Long time ago, Jean-Baptiste Jolly was opening the first dry-cleaning shop in Paris in 1855, using petrol as drycleaning solvent. Most of the products that were used in the past proved to be harmful for the health, so that today, in the effort of eliminating the use of harmful solvents, a new generation of eco-friendly products are being used. Dry-cleaning is a washing technique that is suitable moreover for removing oil and grease stains, ensuring clean and disinfected linen. Dry-cleaning is still at the centre of a permanent revolution that includes everything: the machines (washing machines, ironing machines, etc.), services and detergents used.
Energy saving, the protection of the environment and new niches markets are now facts from which there is no turning back. Lifestyle changes caused also a change in the people’s way of dressing, for few years now. Casual and comfortable fashion has made its way. But there is also casual clothing that needs washing and special care. The personal healthcare and well being, are also extremely important aspects on the list of priorities. The focus on sanitisation and personal care are also leading to a reconsideration of the washing machines and systems. What changes have made the companies or are they adopting in facing this new challenge? Are we facing a new dry-cleaning concept?
Leonardo Innocenti, who is a few months old at the command of Christeyns Italia, one of the leading companies in the world in the production of textiles washing detergents, and we are assessing with him the situation of the company’s guideline regarding the dry-cleaning sector. “Since 1946, the foundation date, Christeyns has grown from a small Belgian company to an international group, with over 1100 people employed, that operates in over 50 countries with 17 production plants (one of them located in Italy) and 9 research centres, including the one located at the Italian headquarters in Pessano con Bornago, at the outskirts of Milan. For more than 10 years, even passing through several acquisitions, Christeyns has been present with a wide range of products for the dry-cleaning.
From 1 January 2021 Christeyns Italia acquired the company Biar, the Italian market leader in dry-cleaning and leather cleaning, increasing exponentially the dry-cleaning products range. Today Christeyns Italia is able to supply a complete range for any type of solvent used (Perchloroethylene, Higlo, Hydrocarbons, Modified Alcohol etc.). Our range includes pre-spotting agents, cleaning enhancers, additives, softeners, anti-static enhancers for both textile and leather garments dry-cleaning. A set of broad-spectrum stain removers is completing our range. Christeyns Italia is offering training classes on all the types of washing, and also regarding the problems frequently met in the textile washing, through a specially dedicated technical sales staff.
The dry-cleaning sector is experiencing a very important moment, as it is closely linked to the end user’s understanding that today the dry-cleaning is indispensable and constantly evolving. But it is necessary to understand what does dry-cleaning means nowadays. Marco Niccolini, the General Sales and Mkt Director of Renzacci SpA, a historical washing machines manufacturing company in Città di Castello (PG), is laconic. “Dry cleaning for us at Renzacci is Bio dry cleaning which is done by eliminating perchloroethylene. Our range includes pre-spotting agents, cleaning enhancers, additives, softeners, anti-static enhancers for both textile and leather garments dry-cleaning. A set of broad-spectrum stain removers is completing our range. Christeyns Italia is offering training classes on all the types of washing, and also regarding the problems frequently met in the textile washing, through a specially dedicated technical sales staff. The dry-cleaning sector is experiencing a very important moment, as it is closely linked to the end user’s understanding that today the dry-cleaning is indispensable and constantly evolving.
But it is necessary to understand what does dry-cleaning means nowadays. Marco Niccolini, the General Sales and Mkt Director of Renzacci SpA, a historical washing machines manufacturing company in Città di Castello (PG), is laconic. “Dry cleaning for us at Renzacci is Bio dry cleaning which is done by eliminating perchloroethylene. In this situation, the dry cleaning is not only recovering its reason of being but it is converting it in a growth perspective. Dry cleaning helps to reduce the microplastics pollution, as it eliminates the need of emptying the washing residue into the sewerage system. Our machines are also using biodegradable and hypoallergenic detergents which, besides of being ecofriendly, they are corresponding to the consumer choices oriented towards the health and well-being protection of everyone. From this perspective, Renzacci offers the SENTINEL™ line (from 11 kg to 90 kg capacity), that combines the innovative washing methods with the UV rays that are neutralising the pathogens,” concludes Niccolini.
Surfchimica is offering products for both wet and drycleaning. We are talking with Marco Vaccari, the company’s Export&Research Manager. “Surfchimica has always had its strong point in offering a wide range of dry-cleaning products, a market niche that requires high specificity and experience. To the traditional detergents for perc, we have gradually added solutions specially developed for the new solvents that have been introduced to the market, starting from the hydrocarbons and up to the silicone ones, and finally to products additived with modified alcohols.
Basing our philosophy on the environmental protection that passes through the energy saving and the formulation of low dosage and high yield products, for a high-quality dry-cleaning in perc we offer SURFAN ACTIVE, a complete enhancer with antistatic and sanitizing action and SURFAN CATIONIC PLUS, a latest generation cationic enhancer. For making easier the work of the modern professional, we have created a detergent, SURFAN DUAL ECO, designed for the use in perc and hydrocarbon solvents and a complete set of stain removers, ZIP STYLE, suitable for cleaning with all the solvents that ensures an excellent performance both in the pre-treatment phases but also in case of an eventual refinishing. All our products are carefully tested on the textile fibres following the market requirements”.
For Firbimatic, one of the leading companies in the production of the dry-cleaning machines, we talk to Mirco Mongillo, Sales Manager. “Firbimatic has always distinguished itself for the innovation brought to the dyeing and washing sector, and for its aim of constantly improving its range and offering an irreplaceable working tool for the garments treatment and care. We have always focused on and invested in our Research and Development centre, that is using all the latest knowledge and experience, for being able to deal with the new textile care techniques in all their countless alternatives. We focus on quality. We produce reliable, high-quality systems, sell safe spare parts and offer professional service.
