PERC-LESS LAUNDRY NEW SYSTEM DRY CLEANS WITHOUT HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Eastside Cleaners is using a new water-based cleaning technology alongside its traditional dry cleaning, and local air-quality officials hope others will follow suit.

Eastside Cleaner's Paul Choe has found the wet cleaning to be more effective - leaving clothes cleaner and brighter without a chemical smell - and air pollution officials said it works without a toxic chemical called perchloroethylene, or perc, an air pollutant and groundwater contaminant.

``One of the things we've asked Paul to do is use this as a demonstration or a model for the other cleaners in the valley, to show that this is doable without the use of perc,'' said Brett Banks of the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District.

Eastside cleaners is the first dry cleaning establishment in the Antelope Valley to use the water-based cleaning machines, which it installed with help from a $12,500 grant from the air-quality district.

The district has a second $12,500 grant still available.

Perchloroethylene is used by more than 95 percent of dry cleaners. It was adapted for the dry cleaning industry 50 years ago and worked so well that it spawned a neighborhood mom-and-pop industry that has grown to more than 34,000 shops nationwide today.

There are other dry cleaning methods that don't use perc but still use solvents. Water-based cleaning is the only one that does not use solvents. The South Coast Air Quality Management District in the Los Angeles basin has put rules in place to phase out perchloroethylene.

Although dry cleaners have reduced their perc emissions in recent years with more efficient equipment, they are still the largest source of perc emissions in the region.

``The more we can phase out of that material the better, and this is just the simplest way to do it,'' Banks said.

Water-based cleaning is more expensive. The process requires four machines: a washer, a dryer and two tensioning machines - one for pants and one for shirts and jackets.

Part of the extra cost for Choe is that the wet cleaning process requires a third more time than traditional dry cleaning, which translates to an additional 30 to 50 cents per item.

``The machine is very similar to the washing machine that you use at home, except it's computer controlled,'' explained Banks. ``You use a lot less water, a lot less detergent, so it isn't as harsh on the fabric, so you're still able to clean things that would be called 'dry clean only' using this kind of technology.''

Choe, a state certified trainer for owners of new dry cleaning businesses, became interested in the process after receiving calls about water-based cleaning.

``I got a lot of phone calls from folks who have an interest about the new technology,'' Choe said. ``How is the new technology? Is it really dependable? Is it really reliable. I didn't have answers.''

He then met Zion Orpaz of Golden State Laundry Systems, which developed the Wascomat machine with Occidental College.

``By using the wet cleaning system, the quality of the cleaning also increased drastically,'' said Orpaz. ``There is no impurities. I comes out like spotless.''

Peggy Hager, [phone]

Peggy.grimm-hager(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) Vice Mayor Henry Hearns thanks Paul Choe, owner of Eastside Cleaners, which now does dry cleaning without using perchloroethylene.

Peggy Hager/Staff Photographer