Business Q&A: Go Green Dry Cleaning

Supporting the heath of its customers and the health of the planet, Go Green Dry Cleaning uses environmentally safe methods of cleaning clothes and fabrics. Here, owner Bill Hostetter discusses the ins and outs of running a green business.

What makes your services green?

I don’t like to use the phrase “eco-friendly” because that means different things to different people. But I will say that we are a truly green business because we use liquid silicone to clean clothes instead of petroleum. We are the only dry cleaning business on Long Island that does this. We also use biodegradable plastic and our delivery van runs on ethanol. 

How do you help raise awareness of green issues in the community?

We try to donate our time to support green causes. Every summer we have our annual Green Festival. At this year’s festival, we had sand sculptors come in to create green works of art. The winning sand sculpture was a giant mermaid leaning against a crumbling clock. We ended it with a Mandela ceremony where the kids got to break down the sculptures to demonstrate how everything returns to the earth.

How did you get your start in the business?

Before I opened the dry cleaning business, I worked in magazine publishing and I gave a lot of lectures on sustainability and green products. We founded the business with the goal of creating the best dry cleaner around, green or not. The other goal was to avoid creating the hazardous waste that often gets dumped behind dry cleaners. 

Do you offer any deals to entice customers?

We’re currently running a “10 percent off for life” promotion. When a customer comes in with this deal, we’ll add it to their account and then automatically take 10 percent off their total every time they come in for as long as we’re in business. This way, customers don’t have to chase coupons every time they need their dry cleaning done.

Why has RVC been a good spot for your second location?

This town has allowed us to grow at a rapid pace. I’ve always liked Rockville Centre and I wanted our second location to be close to our original location in Long Beach. Our customers seem to really appreciate having a green business in town.