Opening a Dry Cleaning Business? Don’t Choose the Machine Before Understanding the Chemical System

A useful starting metric is:

Chemical Cost Per Garment = Relevant Chemical Cost ÷ Total Garments Processed

For example, suppose relevant chemical expenditure for a defined period is ₹18,000 and the business processes 1,800 garments during that same period:

₹18,000 ÷ 1,800 = ₹10 per garment

This is only an illustrative calculation and should not be treated as an industry benchmark.

Actual cost varies according to:

• Garment mix
• Stain levels
• Spotting requirements
• Selected process
• Chemical products used
• Dosage
• Machine configuration
• Processing volume
• Reprocessing requirements
• Operating practices

You can also calculate this separately for different service categories if useful.

For example, everyday garments and more demanding garment-care services may involve different processing requirements. A single average figure can sometimes hide those differences.

Tracking chemical consumption also helps identify changes.

If the number of garments processed remains relatively stable but chemical consumption increases significantly, investigate the process rather than automatically accepting the higher cost.

The goal is not simply to use fewer chemicals. It is to use the appropriate products and processes correctly while understanding their contribution to your operating cost.