Case Studies

EM for Dry Cleaning

Akita, Japan
Country:
Japan
Category:
Hygiene & Cleaning
Tag:
Low Cost
EM for Dry Cleaning

In search for “cleaner”, he was worn-out both physically and mentally

When Mr. Tanaka inherited his family laundry business, it was the period when major laundry chains were emerging and it became difficult for private management. He was struggling and thought “I will provide a service that big store cannot do.” He made “cleaner, cheaper and environmentally friendly” as his motto and tried various measures. In 1998, he opened his long-cherished new store and with an enthusiasm, he sought for “even cleaner”. He found synthetic detergent that will wash away any stubborn stains and used several different types in combination. For partial stains, he used his bare hands to wash them. Stains come off amazingly and customers were happy and he though the store had a good start! However, that was only for a brief space of time. Mr. Tanaka’s hands started to get chapped and after a month of opening the new store, his fingertips fissured so much that you could almost see the bones.
Medicines from the hospital did not work and it was so painful that he could not even hold a spoon. Gradually, he lost his appetite and became deeply depressed, both physically and mentally. He was distressed and thought “I cannot continue my family business…” and read all kinds of books to find a way out. Among the books he read, there was a book about “Shabondama Soap” written by the late former president Mitsunori Morita. At that time, there were not many books written about Soap. From this book, he learned for the first time, about the danger of synthetic detergent and the goodness of soap. This book remind him about the “soap” sitting in the werehouse.
 

In the past, he was not interesed in Soap

It was about 4 years ago, he escorted a scout camp. The head office send him massive soap poweder with a report saying “The use of synthetic detergent is forbidden at Kujukogen camp site.” Kujukogen camp site is normally a pastureland for cattles and if synthetic detergents are used, the grass will wither and the cattles cannot live. At that time, he did not know the danger of synthetic detergents so he thought, “Can you really clean the dishes with soap? I am worried about the kid’s health and life.” So he put plastic wraps over the plates so that the dishes did not have to be washed. As a result, he was left with a plenty of soap powder. He checked the warehouse and found out that the powder soap was Shabondama soap. He got a jolt from this strange coincidence. He started using this power soap and his chapped hands started to heal in no time and his skin became smooth and healthy. “What is this? Is soap this amazing?!” Mr. Tanaka went all the way to Fukushima Prefecture to meet Mr. Mitsunori Morita who was the president of SHABONDAMA SOAP at that time. He showed his healthy hands and told Mr. Morita about his story and how he was amazed by Shabondama soap. “I still remember the former president Morita’s words. ‘So you finally realized that.’” Mr. Tanaka discard all his synthesic detergent and decided to use only soap for laundry.

 

Thanks to the water softening device

When Mr. Tanaka was studying about stain removing, he learned that the best water for cleaning is 0 hardness soft water. So he already purchased “water softening device” before he realized the benefits of soap. “I was lucky because I was already using the water that was compatible with soap at my laundry store. If I did not have this device, the soap wouldn not foam and stain would not have removed well. Then, I might thought that soap was not suitable for cleaning and might have gaven up my business.” 

Synergistic effect with EM

8 years after Mr. Tanaka started using soap, he attended a seminar of the late president Morimoto. There, he met Prof. Higa and learned about EM Technology for the first time. He also learned that EM Technology can be used for cleaning. After he got back to his cleaning factory, he added EM to the soap and was amazed how well it formed! The combination of EM and soap improved the cleaning quality and it is also environmentally friendly. He is continuing his research and practice to live up to his motto: cleaner, cheaper and environmentally friendly.

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