at home and makes accommodation for a "Professionally Wetclean" care instruction.
NFIB reports that Sen. Edward Kennedy plans to attach his legislation for raising the minimum wage to bankruptcy reform legislation. "This certainly seems fitting," suggested one NFIB member. "Get the cause and the effect together in one bill."
A million here and a million there and pretty soon you own a whole bunch of drycleaning plants. An announcement by Interactive Flight Technologies says the company just spent $800,000 to buy a million-dollar San Diego drycleaning business and it thinks the industry will be a good place to invest more of its $40 million in cash assets.
The Professional Wetcleaners Network, formed at a wetcleaning roundtable sponsored by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, in July now has its own web page with information about the group, its plans and how to join (Dues are $US100 a year).
July 1998
Two wedding gown companies have agreed to pay civil penalties totaling $60,000 for using "Zurcion Method" care labels. The FTC is pursuing a case against a third manufacturer and is proceeding in its complaint against the New York companies that have claimed to be the sole providers of "Zurcion" cleaning.
Two companies aiming to make waves in the drycleaning industry describe their plans on their web sites. Americlean sees itself becoming a major player in supply distribution, gaining entry to the market by treating hazardous waste. 1-800-Dryclean wants to create a "name brand" image for a nationwide network of drycleaners.
After purchasing all the stock of Safety-Kleen. and completing a merger, Laidlaw Environmental Services has decided to also adopt the Safety-Kleen name due to its widespread market recognition
June 1998
An article the Washington Post discusses Kansas City cleaner David Porter's Smartbox home delivery invention.
A cleaner in Spokane, Washington, is hailed by his local paper and some environmental officials for his switch from perc to Exxon's DF2000 solvent.
The Federal Trade Commission has filed a formal complaint against purveyors of the "Zurcion Method" of gown cleaning alleging that care labels calling for the method are inaccurate and that advertising for the method misleads consumers.
If the price is right. Customers say quality is the top reason for choosing a cleaner, but they admit they can be lured across the street with a coupon or a discount. The Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning tries to get at the truth of what customers want by asking them... but the answers aren't crystal clear.
Standards of dress for the office are reflected in, and maybe even influenced by, what viewers see actors wearing on TV sitcoms.
May 1998
Two years after OSHA listed perc as one of 20 chemicals whose workplace exposure standard would be revised, the agency has barely begun the review process.
FTC is proposing changes in its Care Label Rule that would require washing instructions for any garment that can be washed. Garments could carry "dryclean" instructions as an option, but labels calling for only drycleaning would not be allowed unless that is the only method of care that would work. A new "professionally wetclean" label is also in the mix.
What do women want? Denim, says Cotton Inc. Its Lifestyle Monitor survey of consumer attitudes toward clothing and shopping also finds growing favor among women for casual dress.
The National Waste Prevention Coalition is calling for nominations for the nation's "cleanest cleaners" who would serve as "industry models of waste prevention."
April 1998
A great concept...now if they can just make it work! So says a Chicago Sun-Times reporter who met with less than success in a trial with the Custom Cleaner Home Dry Cleaning Kit.
Laundry and Cleaning News' April issue reports on the development of washable wools that can be safely tumble dried.
A letter from IFI convinced Lands' End to delete the phrase "taken to the cleaner" from its catalog ad copy, but that's not stopping the mail-order clothing retailer from touting the fact that some of its better garments can be washed at home.
March 1998
EPA has published the complete schedule of its "Eye to the Future" conference. A similar EPA-sponsored conference in 1996, Apparel Care and the Environment, featured many of the same presenters who will speak at the upcoming event. The text of those presentations is also available from EPA's web site.
A Washington Post article describes steps that Parkway Cleaners takes to serve chemically sensitive customers.
Superfund suffers from fatal flaws that have made it both unfair and ineffective, says the American Bar Association. Testifying before a House subcommittee, the ABA called for repealing retroactive liability; eliminating joint and several liability in most cases; using dispute resolution, not litigation, to allocate responsibility; allowing states greater flexibility in clean-ups; and limiting recovery of natural resource damages and avoiding punitive damages.
Another increase in the minimum wage may be in the offing. It's part of President Clinton's agenda and has support from key Democrats. The National Federation of Independent Businesses calls it part of an anti-small business agenda.
New rules from the FTC that take effect March 15 simplify the process of identifying fiber content on apparel. The FTC is also trying to update its Registered Identification Number (RN) database, the code used on labels to identify the makers, importers and sellers of garments.
