Trouble spotting - Industry Spotlight - restaurant industry

Art Culinaire, Summer, 2002

Q: So you don't use a whole lot of chemicals?

A: We try not to. We don't use chlorine bleach because a lot of these chef jackets are embroidered and have logos on them and you can't bleach them. So we use more of a delicate process that takes a little bit more time; it will actually lift the stain out, instead of scrubbing it out, which will eventually damage the garment.

Q: Where did you learn all this?

A: There is an organization we belong to called The Neighborhood Cleaning Association. I've taken courses, but it's kind of trial and error--you have to just see what works. My chemistry background really helped. I mean, if I know what the stain is made of, I know what chemistry would work to break it down. You know that the hotter the water, the more chemical action you get. So the chemistry background helped me to formulate certain things for certain stains.

Q: What's the strangest ingredient you've ever used to get a stain out?

A: Milk. It's not the strangest, but people wouldn't assume milk could be used. It works well on certain ink stains. For chefs, that's a problem.

Q: What was the most challenging jacket you've ever encountered?

A: There was one; when it came in I thought, "Awe, this is garbage." It was for one of the City University of New York cooks. They have a cafeteria there. The jackets were stained and moldy; they had obviously been shoved in a bag or locker for weeks. When the chef got the jackets back, he actually called me up to thank me because he thought I bought him new jackets.

Q: Of your chef clients, who is the cleanest?

A: Ed Brown [of the Sea Grill.]

Q: Who is the messiest?

A: Whoever works the hardest! Whoever really cooks. Some of the worst ones are the corporate cafeterias where they're actually doing everything in the kitchen. Actually, you know who was the worst? Rocco DiSpirito. His stuff used to come in real dirty. He actually does cook. Pastry chefs are bad, too, because of all the chocolate and fruit purees

Q: Having chefs as clients must be demanding work?

A: We run 24 hours a day in Manhattan. We have people that work round the clock. We need to give a lot of restaurants same-day service.

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Namos: Robert D'Andrea

Home: Manhattan, NY

Occupation: Co-owner, UN Piece Cleaners

Mottoes by which I work: I'm a big believer that there is a right way to do everything. If you're going to do it, do it the right way, whatever it is.