National Clothesline

One tried and proven way for a cleaning plant to improve is by attending educational courses sponsored by the National Cleaners Association.

There is no shortage of drycleaning-related subjects on the school’s itinerary this year. At the top of that list is New York Department of Environmental Conservation Certification courses, something NCA will offer a few times in the coming months.

All perc drycleaners located in New York State are required to take the New York State DEC training course to obtain or update their certification status. The class runs 16 hours over two consecutive Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The course costs $795 for members and $1,295 for non-members.

Upcoming start dates include: Feb. 14, March 7 (in Korean) and June 6.

Another popular topic among drycleaners is stain removal. Numerous upcoming NCA courses will be covering the topic to various degrees.

Just around the corner is a five-day course entitled “Radical Drycleaning/Stain Removal” slated to start on Feb. 8. The comprehensive course covers drycleaning, stain removal, bleaching and the proper use of stain removal equipment as well as the relevance of fabrics, dyes and garment construction.

The course will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tuition is $750 for members and $995 for non-members.

Another offering of the course will begin on Aug. 2.

NCA will also offer a program on “External Stain Removal” three times during the remainder of 2010.

Upcoming dates include: April 11, June 13 (in Korean) and Nov. 14.

The cost is $250 for members and $275 for non-members. The one-day class meets for a total of eight hours between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Additionally, NCA will also host several one-day courses that run on the same time schedule and cost the same, including: “Intensive Bleaching” on Feb. 7 and Oct. 10; “Intensive Inspection and Innovative Packaging” on May 2 and Dec. 12; “Technical Training at the Counter for Customer Service Reps” on March 21 and April 18; and “Wetcleaning” on Nov. 7.

NCA will also offer a three-day course on “Basic Pressing and Finishing” on Sept. 24. The course will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a total of 24 hours.

The cost is $455 for members and $595 for non-members.

Also on the association’s agenda for 2010 are several webinars that are designed for cleaners who can’t find time to get away from the plant but still want to learn more about key topics.

Webinars start at 6 p.m. Eastern time on their designated Wednesdays. The cost is $69 for telephone and Web-based participation.

Some of the upcoming topics and speakers include: “60 Things in 60 Days You Need to Do to Start a Route” with James Peuster on Feb. 17; “How to Handle a Clean Up” with Mike Tatch on March 17; “Search Engine Optimization” with Dwain Jeworski on April 21; “Customer Service” with Jennifer Johnson on May 19; “Removing Difficult Stains” with Alan Spielvogel on June 16; and “Social Media” with Norman Way on July 21.

For information on NCA’s upcoming classes or webinars, visit them online at www.nca-i.com or call (212) 967-3002.