At this business, patrons can get clean and green at the same time.
That`s because Ecowash, one of the new breed of theme-style laundromats, is an environment-friendly washing emporium.
”It`s a chore nobody really wants to do,” says Diane Weiser, managing partner of the New York venture. Yet she claims the ecological component
”makes it a little more enjoyable” for customers who either can drop off laundry or do it themselves in the trendy planted-filled Manhattan basement washeteria.
Either way, the products used are earth-friendly: water-saving washers, energy-saving lighting, pollution-free detergents, all-cotton laundry bags, recycled invoice and receipt paper.
”It`s guilt-free laundering,” she says of the business, which has been deemed the most environmentally sensitive of its kind in the country.
Weiser, 39, who has worked as a real estate property manager and a hospital administrator, decided to go green after researching products in preparation to launch a laundromat.
”It was just horrifying to me to see the types of things being used,”
says Weiser, referring to soaps and stain removers that harm the environment. And though many are attracted by the politically correct eco-edge, Weiser says others patronize it because the detergents-which are free of dye and perfumes-are a boon because of their personal needs.
”It`s great for sensitive skin,” she says.
Next for Weiser: adding an eco-cafe to Ecowash. The menu?
”We`ll serve muffins, fruit, salad, herbal teas, juices,” Weiser says.
”We`re not selling hamburger.”
