Improve service quality and eliminate laundry misconceptions
Release Time:
2012-07-31 13:05
Source:
www.chinalaundry.cn
China Commercial Federation Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee
Recently, some media reporters went undercover in certain laundries to expose what they considered irregular business practices. This was widely reprinted by multiple media outlets, drawing public attention to the quality of laundry services. In response, the China Commercial Federation Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee expresses: as an association, we first thank the media and consumers for their attention to the laundry and dyeing industry, and we welcome extensive supervision from media and consumers to urge and promote continuous improvement in washing quality and service levels in the 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 and speech by 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 reflect some misunderstandings due to insufficient knowledge of the laundry industry by some media or consumers. Therefore, the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee provides the following clarifications on possible misconceptions to facilitate 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 use wet cleaning for 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 depends mainly on the fabric and type of stains. Laundries make judgments based on washing labels and professional knowledge, as some washing labels may be inaccurate. Properly equipped laundries 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 difficult post-processing. According to our exchanges with European peers 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 Tetrachloroethylene:
The reports mentioned that tetrachloroethylene as a dry cleaning solvent has been banned in the United States.
The fact is that to date, tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene starting in 2023. The claim that tetrachloroethylene has been banned for many years in the US is seriously inconsistent with 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, leaving no tetrachloroethylene residue.
3. About the so-called "excessive profits" in the laundry industry
The reports mentioned that the laundry industry is highly profitable, with astonishing profit margins.
The reality is that most laundries operate with thin margins. In recent years, rising rent and labor costs have made business increasingly difficult. 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 washing price as high as 25 yuan. The mentioned costs are inaccurate: tetrachloroethylene, utilities, and wages are not representative; and incomplete, as they exclude employee insurance, packaging, equipment depreciation, store professional renovations, and many other expenses. It is well known that the laundry industry has obvious 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 scrubbing issues
The laundry and dyeing industry explicitly prohibits the use of unqualified detergents (laundry soap, powder). Laundry soaps, powders, related auxiliaries, and stain removers produced by regular manufacturers are conventional supplies in laundries. Laundry technicians should use them reasonably according to the degree of garment contamination. Scrubbing is a common washing technique in the laundry industry but must be strictly performed as required to ensure stain removal without damaging fabric structure.
The "Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Commerce on the Development of the Laundry and Dyeing Industry during the 12th Five-Year Plan" put forward targeted requirements for industry development. This industry is gradually moving toward standardized and healthy development. We hope that consumers and media will supervise and assist the laundry industry, believing it will develop healthily and provide better services to consumers.
February 21, 2012
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