Case Study

Wakamatsuya Co., Ltd.

Plasmacluster devices significantly contribute to garment cleaning with mold-preventing measures for stored kimonos, garment deodorizing, and static electricity suppression during packaging

PDF:1.9MB
Industry

Cleaning

Purpose of Implementation

Improved service, Improved safety, Enhanced comfort

Implemented product
Ceiling & side mounted type Plasmacluster ion generator

IG-2MC05 x 2 units

Plasmacluster Static Electricity Remover

IG-301JF x 2 units

Wall-mounted / shelf-mounted combination Plasmacluster air purifier

FU-M1000 x 1 unit
Implemented sequentially in the spring of 2016. At the main store, the ceiling & side mounted type was installed in the kimono storage shelves, and the Plasmacluster Static Electricity Remover was installed above the hanger rail. At our branch in front of Uwajima City Hall, the wall-mounted type was installed.
Retailer: Yokohata Co., Ltd.

Customer
Wakamatsuya Co., Ltd.

Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (main store)
Dry cleaner established in 1934, with three branches in Ehime Prefecture. Wakamatsuya handles a variety of articles from general garments to specialty items such as kimonos and dresses, and specializes in cleaning and stain removal. Many customers come from outside the prefecture for their high skills.

This is what we realized.
Challenges before implementation

(1) We were particularly concerned with preventing mold when storing cleaned kimonos for a long time.
(2) Ozone used for deodorization has to be handled carefully as it affects the human body and garments.
(3) The static electricity generated when packaging in vinyl causes dust to stick on the garments.

  • By installing the unit in the kimono storage shelves, we achieved effective mold-preventing measures and increased our sense of security.
  • Odors that are hard to remove even after washing are cleanly deodorized. The safety of the device, which does not affect the human body or garments, was also a significant advantage.
  • The anti-static effect makes it easier to put on the vinyl covers and keeps dust from sticking onto the garments.
Background of Implementation
Searching for mold-preventing measures during long-term kimono storage and deodorizing method with no effect on the human body or garments.

Our company, which specializes in stain removal, handles many kimonos, sometimes more than 3,000 pieces a year. Some of our customers leave their kimonos in storage for a long time. We are especially careful to prevent mold during storage and were looking for an effective method. The ozone we used to remove persistent odors from garments can affect the human body and the garments, so it must be handled very carefully. Also, its methods are often restricted.

Wakamatsuya Co., Ltd.
(Left)Seiji Fukunishi, The president
(Right)Tokiko Fukunishi, Certified cleaning expert, Textile product quality controller

Reasons for Selection
Safety of Plasmacluster ion. Convinced by the deodorizing effect confirmed during trials.

We participated in a business convention organized by a customer and learned about the professional Plasmacluster device. We immediately felt we could use it in the dry cleaning industry. We highly appreciated the mold-preventing and deodorizing effects. In addition to that, we also appreciated that the safety of Plasmacluster has been confirmed, and it has no effect on the human body or garments. The compact model that can be installed in the kimono storage shelves was also an advantage. We rented a demo model and conducted some trials. We confirmed that persistent cigarette and pet odors were completely removed from the garments, so we decided to adopt those solutions.

Installed in the kimono storage shelves to improve mold-preventing measures (main store)

Effect after implementation
Confident and secure measures against mold-preventing in the kimono storage shelves. Simultaneous deodorizing and static removal are also an advantage.

Since we store our customers’ valuable kimonos, we are reassured that we can use the Plasmacluster devices to improve the mold-preven tin g measures in the storage shelves. The deodorizing effect is high, and persistent odors that was hard to remove with dry cleaning or by water-washing are minimized in only about an hour. Stubborn odors are also deodorized overnight. Static electricity causes the vinyl packaging for cleaned garments to stick onto the garments and attracts dust. Now we can deodorize and remove static electricity at the same time.

Powerfully deodorizing garments as well as suppressing static electricity (main store)

Future prospects
Cleaner air environment in stores and factories. Further improve quality.

Our other stores are located in old multi-tenant buildings that have inadequate ventilation equipment. We implemented the wall-mounted air purifier to improve the air purification effect in the store. We are thinking of implementing the same wall-mounted type at our main store next to the factory so that we can further improve the quality.

Purifying the store’s air with the wall-mounted air purifier (branch in front of Uwajima City Hall)

Issued December 2016

Brand