It feels wonderful to be good stewards of the planet, and respectful of the environment and our community.
We stand by our commitment to environmental responsibility that runs deeper than just our state-of-the-art organic dry cleaning machines and wet cleaning capabilities.
We’ve invested heavily to make our whole operation as efficient as possible – from our steam generation and hot water systems, all the way to our delivery vehicles and high-efficiency LED lighting systems.
Organic Dry Cleaning
We are proud to perform our dry cleaning in an exceptionally environmentally responsible manner. We utilize the latest cutting-edge equipment that is gentle on the environment and gentle on your clothing. We operate “dry-to-dry” machines, meaning that you put dirty garments into a single machine, and they are both cleaned and dried in that same machine (you put them in dry, and take them out dry, hence “dry-to-dry”).
Utilizing modern computer-controlled dry-to-dry machines ensures that virtually no solvent vapors are released into the atmosphere. That is because the machines are closed-loop, meaning that the machine does not vent to the atmosphere during the drying cycle like a typical household dryer does
Additionally, the air is subsequently run through carbon absorption equipment, bringing the concentration of vapor in the air to less than 150 parts per million prior to the computer allowing the loading door to unlock. The solvent that we use during the cleaning cycle never goes down the drain either. It is collected after the cleaning cycle, then passes through a filtration system, and is then distilled, resulting in perfectly crystal clear, pure solvent for the next load.
Professional Wet Cleaning
We are also one of the very few dry cleaners that regularly utilizes a revolutionary new process known as professional wet cleaning for a portion of our processing. Not to be confused with washing or laundering, professional wet cleaning employs advanced, computer controlled machines as well as specialized water-stabilizing additives to allow us to clean some “dry clean only” garments in water.
Not all garments are candidates for this process, but our expertise in this area allows us to safely clean some garments that would be ruined by traditional cleaning methods. Wet cleaning is also more effective in removing certain water-based stains.
We always choose the safest and most effective method for cleaning each garment we process, taking into consideration the composition of any stains, fabric types, garment construction, ornamentation, and dyes and pigmentation. But we think it’s wonderful to have the ability to clean a portion of our garments in water while retaining the same texture, size, and look as if they were dry cleaned.
Paperless Ticketing & Garment Tracking
In 2011 we implemented garment tracking software that allows us to email tickets to our clients rather than printing out a paper copy, saving countless rolls of receipt paper over the following years.
Additionally, we began utilizing mini-barcodes that are permanently heat-sealed onto the garments we process (in discreet, hidden spots) to track the garments throughout the cleaning process.
Previously, like most dry cleaners, we used single-use paper tags pinned to each garment. After cleaning, the tags were disposed of, and the next time the garment was cleaned new paper tags were attached, and again removed.
Utilizing these new, permanent mini-barcodes not only allows us to considerably cut down on the paper products we consume, it also allows us to better track your garments, ensuring that you never end up with someone else’s pair of pants in your order. It’s great for our clients and great for the environment!
Hanger Recycling Program
We encourage our clients to bring back their hangers for recycling. If the hangers are in perfect condition, we sterilize them and reuse them again. If they’re not up to our standards, we send them out to be recycled. Even the little things we all do count, and we think this is another great way to cut down on unnecessary waste.
Super high-efficiency steam generation
We utilize one of the most efficient steam-generation boilers available. Computer-controlled, fully modulating, and utilizing a four-pass transfer system results in exceptionally high efficiency and precise control of our steam load needs. This means that as the computer senses increasing and decreasing steam demand, the boiler is able to modulate its power, delivering exactly the amount of steam needed, without excess. We don’t produce any more steam than our processes require throughout the day, reducing waste and energy consumption. This equipment produces all of the steam and heat used by our production equipment, so we felt it was responsible to install the most efficient boiler possible.
Condensate hot water heat exchanger
Steam distribution systems utilize a return line, which collects condensate water to be recycled into the boiler to create fresh steam. However, a small amount of live steam is generally vented into the atmosphere as a byproduct of this process. Instead of wasting that steam by venting it to the atmosphere, we channel the steam into a specially designed commercial heat exchanger to generate all the hot water our facility uses. Our condensate heat exchanger uses no electricity or gas – the water is heated entirely by condensate and steam that would otherwise be wasted. This system supplies all of our hot water needs, from our shirt laundry equipment to our restrooms. It’s a wonder why more dry cleaners don’t utilize such a system.
High-Efficiency LED Lighting
In 2016, we replaced the lighting fixtures throughout our entire facility with the latest, most energy-efficient LED technology, resulting in a 71% decrease in energy usage for lighting our facility. Not only does this save us money on our energy bills and reduces our carbon footprint, but proper lighting is also essential in allowing us to easily spot stains during our cleaning and inspection processes, and when we learned we could properly light our work areas and storefront while cutting our lighting’s energy consumption by 71%, we knew it was a no-brainer.
Fully modulating HVAC system
When we decided to install a new heating and air conditioning system for our storefront, we wanted to make sure we chose a solution that was as energy efficient as possible. With the guidance of an HVAC expert, we chose a new ductless installation that features inverter-driven compressors. This allows the HVAC unit to output the exact amount of cooling or heating needed at any given time, while traditional units can only run at one output level and must cycle on and off, wasting energy. This, combined with the inherent design efficiencies of a ductless system, made it the obvious choice for us. We wanted to make our storefront comfortable for our clients while being as environmentally responsible as possible.
BlueTEC-powered clean, high-efficiency delivery vehicles
Our delivery vehicles’ BlueTEC engines benefit from the high efficiency of diesel power, while at the same time producing ultra-low emissions. This is primarily achieved via utilizing higher injection pressures, particulate filters, oxidizing catalytic converters and NOx absorbers. Simply put though, our vehicles achieve high MPGs, cleanly. Efficiency and low emissions were major factors when deciding which vehicles to purchase. Being in the cleaning business, we wanted our delivery vehicles to be just as clean as our finished garments. And we have our first all-electric delivery van on order – we can’t wait!