CONTACT: Jay Calleja
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(800) 638-2627, Ext. 1501
December 3, 2004

GOOD MORNING, DLI!

Live Broadcast Favors Industry, Tells Consumers To Look For DLI Members

On November 22, correspondent Holly Morris and her news crew came to DLI in the wee hours of the morning to take a crash course in drycleaning. Throughout the morning, Morris interacted with the news anchors live, teasing viewers with the promise of showing them what goes on behind the counter at their dry cleaners.

DLI invited news media to tour its new facility, luring them with a freshly pressed white shirt tucked in a plastic box along with a cordial note and story pitch teasing: “Why did it cost $1.8 million to press this shirt?”

Washington D.C.’s FOX 5 Morning News (WTTG-TV) responded, looking to give viewers an on-camera lesson on how dry cleaners work their magic. The result was a favorable news piece over 10 minutes long about DLI and DLI-member dry cleaners.

Showing a white shirt stained with red wine, Morris introduced her upcoming segments by saying, “It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. And we are in fact with the people that clean this up. Or actually, better said, we’re with the people who teach the people to clean it up. Drycleaning 101?Coming up next!”

Before interviewing DLI CEO Bill Fisher, Morris said, “I have to admit that I have a very special place in my heart for my dry cleaner because they have saved many a garment from many a stain for me. But when someone goes into the drycleaning business, they don’t instantly know how to do it—they have to go to school, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Morris talked to Fisher about the Institute’s role in the industry and the history of the cleaning business. “We’re just shy of our 100th birthday, and we’ve been teaching drycleaning at our school for almost all of those 98 years,” Fisher said. Morris asked what had changed in the industry over the years, to which Fisher replied, “Today we have more solvents, better equipment, better presses, and by and large clothing should be looking better today [than in the past].”

Morris then moved seamlessly over to the stain removal boards where DLI Analyst Chris Allsbrooks gave her a brief lesson on how to remove a red wine stain. Emphasizing the difficulty involved and the need to have training, patience, and the right equipment, Allsbrooks used simple language to break down the complex chemical ideas involved in removing such a stain. “You know what works for each specific stain; it’s not the same thing,” Morris observed.

About an hour later, Morris returned to the air for a second live five-minute segment, quipping, “Ironing is so passé—that’s what I’ve learned with all these impressive machines around here.” Fisher listed some important cleaning jobs DLI has handled including: cleaning Abraham Lincoln’s coat and vest before museum display, Edison’s lab coat, President Richard Nixon’s drycleaning, and Buzz Aldrin’s space suit. Morris pointed out that the DLI logo is a mark of distinction in the industry.

“If you’re looking for a dry cleaner who has come here and gone to your school there’s something you should look for in the window—that’s this logo,” she said, as Fisher held up an DLI Member decal for the camera.

DLI Instructor Brian Johnson then demonstrated the proper method of pressing shirts using all the standard equipment, as the camera followed along in an almost dizzying action sequence. Morris asked about what mistakes cleaners make and “What do new cleaners get overwhelmed at?” Johnson replied, “A good many times this is the first time they’ve seen any sort of [drycleaning] equipment at all,” adding that yes, he considers drycleaning a good business to get into, as long as quality is provided for a reasonable price.

Morris wrapped up the live segment and nearly her third hour at DLI saying, “If you want to find out more about the drycleaning business and specifically the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, they have a great website ?www.ifi.org.

“And if you want to check to make sure your dry cleaner is a part of it, make sure you look for that sticker. And you know what? The next time you go to your dry cleaner, just say thanks—because it’s not an easy job, and it’s all to make you look good!”