LAUREL, Md. — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute recently held its School of Drycleaning Technology, training 16 students in its 379th General Drycleaning Course. This on-site course was composed of the five-day Introduction to Drycleaning Course, held on March 7-11, and the 10-day Advanced Drycleaning Course, held on March 14 – 25.
The School of Drycleaning Technology, founded in 1927, is designed to give drycleaners the tools and knowledge to benefit both themselves and their customers throughout their careers.
The “Introduction to Drycleaning” course is suited for experienced individuals or those new to the industry, while the two-week “Advanced Drycleaning” course is designed for those who have finished the introductory course or who have hands-on production experience and knowledge of basic stain removal and finishing techniques.
Topics explored during the courses included:
- Sorting loads for drycleaning
- The science of drycleaning
- 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
Graduates of the Introductory course were Shawn Norred of Puritan Cleaners in Richmond, Virginia; Avery Rothrock and Diana Rothrock of Yale Cleaners in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Sumasri Ravulapalli of Clarksburg, Maryland; Ahalya Tippa of Clarksburg, Maryland; Carolina Monterrubio Barrera of Wash-O in New York City; Dylan Patel of Ritz French Hand Laundry in Los Angeles; Mason Hendrickson of SoapTech in Blaine, Minnesota; Gabor Kondorosi and David Zambelli of Sudsies Dry Cleaners in Miami Beach, Florida; Nick Milto of Milto Cleaners in Greenwood, Indiana; Horacio Erminy of The Woodlands Cleaners in The Woodlands, Texas; and Shashidhar Gunje Narasimha of New Hamburg Cleaners in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada.
Graduates of the Advanced course were Michael Capobianco of Cappy’s Cleaners in Rosedale, Maryland; Yailene Sanchez of Wayzata Home Laundry in Wayzata, Minnesota; Diana Rothrock and Avery Rothrock of Yale Cleaners in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Dylan Patel of Ritz French Hand Laundry in Los Angeles; Stephen Atkins of CaaStle in Groveport, Ohio; David Zambelli and Gabor Kondorosi of Sudsies Dry Cleaners in Miami Beach, Florida; Nick Milto of Milto Cleaners in Greenwood, Indiana; Horacio Erminy of The Woodlands Cleaners in The Woodlands, Texas; and Shashidhar Gunje Narasimha of New Hamburg Cleaners in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada.
Shashidhar Gunje Narasimha of New Hamburg Cleaners in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada received a Tom Kimmel Memorial Scholarship from Fabricare Canada.
DLI courses will be offered both virtually and on-site in the coming months. These courses include:
- Blended Introduction to Drycleaning: June 7 – July 15 (A mix of on-site and virtual education)
- On-Site Introduction to Drycleaning: August 8 – 12
- On-Site Advanced Drycleaning: August 15 – 26
- Virtual Stain Removal Course: September 13 – October 4
- On-Site Introduction to Drycleaning: October 17 – 21
- On-Site Advanced Drycleaning: October 4 – November 4
For more information or to register for courses, visit the DLI website.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].