Content about Knowledge

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.

I just finished the last stain-removal test necessary to requalify for the Award of Excellence (AOE), a voluntary certification that helps cleaners distinguish themselves while demonstrating a commitment to the industry, the community and continuing education.

This year, the swatches — on white silk with a plain weave — were stained with nail polish, coffee with cream, ink, egg, spaghetti sauce, and red wine. These are stains every cleaner should be able to remove.

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?