Since the installation of new Poseidon Textile Care System Wetcleaning Machines and Dryers, Perfect Cleaners, in Detroit, has tripled processing throughput, lowered utility costs and realized an 8 percent increase in sales volume. Owner Gary Heflin, a dry cleaner of 28 years, has transformed his business from predominately dry cleaning to mostly wetcleaning. Wetcleaning, he maintains, is a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and productive way to process garments of all types and fabrics.
Boosting Productivity to Make Room for More Accounts
“The Poseidon system allowed us to significantly improve productivity so I could seek out new accounts,” said Heflin. “Wetcleaning is so much better and faster than dry cleaning. It uses less water and natural gas and we can wetclean pretty much anything, including suits, uniforms, overcoats, wools, silks and wedding gowns.”
Choosing Poseidon
Perfect Cleaners worked with Jeff Quail and Mike “Stucky” Szczotka, of Eagle Star Equipment, in Troy, Michigan, to select, install and program its new Poseidon wetcleaning equipment, including two 40- and four 90-pound capacity soft-mount wetcleaning machines, and four 85-pound capacity dryers. The highly programmable Poseidon system offers flexibility and ease-of-use. The wetcleaning machines are set up with 18 different programs for specific item types, including gowns, comforters, napkins, darks, spa sheets, chef coats, shirts and more. “Soaps and conditioners are automatically injected,” said Heflin, “and one wetcleaning machine has steam injection for cleaning chef and lab coats. This eliminates pre-scrubbing labor and time,” he said. “The quality is excellent and my customers have noticed a positive change.” Operators simply enter a program number, load the wetcleaning machine and press start. The machine automatically does the rest by combining the right chemicals, water temperatures, water levels, mechanical action, g-force, baths and cycle times.
The Poseidon Dryers, which are engineered to safely and quickly dry wetcleaned items with no shrinkage, according to Quail, offer moisture-sensing technology, on-the-fly adjustments and a flexible control. “They program the dryers to fit the wetcleaning machines by item type,” said Heflin. “We have no problems with shrinkage, items come out slightly damp, and finish work takes less time. As soon as the dryer stops, we lay out the garments, which are finished and pressed in 15 percent less time. Before we had the Poseidon Dryers, we had to hang-dry casino drapes. Now they are quickly dried in the Poseidon Dryer, which greatly improves our production,” said Heflin.
While it takes 60 minutes to dry clean one load, it takes just 35-40 minutes to wetclean and dry the same size load, according to Heflin. “This allows us to finish our work a couple of hours sooner in the day and turn off the boiler, which saves a ton of money on gas and labor.”
Perfect Cleaners, which did very little wetcleaning before, now wetcleans 60 percent of incoming items. Heflin expects that number to grow. “I really wish I had the machines years ago. Poseidon gives you everything a drycleaner would want without the costs. Wetcleaning has enhanced our whole operation and allowed us to do a whole lot more in less time with great quality.”
