Content about Maryland

LAUREL, Md. — A five-day Introduction to Drycleaning course, sponsored by the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute’s (DLI) School of Drycleaning Technology, will make a stop in Chicago April 30 through May 4.

Known as DLI On the Road, the course offers the opportunity to locals to train without expensive airfares, hotel accommodations, or time away from family to learn the basics of the drycleaning business.

The class, co-sponsored by the Illinois Professional Drycleaners & Launderers, will be held in the northwest Chicago suburbs. Sessions at Haiges Machinery in Huntley, Ill., and at Vogue Cleaners in Crystal Lake, Ill., are planned. Registration closes April 6.

The drycleaning course provides a solid foundation for the profession and is ideal for newcomers to the industry, DLI says. Some of the basics covered include sorting loads for dry cleaning; cleaning garments, including silk and satin; operating a drycleaning machine; removing stains, including coffee, ink and grease; pressing pants, coats and skirts; and using tensioning equipment to improve finishing quality.

ROCKVILLE, Md. – Ownership and administration of the Certified Rug Specialist (CRS) certification program has shifted to the Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS). The board of directors of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) recently voted unanimously to make the transfer.

“Given the RIA’s focus on the restoration sector, our board unanimously agreed that it is in the best interests of the rug care industry to transition this program without cost from our organization to the Association of Rug Care Specialists,” says Timothy Shaw, RIA executive director. “We know the CRS will be in good hands with ARCS, and we eagerly anticipate seeing the certification program grow under ARCS’ leadership.”

The CRS is the nation’s only certification program to focus on the study of Oriental and specialty rugs with an emphasis on the history of handmade rugs, rug identification, cleaning and repair techniques, and potential cleaning problems based on a rug’s origin and construction, according to the associations. Only 65 U.S. rug care specialists hold the CRS certification.

Drycleaning & Laundry Institute Advanced Drycleaning Course.

Drycleaning & Laundry Institute certification testing, to be held Feb. 3-17 at sites nationwide. Call 800-638-2627 for more information.

Drycleaning & Laundry Institute Introduction to Drycleaning Course, to be held in Laurel, Md. Call 800-638-2627 for more information.

Drycleaning & Laundry Institute Introduction to Drycleaning Course, to be held in Laurel, Md. Call 800-638-2627 for more information.

DLI Seal of Approval Webinar: 4 Square/Yelp. Call 800-638-2627 for more information.

DLI Seal of Approval Webinar: Google Local. Call 800-638-2627 for more information.

LAUREL, Md. & NEW YORK — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) and the National Cleaners Association (NCA) are preparing for their first-ever combined “Five-Star Brainstorming” conference in Puerto Rico in two weeks.

The Jan. 12-15 conference at the Gran Melia Resort will bring together members of both associations and offer an excellent opportunity to network and make new friends in the industry, the associations say.

Each day of the conference will feature morning seminars, leaving the rest of the day free for exploration, relaxation and conversation in a tropical paradise setting.

Some of the sessions on the agenda include:

Deadline to register to take Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) Certification examinations during Feb. 3-17, 2012, testing period. Call DLI Education Department at 800-638-2627 for more information.

LAUREL, Md. — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s Encyclopedia is now available through DLI’s new website, dlionline.org. Annual subscriptions are available to ensure that members have the most up-to-date information at their fingertips, DLI says.

Online access makes the Encyclopedia easy to access from any computer or mobile device connected to the Internet, DLI says. The tome is also available on CD-ROM and includes the ability to install its full resources on computers that do not have Internet access, whether at the front counter or elsewhere in a plant.

The Encyclopedia includes sections on counter operations, marketing methods, shirt and laundry procedures, fabrics and fashions, health and safety, and more.

For more information, call 800-638-2627.

LAUREL, Md., and NEW YORK — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) and the National Cleaners Association (NCA) are teaming up to protect and improve the Care Label Rule as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reopens it for public comment.

The associations will file joint comments and are asking all cleaners to share their comments with the FTC by the Sept. 6 deadline in a process that requires only a few steps to do online.

The FTC is concerned with all aspects of the Care Label Rule, the associations say, but is looking for comments on:

• The need to require care labeling
• Whether or not to include professional wetcleaning in the rule
• If the rule should be modified to account for current or impending changes in technology or economic conditions
• Whether some parts of the rule are no longer necessary
• If languages other than English should appear on care labels

The FTC is also asking if any rule modifications might increase benefits or reduce costs for small businesses.