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Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• 'We believe that he was lying in wait'

• Larson, River Oaks, Julia Morgan elementary schools are honored with top public education award

• Three-story hotel planned in Lockeford

• Veteran LUSD bus driver earns honor for squeaky clean record

• San Joaquin County officials return home from One Voice trip

• Regional Roundup

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (168)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (72)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (33)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (18)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

ADVERTISEMENT

Clean green machines

Lodi dry cleaner leading the way with fully eco-friendly laundry services

There are a few different versions on how dry cleaning originated. No matter which one is accepted, they all pretty much start with toxic chemicals. Ammonia, lye, kerosene and even gasoline are some of the first chemicals used in the dry cleaning process. But now, dry cleaners are (ahem) cleaning up their act.

Jack Alquist, the high energy, on-the-move owner of Guild Cleaners in Lodi, claims to have a fully green, eco-friendly operation. And he's proud to show off the process.

Alquist says he and a handful of other dry cleaners across the nation were approached by General Electric in November 1999 to try a new eco-friendly process of cleaning.

Silicone siloxane, a Food and Drug Administration-approved solution used in roll-on deoderants, was found to have the ability to clean clothing better than previous methods. The other benefit of the solution — now marketed with the brand name GreenEarth — is that it does not need to be disposed of like traditional dry cleaning or washing machine methods. It simply evaporates.

At the time Alquist began using GreenEarth, there wasn't a dry cleaning machine made specifically for the solution. So, Guild Cleaners converted the 40-pound-capacity Columbia cleaner they had to accommodate GreenEarth.

In October 2006, Alquist purchased one of the first machines (with a 50 pound capacity) made to use GreenEarth Specifically.

"The silicone siloxane reduces surface tension to release the stains and soil and it's more gentle to the clothes," Alquist said.

Though the GreenEarth solution is ideal, it's not the only green method used by Guild Cleaners. They also employ what's called "wet cleaning" for more delicate fabrics like wool and rayon and items with attachments such as rhinestones and appliqué.

Wet cleaning, also called hybrid washing, uses very little water, mixed with biodegradable detergents. It also uses about a third of the amount of a conventional washing machine, according to Alquist.

A complicated mass of pipes and machinery make up the back side of an eco-friendly clothing cleaner at Guild Cleaners in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

The Wascomat, Guild's Swedish-made wet cleaner, can hold up to 65 pounds of like colors and materials. The water and detergent mixture is fed into the machine in pre-determined amounts programed into the machine's computer. The mixture is then absorbed into the fabric and gently tumbled.

The massive hybrid drier used in the next step dries clothing based on moisture, withdrawing 80 percent of the wet mixture.

From there, the clothes are put through a tension pressing process. Shirts and pants are placed on machines that allow steam to be blown from the inside out. This removes any remaining wrinkles and allows conditioners and softeners absorbed in the cleaning process to be awakened in the fabric.

All the extra effort put into adopting environmentally sound techniques has helped Alquist reduce Guild Cleaner's energy consumption by 35 percent. With 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of laundry processed each week — clothes from the Kettleman Lane location and Alquist's Lincoln Village Cleaners in Stockton are also brought to the Church Street location — that's a significant reduction in energy usage.

Due to the pioneering efforts of businesses like Alquist's, others have started to follow suit. In 2002, the Fresh Cleaners franchise started opening shops across California, Nevada and Arizona using GreenEarth exclusively. The franchise has a location on Lower Sacramento Road and one in Galt.

Alquist looks at the green movement as common sense and the progression of technology.

"People don't watch the same television as when they were first invented. Look at phones these days," Alquist said. "It just makes sense."

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.