E-learning materials available for company training
The worldwide demand for quality management systems and certification is growing. This trend results in various certificates and quality management systems. CINET now introduces a dedicated international certification program for the PTC industry including multilingual E-learning materials. This program supports launderers and drycleaners worldwide to meet quality and hygiene requirements for textile care companies. The program is set up for both textile/dry-cleaning and for textile service/laundries, covering the entire professional textile care industry, non-accredited and accredited by the Council of Accreditation.

CINET International Certification Program
CINET introduces an international certification program for professional textile care companies. Dedicated programs are available for dry cleaners and launderers. Individual companies, and thereby the industry, are supported to improve their performance according to modern international acknowledged processes and management principles. This provides assurance of quality and hygiene and guarantees the added value for customers and end users. Key words are safety, quality, hygiene and sustainability. The international quality certification system is available for companies all over the world. The program therefore can be seen as a standard and benchmark in quality management for the global professional textile care industry.

CINET’s international certification is based on international acknowledged guidelines and standards like ISO 9001 and RABC EN, 14065 offers a generic framework which is applicable in all countries. Control and monitoring of critical steps in the process, validation of processes, determining specific requirements are a few of the basic principles that form the basis of any quality management system. Specific requirements regarding e.g. the microbiological quality of textiles may vary per country and can be easily implemented in the schemes.

Step by step approach
The programs offer a step by step approach enabling PTC companies to participate at their own pace. CINET offers full support to enterprises in cooperation with national organizations, associations and representatives of international suppliers. A web based application on the CINET website guides applicants along the different steps leading to certification. Tools, including a model handbook, are available in the national language. Tools and all steps are fully explained and documented and thus accessible even though companies may not have any experience with certification. By making use of the E-Certification tool, model handbook and webinars on specific subjects the companies will gain the knowledge needed to develop a comprehensive quality management system. This is documented by a handbook tailored to the individual company, processes and customers in various market segments in which they operate.

After successful completion of the program, companies have acquired two certificates. Level 1 certification includes all relevant aspects of business processes in accordance with requirements of quality management. Level 2 certification focuses on the hygienic, microbiological quality of processes and deliveries. Certificates for level 1 and 2 are not accredited.

Textile Services
For textile service companies, three levels are available. To acquire an accredited certification (Level3), obtaining a level 2 certificate is a prerequisite. Level 3 is executed by an international accredited certification body. This step leads to an official accredited certificate issued for the complete quality management system, so including level 1 and 2.

Textile Cleaning (non-accredited)
TC level 1 Quality management
TC level 2 Hygiene management

Textile Service (non-accredited)
TS level 1 Quality management
TS level 2 Hygiene management

Textile Service (accredited)
TS level 3 ISO 9001 / RABC EN 14065

Certification helps!
Where industries evolve, the demand for quality management systems increases proportionately. This applies to professional textile service and textile cleaning. It is acknowledged that the process of certification, helps entrepreneurs to continuously improve and accurately tune business processes. Regular assessment of processes increases the sense of responsibility, commitment and motivation of staff. A certificate, as a statement of conformity, supports communication with target groups. For customers and authorities it is a prove of controlled business processes and therefore a consistent quality level of products and/or services. Nowadays certificates are often required, for instance if companies want to compete in a tender procedure. Certificates also support the image and profile of companies.

For more information please contact the CINET secretariat or visit the International Certification page.

Location: Frankfurt, Germany
CINET congratulates all winners of the Global Best Practices Awards Program, on their efforts to profile their business during this program The Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday the 12th of June 2016. We’ve seen truly extraordinary companies coming from all over the world righteously being called amongst the best of the world in Professional Textile care. The winners are:

Best Overall Award TC: Beijing Fornet Laundry Services from China.

Best Overall Award TS: Logo Tex from Hungary.

Winners in the categories: Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation Award
This award is presented to companies in that are very successful in presenting their high quality service level and demonstrating their professionalism in textile care up till each detail. Especially their business model for innovation was evaluated.

Innovation Award TC: Laundrapp from the UK.

Innovation Award TS: Synergy Health from the Netherlands.

Sustainability Award
The Sustainability Award is presented to companies, because of their excellent performance in Best Practices and especially sustainable processing.

Sustainability Award TC: Fashion Cleaners from the USA.

Sustainability Award TS: CHMS from Germany.

Country Best Scores Awards
The Country Best Scores Awards are presented to companies originating from countries that had over three entries amongst the 100 official nominees.

