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WORKWEAR CLEANING, HOW IS THE MARKET CHANGING?

A progressive and constant growth is evident when taking a snapshot of the global workwear market. As highlighted by a study conducted by the portal https://www.businesscoot.com/ the global workwear market is expected to grow with an annual growth rate of 6,3%, potentially reaching $29,1
billion by 2031. In Europe, where safety regulations are increasingly stringent and demanding, the estimated value was $9,49 billion in 2022. This is expected to reach $13,77 billion by 2028, with a growth rate of 6,4%. The Italian trend is not different from that of the rest of Europe. The growth of the Italian market in recent years has been significant, and today we can say that we are aligned with the global market. Healthcare, construction, and Ho.Re. Ca. are the leading sectors. Since 2020, the Italian market (and beyond) has experienced a real upsurge especially in the healthcare sector.
The increase of demand is also due to significant innovation: lighter fabrics, multifunctional clothing and the use of new technology are at the forefront of new trends. From these premises we start to understand the “state of the art” by using the different opinions of manufacturers and personnel

ÈCOSÌ

The workwear cleaning sector is a complex field that requires experience and attention. Our company is prepared to meet the specific needs of the customers, ranging from clothing for the healthcare sector to those for industry and hospitality. With the continuous evolution of technical fabrics, the complexity of workwear is constantly increasing. Our strength lies in our in-house laboratory, which allows us to offer a unique service based on the formulation of customized detergents. We analyse the characteristics of the fabric and the dirt to create specific solutions.
The flexibility of an in-house laboratory equipped with cutting-edge equipment allows us to respond quickly and accurately to our customers’ needs. Another flagship product that we offer is the Elba multicomponent system, certified by Ecolabel and chosen by Servizi Italia at their Pavia di Udine facility. This system, that complies with the UNI EN ISO 14698-1:2004 standard, ensures the microbicidal effectiveness of the professional washing process. Servizi Italia has adopted the Elba Ecolabel system for the sanitizing hospital linen, achieving excellent results.
We closely collaborate with our customers during the entire certification process, guiding them in making the best choices to improve their production process. This makes us the ideal partner for all professional washing needs. This is evidenced by the constant growth of our company's laundry division. Our dedication and expertise make us a benchmark in the workwear cleaning sector.
We guarantee quality, safety, and respect for the environment, facing daily challenges with professionalism and innovation. We are ready to collaborate with you to improve your washing process, providing excellent and sustainable results.

PONY

The current regulations state that normal workwear, if capable of protecting against chemical or physical hazards such as oils, gases, dust, etc., are considered protective clothing, and therefore their maintenance and cleaning must be considered the responsibility of the employer. For this reason, more and more companies, which provide work clothes to their employees, prefer to entrust their care to professional laundries, which are able to guarantee suitable washing and ironing processes to
ensure adequate standards of cleanliness, finishing and sanitization. Furthermore, the number of companies from different sectors requiring their employees to wear uniforms is increasing: the manufacturing industry, food service, commercial and crafted activities, the wellness and hospitality sectors, and particularly the healthcare sector, especially after the pandemics. Each sector has different needs and proposes for those companies like Pony, involved in garments ironing, different types of clothing and challenges: for example, in the hospitality sector, aesthetics is a priority, while in the healthcare sector, hygiene and comfort are absolutely crucial. Pony has always been focused on offering the best solutions for finishing workwear. For shirts, medical uniforms, chef's jackets and nurses' tunics, we recommend the 404 multi finisher or the EAGLE 2.0 shirt finisher with h130 cm Maxi-sized dummy; machines using the blown or mixed pressed/ blown system for ironing, that guarantee flexibility and excellent finishing quality. Those demanding high efficiency and speed for water-washed cotton/mix jackets and blazers, use Angel 3.0 (single form finisher) and DB Premium (double buck shirt press), which, thanks to the pressure of their new contoured bucks, dry and iron garments in seconds. For dry-cleaned outerwear of all cuts and sizes, the universal form finisher model MG or the tensioning form finisher model FORMPLUS are recommended. For trousers washed in water or dry-cleaned, the trousers toppers MPT-D or DL are the ideal solution as they perfectly iron trousers of any size and fabric. The presses with polished bucks, for which Pony produces a wide range of bucks designed differently for each type of garment, guarantee great productivity and high finishing quality thanks to the high-temperature plate, combined with maximum hygiene; while, the OZOCAB cabinet and the OZOCUBO sanitizing machine allow for the sanitization of workwear and work environments, as well. The team of experts of Pony is always available for a demonstration and answer your questions via video call or directly at the showroom in Inzago (MI).

