Every day is a school day for
cleaning pros
 | ||
Students step up to the spotting board and try their hand under the watchful eye of expert instructors. In the photo at left, IFI’s Brian Johnson helps George Childs aim the steam gun during an in-plant stain removal session at Green Valley Cleaners near Pittsburgh, PA. In the photo at right, Rick Watson (center) and Dan Eisen (right) work with a student at the Radiant Leather Care School in Florida.
While it’s back to school time for
students around the country, drycleaners are in class every
day, their professional skills tested by a steady stream of
customers and their garments. For some, it’s strictly the
school of hard knocks, a trial-and-error process of on-the-job
learning and, while a failing grade can be chalked up as a
learning experience, it’s still an “F” that
means lost time, lost money and lost customers.
There’s no need to come to class
unprepared. Opportunities abound to learn how to do it right
the first time. Several trade associations operate schools that
offer regularly scheduled courses and many others sponsor
in-plant seminars where the basics and more can be learned from
expert instructors.
The newest of the schools is one just
starting up in Florida. Dan Eisen, who was assistant director
of the New York School of Drycleaning before relocating in
Florida last year, is assisting in the start-up for a
drycleaning training facility at Radiant Leather Care Cleaners
in Riviera Beach, FL. The school is equipped with perc and
radiocarbon cleaning machines, a wetcleaning department,
finishing equipment and classroom study space. Study manuals
include “The Art of Spotting” and “The Art of
Wetcleaning,” which were written by Dan Eisen.
Farther up the East Coast, the
International Fabricare Institute and the Neighborhood Cleaners
Association operate schools at their respective headquarters.
Remaining on IFI’s 2002 course calendar is a stain
removal class Sept. 16-18, a one-week Introduction to
Drycleaning course beginning Oct. 21 and a two-week Advanced
Drycleaning Course beginning Oct. 28.
NCA’s New York School of Drycleaning
has a 10-week evening course, Principles and Practices of
Drycleaning, beginning Sept. 9 and a four-week evening program
on pressing beginning Oct. 22.
For those with a more western geographic
orientation, the Southwest Drycleaning Association sponsors
courses at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, with Jane
Zellers serving as the instructor. This fall’s offerings
include a three-day stain removal course beginning Nov. 11
followed by a three day advanced stain removal course beginning
November 13.
On the West Coast, the California Cleaners
Association has three courses coming this fall at its northern
California school in Stockton. Drycleaning Fundamentals, Part I
is slated for Sept. 13; Drycleaning Fundamentals, Part 2 is set
for Oct. 11 and Leathers and Other Specialty Garments will be
covered in a Nov. 8 course.
For more info:
Radiant Leather Care Cleaners: Riviera
Beach, FL. Phone (866) 783-3322.
 |
