Dry cleaning equipment finance
A dry cleaning machine is a serious piece of plant with environmental obligations attached, and both affect how it is funded.
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Can you finance dry cleaning equipment?
Yes. Dry cleaning machines, presses and finishing equipment are hard assets and fund reasonably well, particularly modern machines using current solvent technology. They carry serial numbers, have an established dealer market and last many years. Used machines are fundable through specialist dealers. The complication is solvent: older perchloroethylene machines face tighter environmental expectations and are harder to place because their resale future is uncertain, whereas hydrocarbon and newer alternative-solvent machines are viewed more comfortably by funders looking years ahead.
Used kit: Yes, used dry cleaning machines are fundable through specialist dealers, though funders look closely at solvent type and the machine’s remaining useful life.
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What would dry cleaning equipment cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Dry cleaning sits firmly in the hard asset camp, which distinguishes it from most retail-facing businesses on the high street. Machines are substantial, identifiable and sold on through specialist dealers, so funders have a genuine security position. Two sector-specific factors shape appetite. First, solvent type: machines tied to solvents facing regulatory pressure carry residual value risk, and cautious funders price or decline accordingly. Second, contamination and site liability — funders are alert to the fact that a recovered machine from a poorly run site is less attractive. Beyond that, the usual picture applies: trading history, banking and a personal guarantee for independents. Installation, ventilation and any bunding or drainage protection are unrecoverable works and are assessed separately from the machine itself.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Union XL8015 dry cleaning machine | Solvent dry cleaning machine |
| Union HL8 dry cleaning machine | Hydrocarbon dry cleaning machine |
| Bowe Premium Line machines | German built dry cleaning machines |
| Ilsa Ipura dry cleaning machine | Multi-solvent dry cleaning machine |
| Realstar dry cleaning machines | Italian dry cleaning equipment |
| Sankosha LP-570U shirt finisher | Automatic shirt finishing unit |
| Sankosha trouser topper and legger | Trouser finishing equipment |
| Veit finishing tables and steam irons | Pressing and finishing workstations |
| Veit form finisher | Garment tensioning form finisher |
| Metalprogetti conveyor and sorting system | Garment conveyor and bagging system |
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Who buys one
Usually an independent dry cleaner replacing a machine that is reaching the end of its serviceable life or falling foul of tightening solvent rules. Multi-shop operators upgrading a central plant are the other main case, along with laundries adding dry cleaning to serve hotel and corporate contracts. The trigger is often an environmental inspection or a machine repair quote that makes no sense.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Dry cleaning equipment finance questions
Does solvent type affect whether I can get finance?
It can. Funders think about what a machine will be worth in several years, and a machine tied to a solvent under regulatory pressure has a less certain future than one using a currently favoured alternative. It is one of the few places where the technology inside the asset genuinely shifts funder appetite.
Can I finance presses and finishing equipment separately?
You can, though most operators put the machine and the finishing line on one agreement because they are bought and commissioned together. Presses, form finishers and shirt units are solid assets in their own right with a dealer market, so they do not weaken a schedule the way soft items would.
What do funders want to know about my site?
Chiefly that it is a suitable, lawfully operated premises with appropriate ventilation and containment, and that you have a lease with reasonable time left. They are not environmental regulators, but a site with obvious compliance problems is a site they would struggle to recover a machine from.
Is a shop-front dry cleaner different from a central plant?
Operationally yes, and funders notice. A central plant serving several shops usually carries larger, more valuable machines and a business with more substance behind it. A single shop with a small machine is a smaller deal with a narrower funder pool, though it is perfectly fundable with a decent trading record.
Can I refinance my existing machine to fund a new one?
It is worth asking. Dry cleaning machines are among the assets in this sector that hold enough value for refinance to be realistic, subject to age, solvent type and proof of ownership. It will not always work, but unlike shop fittings it is not a wasted conversation.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
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If the bank has already said no
A decline from one lender reflects that lender’s appetite, not the whole market’s.