Many people are not aware that drycleaning is not really dry — your clothing actually gets wet with a liquid solvent containing little or no water. And since solvents can cost $40 per gallon or more, every drycleaner reuses their solvent over and over. Solvents dissolve grease, gum, wax and oil (e.g. food, oily skin, cosmetics, automotive etc), all of which are then suspended in the solvent. New solvent becomes tainted with these impurities during the course of a new drycleaning business processing their very first load of clothing. The quantity of these impurities can increase with subsequent loads, even when the minimum purification standards are followed.

Most drycleaners follow the guidelines set forth by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI), which recommends purifying 20 to 25% of the solvent used each day. If strictly followed, this level of purification produces acceptable drycleaning results. However, since there are no regulatory agencies responsible for monitoring drycleaners for solvent purity, there is no guarantee that the minimum purification processes are being performed. Fashion Fresh, on the other hand, is a Sanitone Certified Master Drycleaner, and is therefore required to undergo periodic inspections. Specifically, we must “adhere to rigid requirements and maintain the purity of our drycleaning fluid.” (See “The Mark Of Dry Cleaning Excellence” pledge.)

In order to use clean solvent on every load, Sanitone drycleaners constantly purify their solvent via a costly distillation process: During each drycleaning cycle, 99.9 % of the used solvent is transferred to the distillation unit where it is super-heated to 250° F (38 degrees hotter than the boiling point for water.) The pure, clear vapor rises and is condensed back into a liquid and then chilled to 75°F so that the clean, sanitized solvent can dryclean the next load of clothing. This constant heating and cooling increases the use of natural gas and electricity, and the distillation unit must be replaced periodically at a cost of $4,000 to $7,000.

The dark, oily impurities will not vaporize at 250° and thus remain on the bottom of the distillation unit to be removed by a licensed waste recycler, which adds yet another layer of expense to the overall cost of purification. These extra costs for utilities, distillation equipment and waste recycling are the primary reasons some drycleaners choose to bypass the distillation process frequently, if not altogether. Again, there is no regulatory requirement for drycleaners to perform any purification process at all. In fact, surveys by the DLI over the last 15 to 20 years indicate that 11.6% of drycleaners had no distillation equipment! (All DLI technical literature to date gives no alternatives to distillation as a proper procedure for the purification of solvents.)

As mentioned above, distillation removes oily impurities, which are then shipped off to be recycled. If constant distillation is not performed, these impurities (technically known as non-volatile residue) accumulate in the solvent. Unfortunately, without constant distillation, even the best drycleaning technician cannot prevent your clothing from absorbing these residues! And since these residues tilt to the acid side of the ph-scale, unsanitized solvent may accelerate the breakdown of the natural-fibers in your clothing, especially in humid climates or in close quarters such as parties and night clubs where moisture (perspiration, etc.) is present. And, unclean solvent can increase the chance of mold or mildew appearing in fibers. Using impure solvent can also cause graying or dulling of white and light-colored fabrics, unpleasant odors, and less than desirable hygiene ---- problems you won’t have when you use Fashion Fresh.

As a Certified Master Drycleaner, we must adhere to Sanitone’s high solvent-purity standard, and all of the other high-quality standards. A Sanitone technician inspects our system and our service without prior notification. Our failure to meet these standards would cause the loss of our Certified Master Drycleaner status.

We are proud to have earned this seal of distinction, so look for the “Master Drycleaner” logo at all Fashion Fresh locations as well as at other drycleaners when needing items cleaned while away from home. If you must use a conventional drycleaner, you may want to consider having your nicer items re-cleaned by us as soon as possible. Extend the life of your wardrobe and your household items with Fashion Fresh, your Sanitone Certified Master Drycleaner.

If your not sure of the best way to clean your favorite clothing item, bring it to our counter. Our knowledgeable staff can advise you on the best course of action for that item.