Improve Service Quality Eliminate Laundry Misconceptions
Release Time:
2012-07-31 09:58
Source:
Recently, some media reporters went undercover in certain laundries to expose what they considered irregular business practices. This led to multiple media outlets reposting the reports, drawing public attention to the quality of laundry services. In response, the China Commercial Federation's Laundry Professional Committee expressed: As an association, we first thank the media and consumers for their attention to the laundry industry, and we welcome extensive supervision from media and consumers to urge and promote continuous improvement in washing quality and service levels in the laundry industry.
The media reports mainly exposed issues such as disorganized storage of dirty clothes in some laundries, non-standard washing procedures for certain garments, poor hygiene in operation areas, inadequate maintenance and dirty appearance of washing equipment, incorrect behavior of some employees, and untimely communication with consumers. These are problems that laundry operators must take seriously and urgently improve. At the same time, the reports also reflected some misunderstandings arising from insufficient knowledge of the laundry industry by some media or consumers. Therefore, the Laundry Professional Committee provides the following clarifications on possible misconceptions to serve as a reference for communication between laundry enterprises, consumers, and media, and to help the public better understand laundry services.
1. About dry cleaning and wet cleaning:
The reports mentioned that almost all laundries wet clean over 90% of garments, including those that should be dry cleaned, because dry cleaning costs more than wet cleaning.
The reality in the industry is that every laundry uses both dry cleaning and wet cleaning methods. The choice mainly depends on the fabric and type of stains. Laundries make judgments based on washing labels and professional knowledge, as some washing labels may be inaccurate. Laundries equipped with fully enclosed dry cleaning machines have roughly equal costs for dry and wet cleaning; there is no issue of dry cleaning being more expensive. Moreover, wet cleaning garments require more effort in post-processing. According to our exchanges with European counterparts and understanding of the domestic industry, the ratio of dry to wet cleaning is about 50%. To our knowledge, no compliant laundry has a wet cleaning ratio as high as 90%.
2. About perchloroethylene:
The reports stated that perchloroethylene as a dry cleaning solvent has been banned in the United States.
In fact, perchloroethylene is still widely used worldwide in the laundry sector, including in developed countries in Europe and America. Due to its high cleaning efficiency, no better alternative has been developed internationally. Only California has stipulated a ban on perchloroethylene starting in 2023. The claim that perchloroethylene has been banned for many years in the U.S. is seriously inconsistent with the facts and has caused panic among consumers and laundry workers. The use of fully enclosed environmentally friendly dry cleaning machines complies with national environmental requirements. Proper dry cleaning involves distillation, drying, high-temperature ironing, and other procedures, ensuring no perchloroethylene residue remains.
3. About the so-called "excessive profits" in the laundry industry
The reports described the laundry industry as highly profitable with astonishing profit margins.
In reality, most laundries operate with thin profits. In recent years, rising rent and labor costs have made the industry increasingly difficult to operate. The costs of various raw materials have also increased significantly. The profit calculations in the reports are seriously inconsistent with facts. According to our understanding, very few laundries have an average laundry price as high as 25 yuan. The mentioned costs are inaccurate: perchloroethylene, utilities, and wages are not representative; and incomplete, as they exclude many other expenses such as employee insurance, packaging, equipment depreciation, and professional store renovations. It is well known that the laundry industry has distinct peak and off-peak seasons, and losses are common during the summer off-season. The laundry industry is a fully market-driven service sector with low entry barriers and is not monopolized. Under the current domestic market environment, such high excessive profits are impossible.
4. About the use of laundry soap powder and brushing issues
The laundry industry explicitly prohibits the use of unqualified detergents (laundry soap, powder). Laundry soap, powder, and related auxiliaries and stain removers produced by regular manufacturers are routine supplies in laundries. Laundry technicians should use them reasonably according to the degree of garment contamination. Brushing is a common washing technique in the laundry industry but must be performed strictly according to requirements to ensure stain removal without damaging the fabric structure.
The "Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Commerce on the Development of the Laundry Industry during the 12th Five-Year Plan" put forward targeted requirements for the industry's development. The industry is gradually moving toward standardized and healthy development. We hope that consumers and media will supervise and assist the laundry industry, believing that it will develop healthily and provide consumers with better services.
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