Locally owned, eco-friendly and committed to community values.
Story by mid-coast business and entertainment columnist L. Jaye Bell
All too often, just the idea of taking clothes to the Laundromat is equated with hassle.
Home machines on strike, instant mountains of laundry, and the hit or miss attempts of a repairman are enough to discourage even the most determined. Dimly lit rooms, blaring televisions, noisy machines and questionable characters lurking in the shadows conjure up the urge to pack the mace and the disinfectant for a time when a clean sock drops to the floor.
One business owner in Camden is changing that stereotype of laundromats one load at a time. Welcome to the Clean Bee Laundromat, Camden’s cleanest solution to dirty laundry.
Owners Broo Temple and Jennifer Moore Temple have redefined laundry day from a laborious chore to an anticipated joy. Together, they infuse globally conscious values in each load of freshly laundered clothes. Newly painted walls, family friendly ambiance and scrubbed white floors brighten the business in such a way that one wouldn’t hesitate stretching the five second rule for a wayward sock. Spare change is donated to Safe Passage, a non-profit that works with the poorest at-risk children of families working in the Guatemala City garbage dump. The jar fills up quickly. In February 2010 Clean Bee donated $120 to Safe Passage.The Temples are content with small moves if it means measurable progress.
The business started as the Temples pondered ways to diaper with cloth and positively impact the environment after the birth of their oldest daughter, Liefe. For the last five years, the Temples have promoted a healthier environment from the bottom up through the mid-coast’s only cloth diaper service called Buzzie Bee Diapers.
Seven year old Liefe assists at the counter while Haylee shows off a drawing by the Aqua Wing washers. Photos by Jennifer Moore Temple
As one of 30 Women, Work and Community participants profiled in “Creating the Future,” Jennifer maximized what she learned participating in WWC’s New Ventures Program into a business that serves the the community in positive ways. Adding Clean Bee Laundry to the business portfolio has allowed the Temples to broaden the scope of their passion for a greener, cleaner mid-coast while simultaneously reaching out to improve the lives of children in a country a world away.
The Temple’s values are also reflected in the array of services provided for local businesses in the hospitality, restaurant and health industries. The first order of business for the laundromat was to purchase two large capacity Aquawing Aquafusion Ozone washing machines. A contained thunderstorm in a rotating steel drum, these environmentally friendly washers clean clothes with electricity, just as lightning charges the air during a storm.
The difference between chlorine bleach and an ozone cleaning process is speed and strength. Ozone relaxes fabrics, killing bacteria immediately so it does not survive the wash process. Relaxed fabrics require less drying time, which also saves energy and extends fabric life. Ozone is 150% stronger than chlorine, reducing the chemicals necessary to clean by up to 30% less. Ozone works best with cold water, reducing up to 80% of energy required per load. In contrast, bleach slowly melts bacteria allowing organisms to build up immunity and stay in the fabric long after washing. Thus, an ozone cleaning process results in cleaner laundry, smaller amounts of detergent, reduced wear and tear for fabrics, and a significantly lessened environmental impact.
Personalized service is the norm at Clean Bee. Pick up and Delivery is available for shut ins and commercial accounts within 15 mile of Camden, making it easy for restaurants, bed and breakfasts, rental properties, health practitioners and individual customers to utilize the environmentally friendly machines. It’s the best of both worlds: hassle free, quality service topped by owners wearing cheery grins. Different levels of service allow for flexibility to suit the individual needs of each customer.
Customers can bring in their basket of laundry for the same day wash, dry and fold service, or start their wash loads and leave to run errands while utilizing the changeover service from washer to dryer. For the time frazzled, a starter service is also available for a mere buck. Forgot your detergent/softener or non chlorine bleach? No problem. Scoops of Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder, non chlorine bleach and fabric softener sheets are handy. Need your shirts pressed and hung up or boxed? These services are also available, as well as drop off dry cleaning with a twice weekly turnaround. Alterations, down and synthetic comforter washing and rug cleaning extend the convenience for customers at Clean Bee. Clean Bee provides several washing options.
Eight single loaders, six triple loaders and four giant machines that will hold the contents of an entire suitcase, make the washing choices plentiful. All machines are ultra high efficiency, most washing loads in 25 minutes or less. Packing for vacation? Start your laundry in the washer and step into the ipod equipped private tanning booth. Well lit areas and a book nook for children make the time spent waiting for laundry to wash and dry a more pleasant experience. For those wishing to check email or chat on Facebook, wireless internet service is also a perk. Curb free access from the parking lot provides ease of entry, eliminating the dangerously blind search for the step while lugging an overstuffed laundry basket inside. The book corner at Clean Bee holds plenty of stories to keep young ones busy.
Customers have positive things to say about the new Clean Bee. Laura van Orsdall splits her time between North Carolina and Camden. “With four kids and many guests visiting our home, my laundry burden is cumbersome. I hate to fold sheets, so taking my linens into Clean Bee really lightens my workload. It feels good to hand over this chore, and to see a closet full of neatly folded, stacked and bagged linens waiting for the arrival of the next guest.”
Winter hours at Clean Bee are 8:00 am – 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday. Summer hours are longer. The doors open on Sundays, at 12:30pm and close at 5:30 pm. Whether you’re in the mood to do laundry yourself or drop it off and run errands, Clean Bee is there to make it a pleasant experience any day of the week.
Contact:
Jennifer Moore Temple
Clean Bee Laundry
83 Elm Street Suite 3
Camden Maine
207-236-2530
Hours: Mon 8-8:30, Tues – Sat 8-7, Sun 12:30-5:30.
Article Links:
Aquawing Ozone Washers: http://www.decequip.com/equipment/ozone/ozone.html
Charlie’s Soap: http://www.charliesoap.com/
Safe Passage: www.safepassage.org
Women Work and Community: http://www.womenworkandcommunity.org/ Services:
· Pick up Service
· Commercial Laundry
· Wash Dry Fold
· Alterations
· Dry Cleaning Drop Off Site
· Shirt Drop Off Site
· Self Service Laundromat
· Rug Cleaning
· Laundry Change Over Service
· Tanning and Tanning Products
· Drop off Comforter Cleaning
· Wireless Internet
