WET IS THE NEW DRY: Kimco dry cleaning tenant Plaza Cleaners converted from perc to wet cleaning
I recently wrote about Kimco’s initiative to help dry cleaners replace their perc systems with environmentally safe alternatives. Our goal is to help our tenants eliminate the environmental, financial, and regulatory risk regarding the use of perc, and improve the safety of the environments in which we operate.
But what happens when the rubber meets the road? What’s it like for dry cleaners to actually go through the conversion process? Is it time-intensive? It is costly? How does it impact their business during and after the conversion?
We asked Simon Zekiyan, owner of Plaza Cleaners, about just that, and for good reason. He’s one of Kimco’s first dry cleaning tenants to replace his perc system with wet cleaning, one of our environmentally safe, Kimco-approved alternatives. The wet cleaning process uses biodegradable, nonhazardous detergents and conditioners, and all waste is safely disposed of down the drain.
Janelle from our blogging team spoke with Simon recently about his wet cleaning conversion experience at his location in Kimco’s Plaza Di Northridge shopping center in Northridge, Calif. We covered many of the common questions dry cleaners have about converting to wet cleaning and using environmentally safe dry cleaning systems as a whole. We hope it helps answer some your questions, too. Read on for our interview.
Janelle: How long have you been in business at Kimco’s Plaza Di Northridge shopping center?
Simon: I’ve been there for eight years now.
Janelle: When you opened, were you using perc or a green cleaning technology?
Simon: I was using hydrocarbon.
Janelle: So did you eventually convert to a new cleaning technology?
Simon: Yes, we converted to wet cleaning.
Janelle: What is wet cleaning?
Simon: We use biodegradable soaps and water. We have special machines that are very gentle on the clothes, so there’s no shrinkage or any fading.
Janelle: How does the technology work, exactly? Can you tell us more about the process?
Simon: Well, there’s a high-end washing machine where you put in the clothes. Water combines with the soaps, which prevent clothes from deforming. The machine turns slowly, so there’s no agitation. After the cleaning cycle, we take the garments out of the machine and dry them in a sensor dryer that controls the moisture level. Then we put the garments on tension units to bring them back to their original shape. Lastly, the garments go to press.
Janelle: Why did you decide to convert to wet cleaning?
Simon: Kimco wanted us to change our machines because of the concerns about perc. So we thought, what can we do? We looked into wet cleaning and it’s worked out great.
Janelle: When did you begin the conversion?
Simon: Four years ago.
Janelle: And was that when your lease was up for renewal?
Simon: Yes.
Janelle: So what was the conversion process like? Tell us about the steps involved, the people involved.
Simon: It was fairly easy. I had to provide some information to Kimco about what my soaps have in them. They looked into a few soaps and decided there was one in particular that was really 100 percent biodegradable, so they told me I could use that soap. So it was fairly easy.
Janelle: What is the name of the soap you’re using?
Simon: I use SMARTCare by Kleerwite.
Janelle: Did you also have to get some new equipment, too?
Simon: Yes, I did. I have a Wascomat cleaning machine where I can do 40 pounds of dry cleaning items. And I have a 75-pound dryer which does 65 pounds of laundry.
Janelle: How did you go about finding that equipment?
Simon: I had the staff at Kelleher Equipment in Long Beach, Calif., help me with that.
Janelle: How long did the entire conversion process take, from when you decided that you needed to do this conversion to when it was all complete?
Simon: About a month.
Janelle: Why was wet cleaning on your radar? There are a number of other green technologies that Kimco has approved and that are available to use for dry cleaning, so why was wet cleaning the one that you decided to go with?
Simon: There are, but they’re not organic. I wanted to go with soaps and water. When I started this process, wet cleaning wasn’t as well-known or used. Now I see it in our industry more, and the technology is getting better. I think within 10 to 15 years, wet cleaning is going to be the new dry cleaning. They’re already trying to take away perc, and now also hydrocarbons. And by that time, the technology will be even better. There will be more soaps and conditioners we can use.
Janelle: Have you been able to measure the environmental effects of using wet cleaning?
Simon: Yes, I have. I don’t have any disposal of harmful waste anymore and I don’t have any chemical odors in my store, which people do notice. Actually, if my machines aren’t on, people think it’s a [drop off] because there’s no smell in the store.
Janelle: Have you seen an uptick in customers since you have converted to wet cleaning?
Simon: It’s been the same. I mean, I really can’t compare it right now because of the economy. But we do have people who tell us they used to go to other cleaners that say they’re environmentally safe, and their clothes would still come back with the odor. And our garments don’t have any odor on them after the wet cleaning process.
Janelle: Have you realized a return on your investment from doing the conversion, taking into account the new equipment you had to buy and the total cost of undergoing the conversion?
Simon: Yes, due to the fact that there’s lower utilities and there’s no dealing with the Environmental Protection Agency. You have to pay them yearly fees and for permits. I don’t have any permits or any permit fees. So in that sense I do save.
Janelle: How much did you spend to do the conversion?
Simon: Our machine cost around $50,000. But, like I said, that was four years ago and the economy was still good. Now you can get used machines for cheaper.
Janelle: What advice would you give other dry cleaners who are considering undergoing a conversion to wet cleaning to help them have a smooth transition?
Simon: I would say do your research and take a lot of classes and introductions to wet cleaning. And they can always call me. I’m happy to show them what it is, because when I first started, I didn’t believe in it either.
Janelle: Would you recommend other dry cleaners around the country use wet cleaning or other green dry cleaning technologies?
Simon: Of course. I can talk to wet cleaning — the cleaning results are better, because most of the garments that come in to dry cleaners are wet site stains, like coffee and teas. Those come out easily. If there are any cleaners that are concerned with oil or grease stains, they also come out with the degreasers that we use. And the other thing is it’s safer for your customers, your employees, and yourself. So why not?
Janelle: Thank you, Simon, for joining us on Kimco’s blog.
Simon: Sure. No problem.
