Wet cleaners eliminate shrinkage problems by using specially designed drying machines, which are programmed for specific garments' needs, or by drip-drying. Environment Canada's Green Clean wet cleaning demonstration project received 177 survey responses during June, July and, August 1994, with 97 percent indicating the clothes were clean overall and 98 percent responding that they would have their clothes wet cleaned again. Our model facility analysis found that wet cleaning can be an economically viable alternative to dry cleaning. The profitability of wet cleaning depends on many variables, including the cost of labor, equipment, detergents, electricity, and water. Wet cleaning facilities in operation today offer prices similar to those offered by dry cleaners.
Uncertainties exist regarding the amount of labor required for wet cleaning.
Because cost estimates are highly sensitive to assumptions about labor, this raises problems in analyzing the profitability of wet cleaning. To achieve the labor productivity required to compete with dry cleaning, the wet cleaner may need to invest in worker training. Wet cleaning involves significantly fewer up-front capital expenditures than dry cleaning. The cost of perc and charging detergents is significantly cheaper than the cost of wet cleaning detergents and sizing agents. However, dry cleaning entails additional costs associated with disposal of hazardous, perc-contaminated wastes.