Clarkson hockey fans
hockey fans, resources, plus moreDry Cleaners Can Even Freshen Hockey Equipment
Posted on July 20, 2010Almost everyone has had some experience with the dry cleaning industry, whether to have a favorite blouse or shirt cleaned, or to preserve one’s wedding gown after the celebration and honeymoon are over. This process is an important part of the laundry business in most areas.
The simple definition of dry cleaning is to clean clothes and fabrics using a solvent other than water. Unlike normal laundering which uses some type of soap and water, the objects being dry cleaned are immersed in a liquid solvent, a process that has been around for quite some time. In early times, the solvents used included gasoline and kerosene. After World War II, the solvents used were carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene.
Besides being very volatile, these chemicals were difficult to work with. Today, the majority of dry cleaners use a solvent called perchlorethylene. This solvent has been found to be much easier to work with, better at cleaning, and able to shorten the process needed to clean various fabrics. Because it is easy to work with, many more dry cleaning establishments have been able to enter the laundry business.
Today, a good amount of clothing is marked dry clean only. Although it is possible to wash some of these items by hand, for the most many familiar objects benefit from being dry cleaned. As mentioned before, a good majority of brides have their wedding gown dry cleaned and boxed to preserve it after the wedding. Other items that are commonly dry cleaned include those made of leather and suede, even including the popular boots, UGGS.
Drapes are another item that benefits from a good dry cleaning every year. Any type of gown should be dry cleaned only to preserve the shape and color, making it fresh for the next use. Athletes make use of the process to deep clean their uniforms, especially bulky items. Even carpeting, including car floor mats can be dry cleaned, and come out looking new.
Although dry cleaning is a common tool used to preserve the life and beauty of clothing as well as other objects, there are changes coming. The emphasis today is on preserving the environment, and if one can clean without using solvents, this would be of great benefit to the environment.
Studies have shown that there are certain items that could benefit from dry cleaning, but without the solvents used today. These include sports equipment such as hockey gear. These items are difficult to clean and sanitize using simple dry cleaning methods. Those cleaning establishments that deal with sports equipment are now cleaning with ozone, a colorless gas that is present in nature. One can recognize the scent in a thunderstorm with lightening.
An important part of cleaning sports equipment involves destroying any bacteria that might remain on the equipment after its use. Because the athletes are usually perspiring when in the uniforms, it becomes a breeding ground for germs. It has been shown that the inside areas of hockey gloves, as well as those used in other sports can have a much higher bacteria count than other pieces of equipment, and those with cuts or scrapes on their hands are at risk of infection.
This is where the ozone cleaning can be put to use. Because of the chemical makeup of the ozone used in these dry cleaning systems, it is able to kill up to 97% of the bacteria in the gloves, as well as the other parts of a uniform. This is not possible when using the usual solvents. In addition, when the ozone cleaner is used, it is not necessary for the equipment to get wet or heated, and there is no toxic residue left behind.
This process can be used for cleaning all parts of the hockey uniform, including the helmet. Other sports that can benefit from this process include football, lacrosse, and baseball, to name a few. Even objects such as sleeping bags, paint ball equipment, and pillows and bedspreads from hotels can be cleaned and sanitized in this manner.
Dry cleaning has been a part of the cleaning process for many years, but it is now catching up to the rest of the technological advances that we see each day. Being able to have items cleaned properly, as well as sanitized, without putting people or the environment in danger by using toxic chemicals, will hopefully be one of the goals for those in the dry cleaning business, thus helping to make our world a much safer world to live in.
For more than 70 years, Pilgrim Cleaners has been proud to be your family-owned and operated complete Edina MN dry cleaners. We offer same-day service at the same price and you can always expect the finest quality dry cleaning and laundering services.
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Easton Hockey Sticks
Posted on July 20, 2010Easton hockey sticks have a well deserved reputation as being some of the best and most popular around. The company has continued to lead the hockey world in innovation across a variety of areas, and makes products that all players can benefit from, regardless of skill or experience level. Most importantly, Easton hockey sticks were the first to deliver composite hockey sticks, the one piece beasts that now dominate in all levels of the sport.
Take a look at some information to help you get started understanding the history of these products as well as what’s available today. You’ll see that there are plenty of great reasons why Easton hockey sticks continue to be leaders in the industry, and the go-to choice for many individuals all across the globe.
