Environmental concerns and the need to clean more delicate and complex textiles – in both dry and wet cleaning systems – have helped drive the search for gentler wash and spot cleaning chemicals for textile care professionals. Beyond reassuring customers that their services are ‘eco-friendly’, the cleaner must consider the cost of chemicals and know that they produce results at least as good as traditional, harsher equivalents. Jean Anderson reports.

Cole & Wilson, part of the inter national Christeyns detergents and chemicals group, are specialists in the development and supply of products for the cleaning of more delicate textiles, particularly in providing solutions for smaller dry cleaning laundry installations.

Specialist products from Cole & Wilson range are used on a range of specialist products by Tulsk Dry Cleaners and Laundry in Roscommon, Ireland.

Wool, silk, leather and other delicate textiles such as embellished evening wear, often cause concern for the professional laundry cleaner. These fabrics require a gentle approach, but one that can still ensure high quality outcomes and a thorough clean.

Business development manager Hemant Zavery said: “Premium products of for enhanced quality but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are not as good value for money.

“With a specialist product like those in the Cole & Wilson range, you get great results, consistently, without breaking the bank. Getting a reliable result is however worth so much more than its cost in financial terms as it brings peace of mind for the launderer and reassurance for customers.”

The key to using specialist cleaning chemicals and getting value for money is in the way in which they are used. Premium detergents are concentrated which means only low dosages are needed for a great result.

“With expert advice from the Cole & Wilson team and hands on training, dry cleaners only need use the right amount of detergent and product for the job at hand. This cuts down on wastage and the detergents go further, thus reducing overall cost,” said Zavery.

Cole & Wilson’s Pro-Fit portfolio incorporates the AquaWave wet cleaning system for safe and effective cleaning of delicate textiles, such as suits, silk items, wedding dresses, Ugg boots, bags, and many more items. “AquaWave is a combination of innovative chemicals and a balanced cleaning process that when used in a wet cleaning machine, provides outstanding results.

“Textiles are soft to touch with great body, maintaining their brightness of colour and a lingering fresh smell. It’s unique dry-to-dry technology leaves textiles much less wrinkled, requiring a shorter finish, and so reducing the overall process time to just under an hour.”

The AquaWave cleaning system works by combining two innovative chemicals: Pro-Fit Wool and Pro-Fit Body. These are used together in a gentle one-wash-one-rinse cleaning process with temperatures as low as 20°C.

Pro-Fit Wool is a premium, liquid detergent, containing the latest generation of surfactants and its high lanolin content provides a natural protection layer for wool fibres.

Pro-Fit Body is a liquid finishing agent that restores the fabric’s aspect, reduces wrinkling, facilitates ironing and restores the shape and touch to the most delicate of fibres. It also reduces the build-up of static charges and gives ‘body’ to woollen items.

Tulsk Dry Cleaners and Laundry in Roscommon, Ireland, has recently adopted the use of AquaWave for its wet cleaning. They are now able to confidently treat more delicate items such as fake fur coats and Ugg boots.

When it comes to gentle products for dry cleaning, HiGlo works in all multi-solvent machines.

Zavery said: “Any hydrocarbon, K4 or GreenEarth dry cleaning machine can be converted to using HiGlo, allowing the dry cleaner great flexibility with their cleaning.

“It brightens colours, leaving them soft to touch and easy to finish. The introduction of HiGlo as an alternative to perc has led to an increase in confidence for many dry cleaning outfits when it comes to processing complex structured garments.”

One example of this is Seven Dials, a dry cleaners based in London’s Covent Garden who have been using HiGlo in their new Firbimatic machine for a couple of months.

Gary Woo said: “We are keen to reduce our carbon footprint and be as eco-friendly as possible.

“HiGlo was the perfect chemical partner for our new machine and means we can maintain our high quality standards.

“The results are very good and we have been particularly pleased with the outcome on highly decorative women’s dresses, such as those with sequins and other embellishments.” A different option comes from WSI which has introduced a new option. “It is with great excitement that WSI introduces a truly revolutionary wash process with universal application,” says regional sales manager Peter Hallett.

“As trusted innovators in the industry, WSI has a decorated history of introducing landmark industry innovations with numerous patents specific to the commercial laundry space. With TRUpath™, a patent-pending wash process, WSI is significantly changing the game,” says Hallett.