Citing rising costs, global warming and a changing business environment, Blue Ribbon Cleaners will be closing for good on May 16 after 18 years of operation.

"All of our chemicals, plastic, and hangers have increased in price due to the increase in a barrel of oil," owner Eduard Güntl said in a press release issued yesterday.

"When you factor in the additional costs of shipping and duty to Bermuda, it becomes almost impossible to make a profitable living in dry cleaning."

Mr. Güntl said the need for dry cleaning was diminishing with a change in the weather and business culture.

"The dress code has changed dramatically over the last five years," he said. "The weather has become hotter and people prefer easy-care clothing."

He also attributed the prohibitive cost of new equipment to the closure.

"In the near future, 'perc', the main dry cleaning solution, will be banned from the market due to environmental and health factors which would mean an investment of $25,000 in new equipment in order to remain a state-of-the-art dry cleaner," Mr. Güntl added.

'Perc' is the common industry name for perchloroethylene, a solvent which has been widely used for dry cleaning since the mid-1930s.

Blue Ribbon Cleaners was the first company to offer the island a 24-hour automated drop-off and pick-up system, a service that began in 2005, and has locations on both Bermudiana Road and Reid Street.

Now that the business is closing, Mr. Güntl and his wife are looking forward to spending more time with their children.