February 1998
An apparel industry analyst says demographics indicate that casual dress styles are here to stay for a while.
MiCELL announces an agreement with Battelle on patent rights for processes related to liquid carbon dioxide cleaning.
A Sunday New York Times article gives readers a look at the garment problems that Dan Eisen confronts in the NCAI lab. The Akron Beacon Journal, has an overview of pollution reduction efforts by cleaners.
An article in the February Scientific American, Everyday Exposure to Toxic Pollutants, includes a brief discussion of perc.
A recent study cites an increased risk of miscarriage for operators of perc drycleaning machines. The study, funded by the UK's Health and Safety Executive, found no increased risk to plant workers not directly engaged in operating the cleaning machine, nor is any risk to the public suspected.
A patented chemical process during tanning is said give leather the same performance characteristics of typical wrinkle-free fabrics.
January 1998
Is the dream dieing? A small drycleaning business seemed to give a Korean immigrant couple entree to the American Dream, but with costly regulatory compliance and a well-heeled, lower priced competitor, the prospects for the business are poor and the dream may be dieing. The story is told by one of the couple's sons in an article in USA Weekend magazine.
December 1997
A New York Post editorial says "It's tough enough making a living as a small-scale entrepreneur in regulation-happy New York City without publicity-hungry officeholders passing unneeded legislation that exploits irrational fears." Efforts by NCAI to make up for the lack of press coverage of the November rally of New York City drycleaners led to the editorial.
Reports of a strain of bacteria that eats perc are a bit premature, according to a published IFI article. There's potential, but as the Great Yogi (Berra) once said, "Potential just means you ain't done it yet."
December brings departures of the No. 2 people at both NCAI and IFI. Jerry Levine is retiring from NCAI after 29 years, including a decade as associate director. Roger Schilling is leaving IFI where he served as vice president since March 1996.
Two environmental services firms are bidding to take over Safety-Kleen, the largest hauler and recycler of hazardous waste from drycleaning plants. The latest offer for the Elgin, Illinois, company is valued at more than $2 billion.
Market research showing that consumers want a way to "freshen up" their clothes in between drycleanings is what P&G says is behind its about to be introduced newest product, Dryel. The product could actually increase demand for drycleaning, P&G says, but in press information sent out last week IFI says it is skeptical of P&G's claims.
Marketers of plastic balls that are supposed to clean laundry without using detergent have signed an agreement with the Oregon attorney general not to sell their products in his state. His skepticism over improbable claims made for the ball proved well founded in tests by an independent lab.
It may sound like deja vu all over again, but Rynex Holding Company is saying its new drycleaning solvent is almost ready for release. Two test sites are operating with others in the works. The company has information on its web site.
November 1997
NCAI's rally to protest stricter regulations on perc drycleaners in New York City drew 2,200 to the steps of City Hall Nov. 13. Many cleaners shut down their plants to come to the march and hear speeches from association leaders, cleaners and allies in City Hall.
The Washington Post discusses drycleaning history, processes and problems in an article published November 12. Post writer Ann O'Hanlon inteviewed Steve Risotto of the Center for Emissions Control and used background material from the International Fabricare Institute in her article.
Drycleaners are in a spin over which solvent to use, according to an article by Damian Carrington in the November 6 edition of the Financial Times.
A wetcleaning system from Japan is making the rounds of US trade shows. The company plans to market the system inthe US once domestic manfucturers are lined up.
Cleaners are urged to shut down their shops and join a demonstration at New York City Hall that the Neighborhood Cleaners Association-International is planning for November 13.
A review of fire safety standards for petroleum drycleaning plants will get underway this month. A 19-member technical committee will meet at NFPA headquarters in Massachussetts to consider possible changes to the code.
October 1997
September 1997
A conference organized by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists examined research and development in garment cleaning technology, including wetcleaning, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and ultrasound. Dr. Manfred Wentz, who chairs AATCC's research committee on textile care processes, reports on the presentations.
Things cleaners find in customers' pockets piqued the curiosity of CBS radio commentator Charles Osgood who interviewed NCAI's Bill Seitz to get the inside story.
Despite attempts by a few to make a big stink out of drycleaning plants located in residential buildings, few New Yorkers have bothered to call a hotline set up by NCAI to handle complaints of odors emanating from cleaning plants.
