National Clothesline

For over 75 years, the International Fabricare Institute’s school has given drycleaners the education and training they need to survive in the industry; 2004 will be no different.

IFI’s accredited school in Silver Spring, MD, shares time between classroom instruction and hands-on demonstrations on the latest in drycleaning equipment, which includes three solvent choices, two wetcleaning systems, 16 stain removal boards, seven presses, tensioning

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

IFI instructor Jane Rising conducted a stain removal class in Little Rock, Arkansas, October 4, 2003. The class was held in Schickel’s Cleaners in Maumelle, a suburb of Little Rock. Three employees from Oak Forest Cleaners attended the class. Two of those employees are responsible for stain removal. One employee, my best drycleaning stain removal technician, commented that it was the best class he had ever attended. The techniques that Jane taught were informative, and the use of chemicals gave greater depth to his skills. The second employee, as I walk past her at the spotting board, enumerates daily the technique she learned at the stain removal class. She is so happy to have attended the class because she now understands how the chemicals work.

Lou Schickel was very gracious to offer his new 5,000 sq. ft facility as the venue for the class. I was able to see some of the latest equipment and an innovative design of the production area. Thanks Lou.

My membership in the IFI has provided me with a stain removal class. By participating in the class, I have better personnel. Thanks for the help. Business is good.

Charles Enderlin

Oak Forest Cleaners

Little Rock, AR

equipment and more.

“Besides the instruction, students have the opportunity to share ideas and problems with others in the industry, as well as make new friends,” IFI Manager of Education & Training Jane Rising said.

A full offering of courses has been planned for next year, including its comprehensive three-week General Drycleaning Course in Korean for the first time. The class combines IFI’s one-week Introduction to Drycleaning and its two-week Advanced Drycleaning course.

According to IFI Vice President of Asian Affairs Sam Choi, even experienced cleaners have room to learn how to improve their quality and efficiency.

“Cleaners are unnecessarily limited by a lack of understanding. Almost every cleaner can do better or increase quality and cut costs, but they have to learn how to achieve those goals properly,” he said. “That’s what we’re teaching: how to be a better dry cleaner and giving them the tools to be more successful operators.”

IFI’s introductory class focuses on the basics of the drycleaning process, such as: elementary stain removal; fabric basics; finishing procedures for pants, coats and skirts; assembly and invoicing; customer service; and other drycleaning basics.

The one-week course will be offered six times throughout 2004 on the following dates: January 12-16; January 26-30; May 3-7; July 12-16; August 9-13; and October 18-22. The class will be available in both English and Korean from January 12-16 and July 12-16.

The cost is $450 for IFI members and $695 for non-members.

Cleaners who have mastered the basics or have at least one year of production experience may wish to learn more advanced techniques with the two-week training session, which covers: silk finishing; plant layout and workflow; advanced stain removal procedures; fabric characteristics and fiber identification; production costs and business analysis; regulations and care labeling; and wetcleaning.

The Advanced Drycleaning course will meet on the following dates: February 2-13; May 10-21; July 19-30; August 16-27; and October 25-November 5. The class that meets from July 19-30 will be available in both English and Korean.

Tuition costs $900 for IFI members and $1,390 for non-members.

Students may choose to take the one-week basic course in conjunction with the advanced two-week class. The cost for enrollment in the full three-week general course is $1,250 for IFI members and $1,995 for non-members.

In addition to its resident courses, IFI offers several self-study courses, personalized in-plant training, regional seminars and educational seminars for cleaners who don’t want to make a trip to Silver Spring.

For more information on IFI’s educational training, contact the association’s Education Department at (800) 638-2627 or visit www.ifi.org.