The customer satisfaction is the basis of our ideas, actions and training. All the areas of our organisation are committed to achieve and pursue certain objectives and elements that are essential to us. We think and implement textile maintenance tools that are ecologically and socially sustainable, and we are committed in producing and selling equipment, always with less environmental impact, and in investing resources for the dissemination of new solvent solutions. We are thinking and acting in a sustainable way, and we expect the same from our suppliers”. Mongillo emphasises the innovation and the knowledge of the company’s staff, “we have in-house expertise for the machines development, equipped with digital technologies, for intercepting and being in line with the 4.0 Transition incentives, for the washing technologies that can make the plants safer and more comfortable, but that are also meeting the future textile care requirements,” concludes Mongillo.
The latest news from Ilsa are explained by Marco Boccola, Sales Director of the company based in San Vincenzo near Bologna. “The dry-cleaning machines line by Ilsa, has been completely innovated and optimised in terms of solutions over the last few years, and we took advantage of the difficult pandemic situation to improve and update our machines range. We have focused in defining the lines, featuring smart solutions combining energy efficiency, productivity and flexibility.
A great motivation arrived from the opportunity offered by the 4.0 Industry (now 4.0 Transition), that brought us to the implementation of a new software planning system monitoring the entire washing processes, useful for assessing the proper functioning and the machines performance, useful tools in the hands of the operator. Among the most important lines we can find: PIUMA, the compact high-speed machine, with high performance and reduced space. iPURA, the exclusive cleaning line by injection that we are often used to compare it to our “city car”, characterised by a reduced absorption and the simplicity of use. FLEX & VANTAGE, the traditional compact line for shops and small laboratories. MODULAR, is the modular line for the production needs of the laboratories and industry. All 4.0 at 360°, all Solvent Select (multi-solvent logic), all full of customised solutions,” concludes Marco Boccola.
“The continuous and uncontrolled cost increases from the recent months are also hitting hard our sector, and are slowing down a recovery that seemed strong and stable,” says Eugenio Boni, the Sales Director of Italclean Srl, a company specialised in drycleaning equipment, based in San Giorgio di Piano, Bologna region. The alternative solvent machines without a distiller are experiencing a second youth now, thanks to the ability of these solvents to remove completely the dirt, even with a simple filtration. And thanks to the elimination of the distiller (having a lower production cost, and therefore lower sales price compared to the machines with a distiller) the consumption of electricity and water is more than halved and this, in addition to lowering the costs, it gives a strong position to the laundry-dyeing shop compared to its competitors, generating a much lower cost for the garments cleaning.
We should also add that these machines are easier to manage and maintain compared to the perchlorine machines. Italclean has been manufacturing and selling these machines in every corner of the world for about ten years now. The most popular are the DT200NS and DT300NS, that have 11 and 15 kg capacity, but also larger and suspended models are available (with shock absorbers) to reduce the complete cycle to less than 45 minutes”.
“In the last 20 years, the traditional dry-cleaning business in Italy has evolved from a family-run business to a full-fledged company, that must follow the various market requirements”, tells us Paolo Fumagalli, the President of PONY SpA. “In the ironing machines field, we passed from the demand for the simple vacuum and steaming table, to the automatic machines, for increasing the productivity. Today Pony is able to satisfy any kind of requirements regarding the shirts ironing, starting from those who have to iron 50-60 pieces a day, and up to covering more than 1,000 ironed shirts per day, with Pony shirt finishers, high-tech ironing machines which, besides the very high ironing productivity/quality ratio, are also involving energy-saving solutions, ergonomics and digital control.
Over the years we have also developed different solutions for the trouser ironing for meeting even the most particular requirements and sizes: classic trousers with or without crease, casual, jeans, bermuda shorts, stretch fabrics, sports garments, and very delicate fabrics. In the last two years, the “dry-cleaning” service has also evolved, improving aspects of hygiene and personal care, in step with the needs imposed by this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pony has developed a new range of steam and ozone sanitisation machines, the perfect solution to sanitise any environment, object, accessory or garment.” Pony can offer you all the solutions for your laundry.
To conclude our horizons tour in the world of the dry-cleaning, we meet Gabriele Cuppini, the Commercial Director of Union SpA, a company located in Sala Bolognese, inside what we could define as the dry-cleaning district. “EXPOdetergo International 2022 is a primary importance event, for several reasons and is the first showcase of the industrial cleaning sector since the beginning of the pandemic, which hit our sector so hard. Over the last two years, have happened things that are changing the world, stimulating the research towards a sustainable future, a goal that can be achieved thanks to the use of the latest technologies. In this context, during the last few years, Union has been working to be more “green” and “sustainable”, looking for eco-friendly solutions, designed to reduce the consumption and to simplify the use of the machines.
Union offers a complete range of dry-cleaning machines, designed to work with the most popular solvents and to meet the requirements of the cleaning professionals, with innovative solutions, as the result of an experience gained with thousands of customers in different countries. The development of the new generation computer, DIALOG, equipped with a new and innovative interface designed especially for the dry-cleaning, provides a range of user-friendly functions and information for the machine operator, putting Union machines at a higher level than the standards known today. Thanks to these solutions, Union machines meet the requirements of 4.0 INDUSTRY offering the perfect solutions to those who want to be ready for facing the challenges of the future”. •
By Marzio Nava
Detergo Magazine – Number 3, March 2022