A New Jersey importer of women's clothing has agreed to pay a $4,000 civil penalty to settle FTC charges that it mislabeled the care instructions for various imported blouses, skirts, and dresses made of rayon. The clothes shrank significantly when consumers hand-washed them as instructed, the FTC said
In a long-ago but not yet forgotten magazine article, drycleaning was touted as a business that turns plant owners into millionaires. But a look at some top apparel executives' compensation indicates that making clothes is a better path to millionaire status than cleaning them
August 1997
The International Fabricare Institute has released its "Complete Reference Guide" CD-ROM, a disc that includes all of the in-print bulletins, back issues of the magazine, and other information for members and consumers.
Perc is not immune to the laws of supply and demand. Demand declines, supply goes up, price drops. Supply declines, demand remains steady, price rises. A commentary on the Australian National Drycleaner web site discusses the current situation.
Declining membership leads to budget cuts, layoffs and office closings for Greenpeace USA. A press release on the Greenpeace web site tells about the the "restructuring" while the Washington Post web site has an AP article further elaborating on the woes of the US branch of the international environmental group. The Seattle Times, the first major news media outlet to report the story, has an interesting editorial.
What effect this might have on Greenpeace's involvement with the drycleaning industry as a wetcleaning partner or on its efforts to convince the public of the dangers of drycleaning is not yet known.
In New York, office workers dressed like hookers are raising eyebrows. In Shanghai, they're not bothering to get dressed at all. Just how far will the dress-down trend go?
July 1997
A special report from NCAI indicates that the poor to mediocre cleaning results found by PrimeTime Live in "mystery shopper" tests of St. Louis-area cleaning plants last year were no fluke, nor are the shortcomings limited to cleaners in St. Louis. The article "PrimeTime Live Revisited" on NCAI's Web site has the dreary details.
The National Fire Protection Association is expanding its technical committee on drycleaning for a review and possible complete rewrite of fire safety standards for petroleum drycleaning plants.
The minimum wage is set to go up again -- to $5.15 an hour -- on September 1, and Sen. Kennedy wants to continue annual increases with a target of $7.25 by 2002.
Beginning July 1, garment makers are allowed to use symbols rather than words on care labels to give consumers information required by the FTC's Care Label Rule. By the end of the year, says a representative of manufacturers, the symbols will be commonplace. In the meantime, a "public education" project is undwerway.
June 1997
The Center for Emissions Control has updated its Safe Handling of Perchloroethylene handbook. Visit CEC's Web site where you can read the document on line or order printed copies -- it's available in English. Korean and Spanish, and a French version is in the works.
Dr. Joseph DeSimone of MiCELL Technologies received the EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for his research and development of surfactants for use in liquid carbon dioxide cleaning.
The July issue of National Clothesline has been posted on the Web with a special section of Clean Show articles.
The Clean '98 virtual trade show site is open. One of the key features of the Clean Show site is the ability to search the exhibitor database by company name, category, location or product.
A survey of consumer attitudes toward drycleaning says quality ranks ahead of price in importance. The same survey, taken by the Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning, also showed that consumers are taking their business casual wear to the cleaners, but they are still spending four hours or more a week doing laundry at home.
May 1997
In a victory for the anti-perc forces, a group of New York residents won a year-long battle to force a drycleaning plant out of their apartment building. An Ecomat wetcleaning operation has taken over the space.
IFI on CD-ROM is scheduled for roll-out at the Clean Show and should be available to members in July.
April 1997
An experiment by a Texas drycleaner indicates that customers would rather receive a gift than a discount price.
Results from the International Fabricare Institute's analysis department,where some 20,000 garments went under the microscope in 1996, show that manufacturers, consumers and professional cleaners all did their share to make to make some clothes unwearable.
The Canadian Minister of Environment announced that perc is one of four toxic substances that are targeted for regulations designed to reduce their use. The goal for perc is a 70% reduction by 2001.
January 1997
An organization calling itself the National Coalition of Petroleum Dry Cleaners is making the scene. The NADA web site has the story.
Can you do better in 97? Here are some things to ponder while you plan to fill the clean slate ahead. Several speakers at a recent NAW conference offer advice on how to succeed in the changing marketplace. And NCAI's Bill Seitz tells drycleaners how to build a better business in the coming year.
How can the industry deal with continuing media attacks on perc? IFI CEO Bill Fisher responds to recent reports and addresses the issue of perc exposure and carcinogenicity on IFI's web page.
