Henever Aditya and Rana Singh of Quality Apparels travelled abroad to clinch export deals, they used to carry a host of suits in their bags. Not to wear, however. But to get them dry cleaned! Because the Indian option invariably meant that either stains were not removed or the suit returned smelling of petrol. If it managed to escape that, then it was invariably frayed.

Fed up with the situation and egged on by their father, Capt C D N Singh, a former Air India pilot, the brothers decided to export an entire dry cleaning system which would work in Mumbai. Set up on Oct 19 of this year, The Dry Cleaning Factory cleans clothes in an environment free of chemical odour which ensures a naturally clean sheen after being processed. "Instead of MTO (Mineral Terpentine Oil), we use a chemical called Perk. It is a transparent, watery chemical that doesn't give out any kind ofodour."

What makes all the difference is that it sticks to a specific function. "Each costume saree, salwar kameez, suit et al goes through the entire process. We don't accept clothes for, say, just ironing or dry cleaning. Our purpose is to restore the lustre of clothes." And that includes silk and vegetable dyes because the machines are programmed to handle them with care. "The machines facilitate ironing without folding any part of the costume.

You just have to fit the shirt or the kurta or even the trousers on to these mannequin-like figures and steam blow or dry blow them for the perfectly ironed finish." So much so that the garment is at your doorstep within 48 hours.

Though the cost is slightly high, Aditya already has a band of loyal customers. A two-piece woollen suit is dry cleaned for Rs 235, safari suits for Rs 160, pyjamas for between Rs 40 and Rs 75. For ladies' garments, the price list is slightly lower, ranging from Rs 35 to Rs 220. But the biggest advantage is free home delivery."We get the clothes picked up from anywhere between Borivli to Colaba and get it delivered as well."

The Dry Cleaning Factory at: 690 1040-42 / 44.