National Clothesline

Whether you are looking to initiate your drycleaning education, or elevate it, the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute has classes of all skill levels offered throughout 2013.

Highlighting the schedule will be three offerings of the association’s full three-week course comprised of two parts: the one-week introduction to drycleaning offering and the two-week advanced session.

The first part is well-suited for those new to the industry or with less than two years of production experience; the latter is suitable for graduates of the introductory class or those with a couple of years of cleaning experience. The classes may be taken individually or concurrently.

The Introduction to Drycleaning course covers a wide variety of topics, including: operating a drycleaning machine; sorting loads for cleaning; removing coffee, ink, grease and other stains from garments; pressing pants, coats and skirts; cleaning silk, satin and other fabrics; and using tensioning equipment to improve finishing quality.

The cost for the course is $795 for DLI members or $659 each for two or more members from the same plant. Non-members must pay $1,149 each. DLI Premier Club Members may attend or send one student for free. Starting dates will be Feb. 25, July 15 and Oct. 14.

The Advanced Drycleaning Course focusses on more complex subjects, such as: identifying cotton, silk, polyester and other fabrics; using tensioning equipment to improve finishing quality; troubleshooting problems with the drycleaning machine; using bleaches without damaging the fabric color; pressing blouses, dresses, ties, pleated garments, silks, velvets and corduroy; maintaining and changing filters; and wetcleaning wool.

Tuition is $1,249 for DLI members, or $1,049 each for two or more students from the same member plant. Non-member tuition is $1,749 per person. Starting dates will be March 4, July 22 and Oct. 21.

For those who take the introductory and advanced courses together — otherwise known as the 15-Day General Drycleaning Course — the cost is reduced to $1,595 for DLI members (or $1,295 each for two or more from the same member plant) and $2,495 for non-members.

Also on the agenda next year is the association’s one-week cleaning and stain removal course. It will emphasize sorting loads, cleaning silks, satins and other fabrics, using bleaches without damaging clothes, removing various stains, identifying fabrics, maintaining and troubleshooting equipment, sorting loads and understanding the different types of solvents.

The course will only meet during the week of Sept. 9 to 13. The cost is $795 for DLI members, or $659 each for two or more students from the same member plant. Non-members pay $1,149 each. DLI Premier Club members are eligible for free tuition.

DLI will also offer a two-day wetcleaning course June 3-4.

It covers sorting wetcleaning loads; operating wetcleaning machines and dryers; identifying fiber and fabric construction; understanding how water affects fabrics; wetcleaning wool, silk and satins; stain removal techniques for wetcleaning; using bleaches without damaging color; wetcleaning finishing procedures; using tensioning equipment to improve finishing; and wetcleaning beaded, sequined and other specialty items.

The cost is $349 for DLI members ($249 for two or more from the same member plant) and $449 for non-members. DLI Premier Club members are eligible for free tuition.

For more information, call DLI at (800) 638-2627.