National Clothesline

School is still in session for the rest of the year at the International Fabricare Institute’s headquarters located in Silver Spring, MD.

As is the case with past tradition, IFI will offer opportunities for individuals who are new to the industry, as well as for those with a little more experience.

IFI’s one-week Introduction to Drycleaning course covers the basics of drycleaning, geared more toward employees and owners/managers with less than one year of experience.

Among the topics covered in the class are: fibers and fabrics; work flow; principles on the drycleaning process for perchloroethylene and petroleum; assembly and invoicing; the drycleaning machine; cleaning and drying cycles; elementary stain removal; and finishing procedures for pants, coats and skirts.

Upcoming classes for the one-week course have been scheduled for the weeks starting on July 29 and October 21. Cost is $450 for IFI members and $695 for non-members.

Individuals who have already completed the one-week Introductory to Dry-cleaning course or have more than one year of production experience in the industry may benefit more from the two-week Advanced Drycleaning course.

The class objectives include: speciality fabrics and fiber identification; advanced stain removal procedures and bleaches; finishing blouses, dresses, ties, all-weather coats, pleats, pile fabrics, silks and rayons; wetcleaning; troubleshooting the drycleaning system; regulations and care labeling; plant layout and work flow; customer service; business management; and solvents, detergents, moisture, filtration and distillation for perchloroethylene.

Sessions for the two-week course begin on August 5 and October 28. Tuition is $900 for IFI members and $1,390 for non-members.

Thirty-two students graduates from IFI drycleaning courses held this spring — 18 in the Introduction to Drycleaning course on April 26, and 14 from IFI’s Advanced Drycleaning course on May 10.

Many of the students were just beginning to enter the drycleaning market by opening their own operations, while others were seasoned veterans looking to enhance their skills. Students came from around the United States and the world, including El Salvador, Bermuda, Turkey, and the Virgin Islands.

“This was the largest class we’ve had since the tragedy on September 11,” IFI Instructor Brian Johnson said. “People were afraid to travel, but now it looks like we have another sign that things are returning to normal.”

IFI will also be offering a special class on Stain Removal from Sept. 16-18. The hands-on class is designed to teach novices the basics of stain removal while helping more experienced cleaners to hone their spotting skills. Advanced stain removal techniques, including the use of bleaches, special stain removal agents and handling specialty fabrics, will be covered, as well.

Cost for the course on stain removal is $299 for IFI members and $449 for non-members.

Classes are limited in size. For more information, call IFI at (800) 638-2627, ext. 144, or visit www.ifi.org.