Dry cleaning of clothes

We were curious to search for alternative cleaning methods of our body than water based, as we use a big amount of this resource. We try to find a link to dry cleaning of laundry and to see if we can see any possible ways for adaptation. We stayed a bit concerned for the process.

See video here


The Process
When you drop your clothes off at the cleaners, the employees follow a pattern that holds true at just about any dry-cleaning operation running today. Your clothes go through the following steps:

Tagging and inspection - Some method, whether it is small paper tags or little labels written on a shirt collar, is used to identify your clothes so they don't get mixed up with everyone else's. Clothes are also examined for missing buttons, tears, etc. that the dry cleaner might get blamed for otherwise.
Pre-treatment - The cleaner looks for stains on your clothes and treats them to make removal easier and more complete.
Dry cleaning - The clothes are put in a machine and cleaned with a solvent.
Post-spotting - Any lingering stains are removed.
Finishing - This includes pressing, folding, packaging and other finishing touches.

02.02.2010 Fernanda and Sebastian

Click on the images for enlargement


Brainstorming session and listing of the process of taking a bath.

GENERAL
1. Space Definition (separated room vs integrated)
2. Equipment (control of water -temperature, pressure-; environment - surfaces, materials, light...-; accesories - storage, consumable products, fixed/long lasting products)

SHOWER Routine:
* waxing, wc, shaving, etc
3. Turn on water
4. Temperature check
5. Undress
6. Wet yourself
7. Wash (shampoo, soap...)
* shaving, treatments...
8. Rinse

BATH Routine:
a. Preparation of the bath (environment - candles, salt, oil, foam, MUSIC)
4. Temperature check
b. Get in and relax
c. Final shower

LOVER Routine:
+ Space, time and resources
+ Positions, adjustable?
(Shower or bath or sauna or...)

SAUNA Routine
+ switch on the electric sauna / light up the woods
+ jump in after after a sauna
+ throwing water on the stones
+ enjoying the humidity and athmosphere
+ cooling down out side after a shower
+ having a cooling drink, beer etc
+ taking a shower before going in to the sauna again
+ repetition until you feel finished.
+ continues with shower and cleaning routines

DRYING
9. Turn off water
10. Dry with: towel, robe, hand towel, air? - Body, hair, feet

"Post production"
- Q-tipping
- Hair/teeth brushing
- Hair do/dry
- Body products: lotions, deo, other products
- Make-up
- Nail clipping
- Cut hair
- contacts
- etc

BATHROOM´S MAINTENACE
- Drying of the space (avoid humidity)
- Tiles, joints, corners...


USES OF A BATHROOM
- Wake up shower
- Bath
- Sauna
- Hamami
- Temazcal
- Regular cleansing
- Relaxing
- Love making
- Body shower (no hair)
- Shaving
- Feet super scrubbing
- Other treatments

OBSERVATIONS
Different levels (depth) of bathing.
The deeper, the more time, the more resources you need (water, products, tools)
The process is dependent on water > Are we able to influence the process with DRY CLEANING of clothes?
Alternative to running water (steam, solvents, etc)


BRAINSTORMING
Crazy ideas to get started

ROUTINE:
- Car wash shower (automatized, non-touch, passive system)
- Passive dry (air blow, robe, other)
- Dry cleaning

FUNCTION:
- Self sustainable cycle (reuse of same water through purification)
- Self maintenance (cleaning, drying, etc)

SPACE CONSTRAINTS:
- Closet bathroom
- Rotator
- Transformer

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- "Non-touch" bathroom
- Self clean
- Climate (air conditioning, chauffage, etc)
- Adaptable to body (height, personalized regulations, enveloping materials, etc)
- Bathroom + washing machine system
- Reuse of grey waters (linked to the kitchen)
- Roller coaster jump-in
- Transparency (to see the whole trail of water)

Phyto Purification Bathroom

Jun Yasumoto

Using a natural filtering principle called phyto-purification, the bathroom becomes a mini-eco-system by recycling and regenerating the wastewater.
The water from the shower and the washbasin is filtered through an organic system before being re-used.
Phyto-purification is a natural water-recycling process which is commonly used in ecological purification systems.

Rotator by Ron Arad for Teuco

Rotator by Ron Arad for Teuco



Interesting radical shower/bath concept for small spaces.


Ron Arad has designed a bath for Italian manufacturers Teuco, which rotates to become a shower. The wide lip functions as a bath when at the lowest point. The whole piece can be rotated so that the lip is out of the way for a standing shower. The water is drained from the bath by rotating it back to the shower postition.