An important prerequisite for washing such items in water is the use of specially formulated detergents and highly specialised programme technology: This includes low water levels, reduced temperatures and gentle drum rhythms involving long pauses interspersed with short bursts of rotation. This approach minimises the risk of felting and shrinkage on highly sensitive garments and ensures that they retain their shape. Extremely low residual moisture levels after spinning offer the ideal conditions for short drying cycles.
Miele’s aqueous wash system was developed more than 15 years ago and since then has been used successfully by laundries and dry cleaners. Today, the third generation of Miele laundry machines is on the market. Compared with the previous generation, these new machines offer many benefits, proven in a current in-house comparison for which, among others, a new 16 kg washer-extractor (PW 6161) and an old 19 kg model were tested. Although the ‘WetCare’ aqueous wash system is designed for half of the respective nominal loads, both machines were filled with 9.5 kg of laundry. The result: In the patented honeycomb drum on the new 16 kg machine, textiles were washed even more gently and showed fewer signs of shrinkage compared with those washed in the old machine. The cleaning performance on the new machine was also significantly better, energy consumption was reduced by half and water consumption by approx. 30%. Programme cycles were reduced by more than 17%.
Special programmes on board machines delivered ex works
Miele's new freely programmable Profitronic M controls allow programme customisation, with 199 slots available for newly compiled programmes. The highly specialised programmes required for wet cleaning are on board machines delivered ex works. Matching sensor-controlled tumble dryers, also featuring Miele's unique honeycomb drum, are optionally available in electric or steam heating. A dispensing system for liquid detergents, a key component of the ‘WetCare’ system, is also included.
Compared with the traditional dry-cleaning approach, wet cleaning offers clear benefits, including for example simpler and better removal of protein-based stains. Treating water-soluble stains in a system using solvents requires considerable additional effort: Only careful manual pre-spotting achieves the required results.
Wet cleaning is becoming increasingly popular as approx. 60% of all textiles dry-cleaned have been approved by the manufacturers for washing in water. For many consumers, the fresh, pleasant fragrance of wet-cleaned laundry is every reason to opt for the ‘WetCare’ system as opposed to dry cleaning. This aspect alone is why also the staff at many dry cleaners has such high regard for the aqueous wash system – it improves the working climate in more ways than just one. And last but not least, saying goodbye to solvents can also be of economic benefit to a dry-cleaning business: Tighter environmental controls have often meant having to comply with numerous regulations which burdened businesses that wanted to continue to use perchlorethylene with considerable costs. Furthermore, laundry machines which clean using the ‘WetCare’ aqueous wash system ensure significantly lower specific energy consumption (pro kg of laundry) than cleaning systems using solvents.