Canada : SMART wet cleaning solutions for garments

Winning Brands Corporation reports that Hamilton, Ontario’s newest dry cleaning plant will use SMART Wet Cleaning Solutions instead of Perc in order to provide solvent free dry cleaning to that city of over 500,000 residents. Hamilton Cleaners’ 2nd processing facility is being built in the East Mountain area of the city.
Hamilton Cleaners have been evaluating the long term performance of SMART Wet Cleaning Solutions and professional wet cleaning equipment vs Perc at the 522 Main Street East plant prior to this decision.
The conversion of the Main St. plant has been so successful that Hamilton Cleaners’ owner Michael Bozzo says there is no doubt about what to do next.
“Customers are very interested in the fact that we stopped using Perc. They like the cleaning results and appreciate this environmental initiative. Our electricity and gas consumption is noticeably reduced."
"Training is easier and recruiting good staff is helped because our operating personnel prefers working in a solvent-free environment. We don’t have hazardous sludge to dispose of any longer. The list of benefits is long…” he remarks.
Winning Brands Corporation manufactures SMART Wet Cleaning Solutions for use by professional wet cleaners. Winning Brands’ mission is to replace hazardous chemicals in widespread use with safer alternatives.
The company supplies its special cleaning agents to customers at various stages of the conversion process fromPerc into 100% wet cleaning operations and has participated in a number of field trials for this purpose.

Winning Brands’ CEO Eric Lehner is cautiously optimistic about the emerging results. “You can’t beat real-world experiences by typical commercial customers as the basis of your growth plans” says Lehner.
“The reported findings are that dry cleaners who convert from Perc to our system do well. As various governments are preparing to ban Perc use, the industry now has a very attractive alternative to satisfy the public and enhance profitability. It’s a win-win proposition.” he adds.
“With the vast majority of North America’s estimated 35,000 dry cleaners still using the old system – we are ready to help them do as well or better with the SMART approach.” concludes Lehner.
The Hamilton Cleaners conversion is being handled by a group of experts in the new field of professional wet cleaning called the Solvent Free Solutions Team.
The group combines the latest findings in equipment design with environmentally advanced cleaning agents known as SMART Wet Cleaning Solutions.
The net result is the team’s ability to convert conventional dry cleaning plants that use the controversial solvent Perchloroethylene (Perc) into Perc-free plant operation, sometimes within weeks.
Solvent Free Solutions Team spokesperson Jim Giddings points out that not all dry cleaners are willing to make the conversion total.
“Some want to hang on to the familiar – so we ease them in gently by installing a “Little Giant” system from Miele for starters to be used with SMART Wet Cleaning Solutions. This lets the dry cleaners get familiar with professional wet cleaning for some of their ‘dry clean only” garments.
"In order to replace Perc entirely, a bit more equipment is necessary, and training – that’s what we do.” says Giddings.
“Michael in Hamilton was a leader there – he took the plunge and became very effective quickly. I’m not surprised that he is expanding to meet higher demand.” adds Giddings.