Discount pricing and casual dressing are taking a toll on cleaners in France, according to a survey by the French trade publication Pressing.
In a survey, consumers say they plan to spend less on suits and dresses in 1997. Casual pants and shoes are the only items of apparel earmarked for more dollars. Many of the consumers said they would rather have more time than more money.
December 1996
Who ya gonna call? Nosebusters! With environmentalists and politicians raising concerns about perc vapors wafting into apartments that adjoin drycleaning plants, NCAI set up a hotline last fall to handle citizen complaints about cleaning plant smells. The log of phone calls indicates that perhaps what we need is hotline to report environmentalists and politicians who are wasting our time.
November 1996
DryWash, the liquid carbon dioxide cleaning solvent, placed first in Popular Science's reader poll of the Best of What's New technologies for 1996.Popular Science has the wrap-up on the voting on its Web site. More information on DryWash and related web links
A survey commissioned by Dow Chemical attests to the drycleaning industry's conversion to closed-loop machines that use far less perc.
In part to bring care labeling up to date with NAFTA, the Federal Trade Commission has decided to let garment makers use symbols instead of words to decribe acceptable care methods for garments. A chart shows what the symbols look like.
EPA's proposed guidelines for assessing the risk of cancer from exposure to chemicals could open the door to more reasonable evaluations of chemical hazards. They could also open the door to just about anything.
PrimeTime Live Lives -- The show is over. Now for the reviews NCAI's Bill Seitz has a few words for the industry about what went wrong and how to fix it. The Southwest Drycleaners Association, which operates a school at Texas Woman's University where PrimeTime did the testing of cleaners' work, has its take on the show. IFI weighed in with its response last week. In case you missed and and are wondering what caused all the commotion, here's what PrimeTime Live presented on Thanksgiving Eve.
A consumer product, the Custom Cleaner's Home Dry Cleaning Kit, promises buyers that they can remove stains and dryclean their clothes at home. How does it work -- or does it work at all? MACLA's Dave Norford put it to the test.
October 1996
A representative of the American Textile Manufacturer's Institute says that formalizing a "professional wetcleaning" process and instituting care label for wetcleaning is a complex issue that needs to involve the entire textile and apparel chain. She made her remarks at an EPA-sponsored conference on Apparel Care and the Environment last fall. Also noted here are remarks by the FTC's Connie Vecellio who commented that care labels do not insulate drycleaners from liability for safe handling of garments.
"I was wondering if anyone was having a problem with the very brightly multi-colored shirts by Tommy Hilfiger..." Well, in a word, yes. Cleaners have a few things to say about the popular designers outfits, and NCAI has a response to remarks made by Mr Hilfiger on a Nov. 19 "Good Morning, America" telecast. Despite operating with fourth-generation equipment and doing everything keep perc emissions as close to zero as possible, a New York cleaner has been forced to shut down his operating plant by politically connected opponents of perc. NCAI has the story on its Web page.
Popular Science magazine recognized DryWash, the liquid carbon dioxide cleaning solvent, as one of the top 100 new technologies of 1996.
The age group that spends the most on apparel is also the age group that will be growing rapidly in the next few years. Opportunity awaits those who cater to the needs and desires of these consumers.
Meeting in Atlanta In November,exhibitors who feel overtaxed by the heavy schedule of state and regional trade shows will discuss a new format.
Programs to meet a looming certification deadline under a new state law are offered by IFI and NCAI. Cleaners must show an understanding of environmental rules and competence in equipment maintenance and operations.
September 1996
A hearing before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Commerce Committee on Sept. 13 gave cleaners a rare opportunity to explain the impact of cleanup rules on their businesseses. The Testimony by drycleaners and a representative of the shopping center owners association is available on the NADA web site. A summary is on the National Clothesline Website.
August 1996
Streets has donated $10,000 to the International Drycleaners Congress Fellowship program in which young cleaners travel and study abroad each year.
July 1996
The FTC has fined two more clothing companies for violating the Care Label Rule, making three so far this year that have been caught on the wrong side of the law.
The South Eastern Fabricare Association is preparing for a venture into cyberspace. The launch date isn't set, but a committee has been named to prepare for blast off.
June 1996
Polyetherester? Elastoester? Estelast? All are proposed generic names for a spandex-like fiber from a Japanese company.
Tests conducted by the Fabric Care Research Association in the UK compared the performance of wool and wool-blend fabrics in repeated wetcleaning and drycleanings.
