Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-11

methods which can be applied
in any small plant. Until l845
there was no method of cleaning
woolens and silks except soap
and water-a system which al
ways gets the garment clean.
but which in most cases leaves
it unusable. A Frenchman. jolly
Belin, opened the first dry
cleaning plant using benzine as
his solvent.
Because of the leadership Of
France as a style authority, the
process was referred to as
French Cleaning" Then Belin
used the term "nettoyage a Sec"
meaning cleaning without mois-
ture. That's why modern clean
ing without water is known as
French cleaning" Then Belin
ing given a piece Of wearing ap-
parel in solvent.
A new process. which will be
discussed at length at the con-
vention. sis "the charged sys-
tenn" The institute learned long
ago that certain stains cannot
be removed with solvent. that
water must be applied. BY COM
plicated mechanical and cleo
trical equipment. it now is pos
sible to homogenize new solvents
and small percentage OF water
into a solution which takes care
of all spots without damage to
fabric.
Is Training School.
And while the institute ex-
periments with ultra modern
processes. it also serves as q
training school for it's member
firms. With approximately 80
900 cleaning plants in the United
States, the institute claims about
5000 in its membership, includ-
ing firms from 33 foreign coun-
tries.
There are no members from
Iron Curtain countries. but in
stitute officials say that Russia
apparently hasn't discovered"
dry cleaning yet. There are only
a handful of plants in Moscow
and none in other cities, they
say.
Each year, series of courses
in dry cleaning techniqueS and
plant management are given to
young men sponsored by men,
Der firms. To speed instruction,
enrolment is limited to students
who have had at least one year
in actual plant operation.
In the courses the classes 60
through every method employed
at the institutes big plant on
the corner of Georgia avenue
and Burlington street in Silver
Spring They learn to test fab
RIGS for shrinkage, stain and
cleaning quality. They are taught
good business procedure and Gus
toner relations.
A major headache for the in
stitute is the street appearance
of many cleaning establishments.
Often the plant that turns out
the finest job offers the worst
face for the public in dilapidated
building fronts and shabby re-
ceiving Offices. The institute is
trying hard to erase the soil
from that part Of the business.
as well as from the apparel that
goes through its machines.
The institute cleaning plant is
we'll known around Washington
as the one place to get top serv-
ice on drycleaning. Operated
primarily as a training ground,
it seeks to avoid competition
with its Washington members by
charging higher prices than
average and through a policy Of
no advertising. Even so, insti-
tute officials admit, there are
some plants here which prob
ably do better job than they,
through application and i'm
provement on techniques learned
at the institute.
New System Is Faster.
If the charged system"
proves" itself. the highest paid
employe in any cleaning plant
may find himself losing ground.
The spottter-the worker who
diagnoses certain stains on gar
ments and finds the proper SOL
vent to remove them-won't be
able t o compete with a machine
that will do his work in much
less time.
But. as long as customers con-
tlnue to bring in their work with
hidden stains" the kind that
disappear when dry but that pop
up suddenly during cleaning.
therell always be a need for the
human touch. Milk. certain
sugars from juices, liquor and
beer and other sugar-bearing
liquids often dry without a trace.
and the customer usually foreets
to notify the cleaner. That's
when the institute steps in to
help the member-and sometimes
the customer.
A customers brand new
evening dress is brought in FIR
cleaning. There wasn't a $40,
on it, just needed freshenine
Bit Yet, when it comes throueh
the cleaning process, there's a olg
brown stain down the front A
claim is made on the bass Of
you've ruined my dress"
The garment is sent to tie in
stitute-and they average about
$4,000 a year-for chemical tests.
In most cases. it's a hidden
stain" that could have been
handled easily if the cleaner had
known Of its existence through
the customers confession that
some one had knocked, over a
bottle OF soda or beer during the
party,