Best Cleaners

In February 2019, they purchased a Miele PW818 45-lb. washer and PT8507 steam-heated dryer. According to Melody Conklin,
director of operations, they tried other brands of washers, “but the results were very different from what we experience with
the Miele equipment.” (The machines were originally installed in their Latham, N.Y. location, then relocated to Schenectady in April 2020.)
Conklin says the Miele washer is used most often for silks, wools, garments with contrasting colors – navy blue and yellows; black and white – and garments with faux leather. They achieve particularly good results washing contrasting colors. And while Best Cleaners employed wet cleaning prior to the
switch, adding the Miele washer “allowed us to do it better,” Conklin says. Installing Miele equipment also helped Best Cleaners reduce their carbon footprint. As co-owner Catherine McCann explains, the Miele washer allows them to choose a water-based option over dry cleaning solvents for many more garments than can be cleaned even with standard wet cleaning. Plus, commercial washing puts less water and fewer phosphates down the sewer
– on a load-per-load basis – than washing clothes at home. They also enjoy energy savings, although it’s difficult to calculate the value in relation to other recent energy-saving moves, including upgrading all lights to LEDs. “Based on the shorter clean cycle of the Miele washer, I am confident we’re
achieving electrical savings,” McCann says.

Best Cleaners is very pleased with the Miele equipment. So much so, that they recently purchased and installed two more sets. Conklin says she loves the variety of programs, and that the equipment is very easy for her employees to use. She points out that the dryer provides the ideal moisture retention to avoid shrinkage, and garments need very little finishing. Adding that she has an all-in-one Miele machine at home, Conklin notes,“Needless to say, I am a fan.” Rush orders and smaller loads are cleaned more efficiently in the Miele equipment, as opposed to dry cleaning. “Between the two cycles, it has saved us quite a bit of time and energy,” Conklin says. In a predominantly male-oriented industry, McCann proudly notes that her staff is 70-75% female. That includes their official dry cleaner, Kristen Martinez, who shared some thoughts on the Miele equipment.

“The Miele machines offer so many programs that you can really clean any fabric, and it takes less time than one dry cleaning
cycle for both machines,” said Martinez. “It’s great for smaller loads that we don’t want to run through the dry cleaning machine
or rush orders that come in after work. It’s very spacious; it looks small but holds more.”
McCann touts the versatility of the Miele technology. “Miele allows us to customize how we’re taking care of garments more
than we had before,” she says. “It’s user-friendly, uses less water, and is gentle on garments. It’s pretty darn good.”