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Drycleaning Graduates Spring Forth

DLI trains new drycleaning pros in Intro and Advanced courses

LAUREL, Md. — Students from 10 U.S. states and one tropical island attended the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s (DLI) Spring 2019 Introduction to Drycleaning and Advanced Drycleaning courses.

In its 91st year, DLI notes, its School of Drycleaning Technology has trained thousands of dry cleaners all over the globe. Students learn about:

  • Sorting loads for dry cleaning;

  • The science of dry cleaning;

  • Fibers and their characteristics;

  • Fabric construction;

  • Cleaning silk, stain, and other fabrics;

  • Soil and cleaning theory;

  • Operating a drycleaning machine;

  • Stain removal chemistry and procedures;

  • Removing coffee, ink, grease, and other stains from clothing;

  • Pressing pants, coats, blouses, ties, pleated garments, and skirts;

  • Using tensioning equipment to improve finishing quality;

  • Using bleaches without damaging fabric color;

  • Distillation procedures;

  • Understanding the differences between solvent types;

  • Wetcleaning wool, silk, and more;

  • Designing a drycleaning plant with the most effective workflow.

The next complete DLI course, it notes, will be offered in two parts in July and August 2019, along with a special stand-alone Introduction to Drycleaning course in late August: Introduction to Drycleaning: July 15 – July 19; Advanced Drycleaning: July 22 – August 2; and, Stand-alone Introduction to Drycleaning course: August 19 – 23.

dli spring 2019 intro class web

Attendees of DLI’s 375th Introduction to Drycleaning course, held February 25 – March 1, 2019. Front row (from left): Brian Johnson, DLI director of Education & Analysis; Naomi Pierce, Gorman’s Laundry, Schulenburg, Texas; Fabina Wilson, DSDJ Properties Inc – ZIPS Cleaners, Lanham, Md.; Lillian McPhee, New Oriental Laundry & Cleaners, Nassau, Bahamas; Christy Hobbs, Dependable Cleaners & Shirt Laundry, Denver, Colo. Second row (from left): Robert Marshall, Glyndon Lord Baltimore Cleaners, Glyndon, Md.; Ronnie Delacruz, Puritan Cleaners, Richmond, Va.; Karina Garcia, Los Angeles, Calif.; Lana Lee-Brogdon, New Oriental Laundry & Cleaners, Nassau, Bahamas. Back row (from left): Josh Lichnovsky, Gorman’s Laundry, Schulenburg, Texas; Leon Slone, Curtis Cleaners & Laundry, Lowell, Mich.; Marc Buckland, Nor’East Cleaners, Gloucester, Mass.; Arthur Buckland, Nor’East Cleaners, Boston, Mass.; Hana Van Straalen, Brio Cleaners, Bellingham, Wash. (Images by Drycleaning & Laundry Institute)

dli spring 2019 advanced class web

Attendees of DLI’s 375th Advanced Drycleaning course, held March 4 – 15, 2019. Front row (from left): Christy Hobbs, Dependable Cleaners & Shirt Laundry, Denver, Colo.; Fabina Wilson, DSDJ Properties Inc - ZIPS Cleaners, Lanham, Md.; Loni Boothe, Gwynnie Bee-CaaStle, Groveport, Ohio; Adrienne Glover, Acme Cleaners, Muskegon, Mich. Back row (from left): Quintin Mitchell, Gwynnie Bee-CaaStle, Groveport, Ohio; Thomas Maurer, Maurer's Sanitary Cleaners, Lansing, Mich.; Karina Garcia, Los Angeles, Calif.; Joanna Vasquez, CD One Price Cleaners, Westchester, Ill.; Brian Johnson, DLI director of Education & Analysis.

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].