Composite Hockey Sticks
It’s hard to imagine, but it’s only been a decade since the composite hockey sticks were first introduced. In the year 2000, Easton hockey sticks added the Synergy to their lineup, and it immediately started to make a huge impact. It was the lightest production stick in the world and had a variety of patents based upon the exact construction and style of the stick.
Then rookie Devils player Scott Gomez became the first NHL hockey player to use it, he was immediately won over.In an interview he said:
“It gives a better release, a harder shot, better everything, what else can you ask for?”
Other players also began to quickly adapt, and within a short few years, composite hockey sticks went from a new upstart trend to the vast majority of what was used by the best players in the world.
Fast forward to 2010, and composite hockey sticks are essentially the only option that the best players turn to, even including old holdouts that were sticking with their wooden sticks. All of the major brands for hockey gear make their own versions of composite hockey sticks, including of course Easton, as well as CCM, Bauer, Reebok, Warrior and so on down the line.
So what makes composite hockey sticks so popular and so highly rated? The bottom line is that they improve on the basic quality of a stick to improve all of the results. The sticks are lighter and stronger thanks to the materials used, ranging from Carbon Fiber to Kevlar and Composites of various other materials. You can shoot harder shots, shoot with more accuracy from longer distances and you can get off your shots quicker while handling the puck and making passes with more precision.
It all started 10 years ago with the Synergy, and Easton hockey sticks have continued to build upon that great foundation of success. Over the years, materials have been changed and improved, specific adjustments to style and construction have been made and so forth, but the Synergy legacy and brand name stays alive. All of the composite hockey sticks from Easton available today are either in the Synergy or Stealth family.
One of the most popular and most advanced of them all is the S19, which is in the Stealth lineup. It features a Kevlar wrapped compression molded shaft, special shape and design of the blade, newly engineered materials and more. It’s even available in special Olympic limited editions, for Canada, the USA and Finland. Other current composite hockey sticks in the Stealth lineup include the S13, S7 and S3.
In the Synergy lineup of Easton hockey sticks you’ll find lots of different options across many different price ranges. The Synergy SE1 has 100% composite blade construction, a Pro Radius shaft design and 4×4 Carbon reinforcement glass laminate shaft construction, all at an accessible price. Meanwhile the SE16 takes things up a few more notches with Focus Weight Technology, Kevlar wrapped shaft, the Micro-Bladder process and Micro-Rib structure of the blade for improved flex, accuracy, control and feel and much more.
The Synergy ST stands for “Super Tough”, and it’s about “pure power”. It uses the Synergy shaft with a resin transfer molded blade and Shox technology to help provide the hardest shots and the most power that you can find anywhere. It features a low kick point for reflexive load and release, the 3-Rib blade design for improved performance and durability and much more.
From there you’ll find many other options as well, each of which serves a unique purpose. For example the SE6 Junior and Senior stick features the low kick point Synergy construction and a forgiving blade that makes for pristine puck handling and passing. You’ll also find in the Synergy lineup the SE2, as well as the SE6 Canada Olympic LE. The SE16 mentioned above is available both in Youth, Junior and Senior
Of course, the Easton hockey sticks lineup does include other options besides the composite hockey sticks. They make a handful of different wooden sticks, all of which feature precision designs as well. For example, the Synergy ABS wood stick is made from Baltic birch plywood, and has an ABS/Fiber paddle. Other options include the SY50, SY70 and SY90. The SY90 for instance includes a Pro radius shaft design, carbon laminate shaft construction and Carbon/Kevlar reinforced sock wave, making it durable and offering great control for a wood stick.
Easton hockey sticks are some of the most respected out there right now, and they have led the pack in terms of innovation and quality over the years. It’s been just a decade since the introduction of the first composite hockey sticks, but now they are the golden standard, used by nearly everyone and continued to be improved upon. With great control and precision, light weights and high speeds, composite hockey sticks will continue to get better, and you can bank on Easton being one of the premier companies to help that process along in the future.
Ken Abbott has been in the specialist retail sports equipment business for 18 years, running three retail shops and for the last ten years, a thriving online mail order business. More recently he is now focusing his energies on advising and helping less experienced marketeers and also combining with like minded people to develop internet marketing strategies and ideas. You can visit his website at: http://www.easton-hockey-sticks.com
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