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March 12, 2012
Association of Wedding Gown Specialists Celebrates 25th Anniversary

TAMPA, Fla. — The Jack Barth Memorial Award of Excellence goes to

TAMPA, Fla. — Members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists met here last month to celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary, elect new officers, and participate in presentations with wedding industry experts.

The nonprofit trade group, with members located in the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico and South Africa, specializes in gown cleaning and preservation.

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the annual Jack Barth Memorial Award of Excellence. Initiated by Linda Stokes-Barth in remembrance of her late husband’s achievements in the drycleaning industry, the award recognizes a member for outstanding contributions and service to the association and its members.

This year’s honoree, Ken Grippi of Dependable Cleaners in Boston, began his career 45 years ago with his father at Beacon Cleaners. Beacon merged with Dependable Cleaners in 1972, and Grippi is currently Dependable’s technical training consultant and preservation and restoration expert. A member of the association since 2003, Grippi serves as national training director.

December 27, 2011
DLI Graduates Eight from Advanced Drycleaning Course

LAUREL, Md. — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute recently graduated its 353rd Advanced Drycleaning Course class, consisting of eight students.

The course covered advanced aspects of running a dry cleaning business. Students learned the finer points of cleaning, finishing, stain removal, cleaning wedding gowns, and much more.

DLI has been the premier international trade association for garment care professionals since 1883, representing retail dry cleaning and laundry facilities in the United States and around the world. DLI’s School of Drycleaning Technology has offered education on dry cleaning since 1927.

Visit www.ifi.org for more information on DLI and its classes.

April 22, 2010
GreenEarth Launches 'Guide to Living Green'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — GreenEarth Cleaning LLC announced the launch of its new Guide to Living Green at its website, featuring a year's worth of environmentally friendly "Tips of The Day" that the company says can "help make every day Earth Day."

February 23, 2010
U.S. House Selects ClassiCleaners to Help 'Green' the Capitol

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has chosen ClassiCleaners, a GreenEarth Cleaning affiliate, as its new, official “green” drycleaning service provider as part of its Green The Capitol Initiative, an ongoing effort to become a model of sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint. The House chose ClassiCleaners after a rigorous selection process that began in June.

January 13, 2010
Is There an Easy Way to Handle a ‘Lipstick Load?’

Q: I recently had a “lipstick load.” Since I had to work on each piece, it took me hours to restore the entire load. Is there an easier way to handle the mess that results when accidentally running a load with ink or lipstick?

August 10, 2009
ABC Partners with EFIT to Provide Additional Certification

SAN FRANCISCO — America’s Best Cleaners (ABC) has partnered with the European Research Association for Innovative Textile Care (EFIT) of Stuttgart, Germany, which certifies European drycleaners under its FashionCare label. Both ABC and EFIT are affiliated with the Hohenstein Institutes of Germany.

June 20, 2009
Clean: Still the Place to Strike a Deal

NEW ORLEANS — Get the industry’s movers, shakers and up-and-comers together in one place, and what do you get? Buyouts, partnerships, splits and career shifts. Two were confirmed yesterday at Clean ’09 in New Orleans.

First, John Tipps, longtime operator of Clean Concepts in Dallas, a longtime distributor, plant developer and consultant, said he plans to retire from the supply business to concentrate on a retail restoration-services company.

June 1, 2009
Clean ’09 Educational Sessions

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

Labor Savings: What New, Automated Equipment Can Do For You (DLI). Automated equipment never calls in sick, makes training easier and pays for itself quickly. 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Green Conspiracy: Saving The Environment & The Bottom Line (ALM). Ed Kwasnick, president of Turn-Key Services, tells how to protect the environment without losing money. 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

October 31, 2008
How Can I Protect Ties in Cleaning?

Q: Are there any tips for cleaning ties? They always seem to shift during cleaning, and the seams always come apart.

A: Ties must always be cleaned in a net bag. Tube-shaped nets that restrict movement during cleaning are available from distributors.

October 3, 2008
What's the Proper Procedure for Removing 'Combination' Stains?

Q: I recently installed a hydrocarbon drycleaning machine after using perc for more than 20 years. When garments had a stain that was both oil- and water-based (such as spaghetti sauce or salad dressing), we used to dryclean the garment first to remove the oil and then post-spot the remainder of the stain. For some reason, with the new hydrocarbon machine, after we post-spot the garment, there is still a yellow discoloration from the oil. Am I doing something wrong?

September 8, 2008
P&G Teams with GreenEarth for Tide Stores

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Detergent and consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble will team with GreenEarth Cleaning to open three Tide-branded drycleaning stores in the Kansas City metro area this month.

Testing the market for branded, “environmentally friendly” drycleaning services, P&G says it will work with an existing operator to convert two plants to the Tide Dry Cleaners flag, and build one new store. P&G plans to test various wetcleaning processes and dryclean exclusively with GreenEarth.

September 8, 2008
P&G Teams with GreenEarth for Tide Stores

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Detergent and consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble will team with GreenEarth Cleaning to open three Tide-branded drycleaning stores in the Kansas City metro area this month.

Testing the market for branded, “environmentally friendly” drycleaning services, P&G says it will work with an existing operator to convert two plants to the Tide Dry Cleaners flag, and build one new store. P&G plans to test various wetcleaning processes and dryclean exclusively with GreenEarth.

March 3, 2008
Greensleeves Giveaway Celebrates First Year

GLEN COVE, N.Y. — Greensleeves Garment Care offered drycleaning services free of charge over the weekend to celebrate its first anniversary in business.

“We want people to try a new kind of drycleaning, and we will do it for free!” says Greensleeves co-owner Thomas Davis. "Once people get over their fear of trying a new method of cleaning, they are amazed at the results.”

November 14, 2007
A Tour of Haute Couture

America’s Best Cleaners (ABC), a certification organization for high-end drycleaners, took a number of affiliates to Paris to take a behind-the-scenes look at haute couture last month as part of its ongoing educational programs.

January 3, 2007
Jhane Barnes Picks America's Best Drycleaners