New "Dry" Cleaner Will Be ... Wet

Medfield will soon have a dry cleaner that is 100 percent eco-friendly and ... wet, not dry.

Joon Han of AB Cleaners in Westwood told the Planning Board on Monday night that he would like to start a pick up/drop off service at 258 Main Street (the plaza next to Shaw's), and next to the Italian Groceria.

According to a sign already hanging in the window, the store will be called "Green and Clear Cleaners."

It will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"I'm trying to do a dry cleaning service but my service is going to be a little different because I'm going to be 100 percent eco-friendly, no hazardous materials and no waste disposal," said Han, who runs the Westwood store with his wife.

Han's wife intends to work in the Medfield store. They expect to have one or two other employees.

The Westwood store has been chemical-free for 2.5 years. For the nine years prior to that, Han operated the store as a traditional dry cleaner. 

Han's hope, he said, is to start as a pick-up/drop-off then see how Medfield responds, and build a cleaning area at the Medfield location as soon as it is needed.

Addressing board member concerns about the "wet" process, Han assured members their "dry clean only" clothes would be safe. 

"We can clean any type of garment with water which is safe and better for our customers," he said.

When asked how he could do it without the traditional dry cleaning method, Han said, "Well, that's a little secret" before explaining the general, overall process.

Click here to see how Han cleans clothes with the wet/water process in his Westwood store. 

At their meeting, the Planning Board determined that the change of use -- from half of the Italian Groceria (they now have half the space they had before) to a dry cleaner -- is not a substantial change of use because, at one point, there was a dry cleaner in the same plaza.