By GEORGINA DINHAM Palisadian-Post Contributor When you take your clothes to the dry cleaners, do you think about the chemicals and possible toxins that may be used to clean your garments or remove stains? The owners of Ogden Cleaners on Sunset, Danil Sapozhnikov and his wife Yanna, have given this issue a great deal of thought and last December became one of the few dry cleaning facilities in California to convert to an environmentally friendly cleaning system. ‘We are now using a solution that is organic, non-toxic and odorless,’ said Sapozhnikov. ‘I have been in the cleaning business since 1985, and this is a good solution for cleaning.’ The solution that Ogden Cleaners uses is an aliphatic hydrocarbon, which is called DF 2000. It is a clear, odorless fluid that is not only non-toxic but biodegradable as well. ‘Everyone will be using it in about 15 years, but right now it is still one of the latest technologies,’ Sapozhnikov said. ‘It’s been available for five or six years. I actually first heard about it in a trade magazine, and have had it now since Christmas.’ The equipment for using this latest technology has cost Sapozhnikov $150,000, which he has paid for over the last three years. ‘We have bought all new presses and washing machines so we can use the organic cleaning system,’ he said. ‘It’s better because it gives the garments a nicer feel and texture. It is much more dependable, and provides good-quality cleaning. The garments even feel softer. Silk, for example, comes out shinier than it normally would. We can also do a bigger variety of garments with this system too, like wedding dresses.’ When asked if this safe new cleaning solution has upped the price of dry cleaning for his customers, Sapozhnikov said, ‘No, it hasn’t. In fact with all our promotions we are doing it is actually cheaper.’ To dry clean a pair of men’s pants at Ogden’s costs $6.50; a man’s shirt is $7.50; and a woman’s silk blouse is $8.50. Sapozhnikov, 53, is originally from Russia and moved to the United States 25 years ago with his wife. They first lived in Chicago, where Sapozhnikov worked as a tailor for two years. ‘After Chicago we moved out here to California and I opened a cleaners in North Hollywood named Magnolia Cleaners. I then opened another cleaners in Brentwood named Image, but after a while I realized I could not have two places at the same time. One takes enough of your time. So I sold them both and bought Ogden’s here in the Palisades, which I heard about through a broker, and I’ve been here six and a half years,’ Sapozhnikov said. The couple live in Woodland Hills and have been married 25 years. They have two children, Steven, 24, who used to help out at Ogden’s, and Bianca, 16. Steven graduated from Cal State Northridge, while Bianca attends El Camino High School. Ogden Cleaners, located at 15317 Sunset, is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Editor’s note: While some 90 percent of the dry cleaners in California use the chemical perc [perchloroethylene], by 2020 all are required to convert to non-toxic cleaning solutions. As with most chemical substances, the ill effects of perc are dependent upon the level of exposure. The level of perc inside most dry cleaners is no more than 30 parts per million (ppm), far below the level at which acute effects can be observed (200 ppm), according to the American Council on Science and Health. The Palisadian-Post contacted other dry cleaners in the Village, including Prestige Cleaners on Monument, Regal Cleaners on Via de la Paz, and Philips French Cleaners and Emerson LaMay Cleaners on Sunset. Philips and Emerson said they no longer use perc in their machines.)
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