National Clothesline

For many drycleaning plants, the hot summer months often lead to a temporary drop in the amount of garments coming in.

On the bright side, however, such a scenario may afford cleaners some much-needed time to update their cleaning skills and certification requirements through upcoming offerings by the National Cleaners Association.

This summer promises to be particularly busy. Starting on June 4, NCA will host a two-day DEC certification class, taught in Spanish, at its New York School of Drycleaning, located at 252 W. 29th St. in New York.

The class will meet from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on consecutive Sundays. Tuition is $509 for each member and $975 for each non-member.

Beginning June 5, the school will host its ten-week comprehensive course on “Principles and Practices of Drycleaning.” Students will learn everything they need to know in order to become a master cleaner.

Topics covered by the class include: the chemistry of stain removal, garment construction, fiber identification, machinery operation and maintenance. Attendees will enjoy hands-on training sessions in addition to classroom sessions.

The 80-hour course will meet every Monday and Wednesday evening from 7 to 11 p.m. for ten weeks. Tuition is $970.

In July, NCA has planned a session of its DEC Certification course in Korean. It will meet on July 23 and 30 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The cost of each certification class is $509 for members and $975 for non-members.

Also on Sunday, July 23, the association will hold an eight-hour course on wetcleaning that meets from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The cost is $250 for members and $275 for non-members.

Also on tap from NCA throughout the summer will be several “webinars.” The offerings are set up so that cleaners can attend by phone or via their computer, so they don ’t even have to leave their plants.

Registration is based on a first come, first served participation. The cost for telephone and Web-based participation is $69 per person. That price also includes an auto tape of the seminar and power-point files.

The next webinar will be on the topic of insurance. It will take place at 3 p.m. EST on Wednesday, June 7.

Another webinar is planned two weeks later on Wednesday, June 21. It will cover the topics of “Pricing For Profits” and will also begin at 3 p.m. EST.

NCA will host a webinar on “Surviving a Regulatory Inspection” presented by Michael Tatch on Wednesday, July 19 at 3 p.m. EST.

Webinars run about three hours. To register, visit NCA’s web site and click on the “Telephone Seminars” link in the right-hand side of the page.

Information on all of NCA’s courses is also available on the site, or by calling (800) 888-1622.