Machine-washable wool knitwear is coming soon, says the Wool Bureau, thanks to new processes that improve hand and increase shrink resistance. The next step is to make something that can be tumble dried.
The Japanese company Matshushita has developed a washing machine that will let people handle their drycleanables at home. Daewoo Electronics, a Korean company, also has a machine for "drycleaning" at home. A wetcleaning demonstration project in Massachusetts uses the Daewoo wetcleaning machines.
An article on carbon dioxide cleaning in Environmental Health Perspectives magazine says it is "getting serious consideration as the dry cleaning fluid of the future."
The growth of casual attire in the office is charted in two more surveys. One says that only one-third of white collar workers are now required to "dress" for work.
New York cleaners could face compliance costs averaging $33,000 in the first five years under a rules proposal in New York. It may be a while before the rules go into effect, but they already have added new terminology to the industry: What generation is your machine?
Programs in Indiana and Wisconsin, supported by state trade associations and environmental agencies, recognize cleaners for their efforts in assuring an environmentally safe drycleaning operation.
In an informal survey of clothing retailers taken by the NCAI, the majority of retailers said drycleaning a suit more than a few times a year is "inadvisable."
A press release on Rynex Holding Company's Web page says its new drycleaning solvent will be demonstrated in an operating drycleaning machine at the Green '96 show in upstate New York in July. The company also plans to be on hand at CFI's show in California in August.
The European Wet Cleaning Committee brought together industry representatives from North America and Europe for a conference to examine the current status and future role of wetcleaning in the industry.
The California Fabricare Institute ends its joint-state affililation agreement with the International Fabricare Institute, the third west coast association to do so this year.
Compliance with reporting and record-keeping requirements of the Clean-Air Act may be lagging, NCAI reports. With the final phase-in deadline for the federal regulations coming in September, cleaners should be reviewing the rules to make sure they're going by the book.
"There's no place for price bias" industry representatives told the US Commission on Civil Rights at a June 14 meeting in Washington.
May 1996
April 1996
Congressman Joe Barton says he does not expect hearings on his Small Business Remediation Act this year, but he's not giving up and believes drycleaners' problems will be addressed eventually. He sent a videotaped message to the Southeastern Fabricare Association convention in Atlanta April 27.
The American Association of Textile Colorists and Chemists revived its research committee on drycleaning to study issues of textile performance in wetcleaning.
U.S. manufacturers have advised distributors of a price increase in the range of 10% for poly. Increased demand and higher prices abroad are cited as reasons for the increase.
New guidelines for assessing the potential of various chemicals to cause cancer in humans have been proposed by EPA. Animal testing would be de-emphasized in favor of newer techniques using microbiology.
California rules now require that every cleaning plant have at least one person on hand who has completed an approved environmental training course. The rush is on to get thousands of cleaners in the state in compliance by Oct. 1. Dozens of the one-day courses have been scheduled with more to come.
March 1996
February 1996
OSHA lists perc among 20 chemicals for possible changes in permissible workplace exposure levels. Representatives from NCAI and IFI spoke at a meeting in Washington where OSHA discussed its plans.
Manufacturers were deemed responsible for more than 40% of the 25,000 damaged garments examined in IFI's Garment Analysis Lab last year, but cleaners and consumers had their share of problems, too. Troubles with dyes were the downfall of both manufacturers and cleaners, according to IFI's summary of the statistical tally. In consumers' hands, garments often fell victim to amateur stain removal attempts.
Congressman Joe Barton, who has introduced legislation intended to aid the industry through revised clean-up standards, got a hearty welcome at the TLDA show Feb. 10. His bill also got an endorsement from IFI, which is supporting the measure as part of the strategy to get Superfund off the industry's back.
A new wetcleaning project is launched in California. A team of researchers from UCLA will study the possibilites of wetcleaning as an alternative to drycleaning. One feature of the project is an outreach to Korean-American cleaners.
January 1996
December 1995
November 1995
The Center for Neighborhood Technology organized a conference in Chicago in November, 1995, that brought together pioneers of the new technology, manufacturers of wetlceaning equipment and supplies and other interested parties to discuss the state of the wetcleaning art.
A partnership agreement to study the feasibility of was signed by leaders of several industry associations, environmental groups and a labor union.
Last modified: Feb 24 2000
Copyright © 2000, Blind Squirrel
Hal Horning
hhorning@pond.com
