FAQ
What do ordinary drycleaners use to clean my clothes?
Perchloroethylene (Perc) is the most commonly used drycleaning solvent.
In ordinary drycleaning your clothes are washed in this toxic chemical
in a giant cleaning machine. Perc is an
environmental nightmare.
Over 750 million gallons of perchloroethylene are put into the environment
annually in North America, making it our most common groundwater
contaminant. In Sweden, where there is less interference in legislative
matters, it’s listed as a KNOWN human carcinogen. Perc
affects the central nervous system – like any solvent, long-term exposure
can cause permanent CNS damage.
Why do cleaners use this toxic solvent?
In use for many decades because of its non-flammability and stability,
perchloroethylene is a strong degreaser, however it doesn’t do
very well with water-soluble stains (most food and drink stains!).
Whites take on a greyish hue when washed in perchloroethylene, and
you’ll often see weird “ghosting” when a cleaner
uses dirty perc – and the same perc is reused for hundreds of
loads.
What? Chemicals??? I thought they just used steam!?
Clothes are pre-spotted with chemicals, then put into a huge machine,
washed in perc solvent, then heat-dried in the same machine. Stains
that don’t come out are spotted again with chemicals. Clothes
are then pressed, bagged, and sent out to the customer. Studies have
shown that clothes can emit toxic fumes for two weeks after ordinary
drycleaning . . . in your car, in your closet, on your body. If you
can smell the chemical, you are being exposed to its toxic effects.
How is Elite’s process different?
We pre-spot stains with banana oil derivative, then clean with like
colours and fabrics. Our natural citrus cleaning is gentler than hand-washing.
If the stains don’t come out the first time, which can happen
in any type of cleaning, we’re tenacious. We try all sorts of
miracle remedies (all biodegradable - some your grandmother probably
used!), when we re-clean your garment
Unlike ordinary drycleaners, who heat dry all their garments including
the most delicate fabrics, we hang most garments to air dry. Heat is
very damaging to fibres. Any clothing that we do tumble is digitally
monitored closely for relative humidity in a special low-heat environment.
How long does it take to get my clothes back?
Although in an emergency we can accommodate rush orders, we usually
ask for 3 – 5 days to clean your clothes. If there are stains,
we’d like to have enough time to get them out!
Does citrus clean as well as perc solvent?
Far better! Our Citrus cleaner is powerful, but gentle. It has dye
stabilizers to keep colours bright and beautiful. Our cleanser is NEVER
re-used – everything is cleaned with fresh, clean fluid. Citrus
is tough – think about the last time you had a squirt of lemon
juice in your eye! Whites will be whiter and colours brighter.
Isn’t water a solvent, too?
You bet! Water is nature’s most abundant and effective solvent
(but since it’s not a manufactured chemical, we feel ok saying
our system is “solvent-free”). Perc, on the other hand,
is a manufactured chlorinated solvent. We drink our cleaning fluid – and
we dare any other cleaner to try to drink their cleaning fluid!
Our sophisticated equipment is computerized with 99 different programs,
which Miele spent twelve years perfecting. The machine automatically
adjusts water levels, temperature, agitation, mechanical action, spin
speed (up to 1100 rpm!) and length of water exposure according to the
needs of each fabric. We use silk protein finishing agent, which leaves
clothes soft and breathes new life into tired fabrics.
Will you guarantee me you’ll get out every
stain?
If you see a “sorry” tag on your garment, it means we’ve
already cleaned your garment several times, but the stain just won’t
budge, though it is likely to lighten. We can’t get out every
stain, and neither can a solvent cleaner.
If you’re pioneers in this field, how did you learn this system?
We brought a team of world-expert trainers from Toronto to teach us.
They spent a week on site at our plant, and were available to answer
our questions over the following months. We brought the trainers back
for follow-up a few months later. At our second training session, the
trainers were astonished at our skills and advancements – and
now they phone us for advice! We’re pioneers together in this
new field, so we exchange ideas and techniques freely.
Our plant has been used as a demonstration by Miele Canada. After a
visit to Elite, Holland America cruise line decided to convert the
drycleaning plants on every ship in their fleet to our system! (See
news story and testimonial by Hart Sugarman, corporate executive housekeeper
of Holland America Line)
Why are your prices a little higher?
Our prices reflect the amount of time it takes to clean, press and
finish a garment. While our process takes longer and is more labour-intensive,
it also reflects the extra time we take to produce superior quality.
If you’re paying a lot less than what we charge, your garment
won’t be getting the individual attention it deserves.
Down duvets and sleeping bags cost a little more
than other cleaners – why?
Down bedding costs us more to clean – the
90 minute cleaning program ensures “deep down” cleaning,
and then the down must be dried for several hours to avoid mould and
mildew susceptibility.
YIKES! I’ve just slopped grape jelly all over my white blouse – should
I rinse it off right away?
No! Rinsing can force the stain further into the fibre. Leave it alone
and bring it to us to treat ASAP. Our cleaning agents have surfactants
that allow water to penetrate the fibres and rinse the stains away – using
water alone can push the stain in further and set it permanently. We
can’t get rid of every stain, but we CAN get rid of most fresh
food stains (much better than we could when we were a solvent cleaner).
Can you stop using all that plastic?
Yes, but we need your help. While we do recycle plastic garment bags,
we’ve taken it a step further. We’ve invented a reusable
cloth ecobag that doubles as a carry bag for clothes waiting to be
cleaned. All customers who sign up for SPUD’s drycleaning delivery
service use an ecobag. If you like our work and think you might become
a “regular”, please consider an ecobag. We sell them at
the price it costs to have them made. If you move away or decide not
to use our services again, we’ll buy them back from you for the
same price.
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