Massachusetts cleaner gets grant to convert to wetcleaning
The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts
Lowell awarded Silver Hanger Cleaners of Bellingham, Massachusetts a $17,000
matching grant to switch to 100-percent wetcleaning technology and eliminate
the use of perchloroethylene.
Mark Isabelle, owner of Silver Hanger Cleaners for 14 years, will renovate his
existing store on Mechanic Street in Bellingham, MA, remove the perc
machine,and install the wet cleaning equipment.
“I’m convinced that wetcleaning is the future for the drycleaning business,” said Isabelle. “The writing is on the wall that perc is on its way out. But rather than see it
as a negative, I see it as an opportunity to grow my business by marketing a
green cleaning solution to my customers who are concerned about the
environment.”
A portion of the grant money will fund the collection of data on utility and
maintenance costs and the quality of clothes and customer satisfaction both
before and after the changeover which is expected to take place in May. TURI
will use this information to encourage cleaners to convert to wetcleaning
before regulatory pressures increase.
Since its inception in 1996, TURI’s Industry Cleaner Technology Matching Grant and Demonstration Site program has
awarded 35 Massachusetts companies more than $400,000 to demonstrate
technologies to peers and discover new opportunities to reduce the use of toxic
chemicals. For more information, visit www.turi.org.
The TURI website’s section on wetcleaning, www.turi.org/community/wet_cleaning, includes a five-minute video on the subject which is available in both English
and Korean.
Silver Hanger Cleaners is also receiving $2,500 from National Grid for
converting to a more energy efficient process. National Grid delivers
electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and is the largest distributor of natural
gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in
New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
NCA heats up educational offerings at NY School
As the outside temperatures start to increase, so will the frequency of the
educational offerings from the National Cleaners Association at its New York
School of Drycleaning.
The school is located in New York’s Fashion District at 254 W. 29th St.
First on the schedule is a three-day, 24-hour course on “Basic Finishing and Pressing” that begins on April 11. Attendees will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The cost is $455 for members and $595 for non-members.
A second offering of the course will take place later in the year from Oct. 3 to
5.
On April 15, NCA will launch an outing of its “Comprehensive Drycleaning” course in Korean. Students will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 11 p.m.
for ten consecutive weeks for a total of 80 class hours.
Tuition is $970 for members and $1,170 for non-members.
Another Korean version of the “Comprehensive Drycleaning” course will take place from Sept. 16 through Nov. 20.
On Saturday, April 19, NCA will offer a road course on wetcleaning at Speedy’s Cleaners in Rochester, NY. It begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. The
cost is $250 for members and $275 for non-members.
Cleaners in need of achieving D.E.C. certification will have many opportunities
in the coming months. NCA will host two-day, 16-hour sessions that meet on
consecutive Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The cost is $595 for members and $1,095 for non-members.
A pair of upcoming classes in Korean will be held on May 11 and 18, and Aug. 24
and 31. Two English courses are planned for June 8 and 22, and on Sept. 14 and
21.
Next up is an eight-hour “Extreme Stain Removal” course that will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. Tuition is
$250 for members and $275 for non-members.
Those who wish to polish their finishing and pressing skills will have a chance
in June when NCA offers its in-depth four-week “Principles and Practices of Pressing” course starting June 2.
It will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The cost is $380 per
person.
On June 29, the association will turn to the topic of “Intensive Inspection and Innovation Packaging” from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $250 for members and $275 for non-members.
“Radical Drycleaning/Stain Removal” is slated to begin on Aug. 4. The 40-hour offering will meet from 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Members must pay $750 each; non-members pay $995
each.
One of NCA’s flagship offerings, its ten-week “Principles and Practices of Drycleaning,” will take place later in the year from Sept. 8 through Nov. 24.
Students will attend Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 to 11 p.m. The cost is $970.
Closing out the NY school schedule are three one-day courses that run from 8:30
a.m. to 5 p.m. on a designated Sunday and cost $250 for members, $275 for
non-members.
Upcoming dates and topics include: “Intensive Bleaching” on Sept. 21; “Hand Finishing — The Lost Art” on Nov. 9; and “Technical Training at the Counter for Customer Service Reps” on Dec. 7.
Full details of NCA’s educational schedule, including a list of upcoming webinars are available by
calling (212) 967-3002 or visiting www.nca-i.com.