RENZACCI

Based on the enormous experience gained by Renzacci Spa in over 130 countries around the world we can state that today more than ever the answer is called NATURAL CLEANING, carried out with the latest generation of machinery that uses NATURAL SOLVENT. This new line allows you to give free rein to all washing, treatment and disinfection needs which are extremely important both for removing some of the most difficult stains from particular activities such as healthcare and industry, and for cleaning and disinfecting quickly, with low consumption of energy, water and chemical products – all types of workwear.
From the aspect strictly linked to the washing results, the experience has confirmed the great flexibility of using these solvents, a fact which is even more emphasized by the recent trends related to the way of combiniång fibers and fabrics of different colors and nature, many known precisely to respond to the requirements imposed by the new legislation on work safety.
NATURAL SOLVENTS have also proven to be the most effective and less expensive washing method in these cases in terms of cost per kg of treated items, especially considering the costs of detergents, water treatment and electricity. Another great saving is achieved in the drying phase and in ironing times which are much shorter. We must not overlook the costs linked to the environmental impact both in terms of the operator's health and the treatment and disposal of washing residues. Last but certainly not least, is the very interesting chapter dedicated to the innovative techniques for washing workwear made possible by the new series of HS (super centrifugal) and LX E-Speed (with increased spin) washer extractors presented by Renzacci worldwide (available in models from 8 to 120Kg. of capacity).
These lines of machines stand out for the new Renzacci AQUATRON™ computerized system which allows the washing temperatures, bath levels, pause and drum rotation times to be adjusted simply and extremely precisely to allow the operator to optimize the service based on the type of uniforms processed and therefore the type of customer.

TREVIL

For ironing jackets and work shirts, Trevil offers Prestotandem, a double buck hot plate shirt finisher designed with the automatic unloading of pressed shirts and automatic hanger loading. The system,
equipped with double buck, has a footprint of only 1,83 mÇ and offers exceptional productivity: capable of finishing around 80 shirts per hour with just one operator who only needs to dress the garments. The patented hanger loading system allows dozens of hangers to be loaded without the need to sort them one by one, while the unloading system can be connected to the existing automatic conveyor belt. The cuff clamps are equipped with presses that dry and iron not only the sleeve plackets but also the pleats of the cuffs, and they are covered with anti-shine material, that prevents shine especially on dark fabrics. With Prestotandem, it is also possible to iron garments with short sleeves thanks to the special clamps provided as standard. Prestotandem can be also efficiently used when it is necessary to achieve a good finishing result. The adjustable arm height ensures the perfect ironing of the armhole. The fullheight rear plate and the back hem pulldown mechanism guarantees an uniform finishing along the entire back side of the garment.
The Trevitouch touchscreen console is extremely intuitive to use and has a password lock to prevent unwanted programs changes. Integrated diagnosis software facilitates maintenance and troubleshooting. The installation of Prestotandem can be perfectly completed by Tandempress - double cuff & collar press, available in double or quadruple versions

UNION

The treatment of work clothes comprises a wide range of garments, fabrics and clothing types, which are also very different depending on their use. In this context, we refer mainly to workwear treatment used in the industrial sector where mechanics require individual protection in the presence of oily or mineral grease compounds, which often also require the use of protective gloves and work overalls; we do not consider other specific sectors such as healthcare sector. Just like a regular washing, the first thing to do before dry or wet washing work clothing is to read the labels, to understand the temperatures and treatments to which where, contact with highly staining and greasy substances requires the utmost attention to hygiene. This is why work clothes for those working in warehouses, manual labour and industrial facilities can be only washed in laundries/dry-cleanings
specialized for this type of treatment. Professional laundries/dry-cleanings are using special professional detergents different from those for domestic use, with enhanced stain-removing action.
dry-cleaning system is the most “suitable” for workwear cleaning precisely because of its ability to remove stains and substances found in these work environments. Unlike water, the solvent used for drycleaning does not need some other additives to be effective. Usually, the cycle consists of two stages of prewashing for a few minutes, and sent to the distiller by the fibres can be subjected. This is also an important step to understand if it's possible to use the spinning cycle and iron the garments once they are dry. The second step is to separate the work wear from all others, even if they don't have any particular stains. This is because they regularly come into contact with different
environments and people, and it's always advisable not mixing them with some other items not used in the industrial sector. Work clothes can get stained with stubborn substances that are difficult to
remove. This is why washing workwear in the washing machine is a delicate operation that requires the utmost care. Cleanliness is crucial when it comes to workwear, in any sector. From hospitality, to the service sector, to technical and industrial sectors All technical overalls and work wear are washed separately and must follow the procedures dictated by ISO 15797 regulations. These regulations require specific phases to sanitize the garments and impose standard temperatures, appropriate detergents, and special drying methods. Industrial dry-cleaning with solvents is particularly suitable for these treatments as it can naturally remove greases and oily liquids without the need of other degreasing products. The key feature that identifies a dry-cleaning system is the use of a “solvent” other than water that has the property of dissolving fats, oils, waxes, synthetic resins, natural resins, etc... Therefore, it is obvious that a spinning, then a rinsing stage with more solvent, spinning and finally drying. The entire washing and drying process takes place in the same “drum” inside the drycleaning machine, all in a closed circuit, with practically no emissions and very low consumption. The oily residual sludge that is collected by the distiller can then be evacuated from the machine in special containers, which will be later collected and disposed of, by specialized disposal companies without coming into contact with the environment.

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