• Argentina: Lavadero Banfield
• Brazil: Klarind
• China: Beijing Fornet Laundry Service
• France: GCS BIH 77
• Germany: Goldstück
• India: 5áSec
• Italy: Pierotti
• The Netherlands: Topcleaning
• Poland: Prawol
• Russia: Cotton Way/ Master Cleaning
• USA: Fashion Cleaners

Special Awards
The Special Awards are presented to companies which have an unique, extraordinary business concept or a distinguishing model on social responsibility.

The Special Awards for Extraordinary Business Cases were received by:

• QINGDAO JIESHEN XIDI CO., LTD. China
• BleskInCare/ Novost laundry, Russia
• Crouse’s Cleaners, Canada
• Korea Laundry Co. Ltd. (WashEnjoy), Korea
• Prestige Cleaners, USA

The Special Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility were presented to:

• Orange Sky Laundry, Australia
• Esat l’Eventail “Pressing de la Sarre”, France
• CHETNA (Dibella, Lamme, Blycolin), The Netherlands, India

Ranking Overall Best Practices Award TC/TS
This award is presented to the entrepreneurial companies in TC/TS, because of their advanced business models and services to consumers and BtoB applications with extraordinary marketing materials and their ability to develop new markets and business areas.

Ranking Overall TC Score

1. Beijing Fornet Laundry Service, China 44,59
2. Topcleaning, The Netherlands 42,81
3. Laundrapp, United Kingdom 42,70
4. Fashion Cleaners, USA 41,50
5. Goldstueck Textilpflege, Germany 41,28
6. ToTomorrow, Japan 41,21
7. Bubble & Stitch, The Netherlands 40,32
8. Diana, Russia 39,84
9. Drop & Wash, Malaysia 39,83
10. Pop’s, Serbia 39,53
11. Ayaks, Russia 39,39
12. Pierotti, Italy 39,00
13. SB Fabcare 5àsec, India 38,80

Ranking Overall TS Score

1. Logo Tex, Hungary 42,72
2. Lavans, The Netherlands 42,67
3. Synergy Health, The Netherlands 42,52
4. Master Cleaning, Russia 42,23
5. Shanghai Matilian Laundry Service (Fornet), China  42,21
6. CHMS, Germany 40,94
7. Prawol, Poland 40,82
8. Kromatic Brasov, Romania 40,48
9. Klarind, Brazil 38,79
10. Jiangsu Aixin Enterprise Service | Lovetex, China 38,58
11. GCS BIH 77, France 36,80
12. Lavadero Banfield, Argentina 36,06
13. Newasco, The Netherlands 34,58
14. MBS sas Lavanderia, Italy 38,32
15. Tintorerias Max, Mexico 38,22
16. Deluxe Dyers & Dry Cleaners, India 37,22
17. Belaroussi Pressing, Algeria 29,90

Texcare Forum CINET Programme
Report of the future of textiles and functions – Opportunities for the Textile Care Industry
During the Texcare show an extensive event programme was organised, including the Texcare forum. The Forum on Sunday the 12th was organised by CINET, the global umbrella association for professional textile care, highlighting the added value of textiles and textile services for end users.

Who will stand up to create added value
The forum was introduced by mr Wennekes, CEO of CINET, raising the question who will stand up to create the added value for the end users. Due to the fast changes in society, technology and services there is a need for more added value for the customers. The key is to transform the role and capability of the industry from a low interest service to a high valuable contribution to our clients and end users. Offer a total solution with professional high quality services for current and new business areas. That is the business model for the future.

Personal style, comfort and functionalities
This message was supported by the presentation of Dr. Böttger, liaison officer for CINET and consultant at Expo+Consulting. He was describing the trends for consumers to more convenience. In the workwear industry a strong development to more fashionable, comfortable and functional workwear is noticed. In healthcare his expectation is that the price pressure remains and therefore textile management, service aspects combined with the feel at home aspects become more important. In the hospitality sector the experience is the most important with customisable functionalities and styles. In general corporate social responsibilities and sustainability is a basic value.

Ensuring the protective functions of PPE in industrial reprocessing
The added value textiles can provide is very clear in PPE, where safety and health are ensured by the functional garments. Dr. Schmidt from the Hohenstein Institute gave some examples of research projects that enhances the protective functionality, but also with respect to the comfort of the wearer. Depending on the kind of PPE, various special laundry processes are necessary to ensure the protective function. If the reprocessing is done in industrial laundries and textile services the protective function must be ensured by these companies.

Context Engineered Textiles
Customer markets are increasingly demanding sustainability and products manufactured under ethical conditions. The laundries have come a long way here, as their rental service concept outperforms the alternatives of customer-owned linen on use of resources and sustainability. The market is moving towards sustainability permeating the entire product lifecycle. Mr Beirholm, CEO of Beirholms Væverier A/S introduced the concept of Context Engineered Textiles – market-fit, operational-fit and manufacturing-fit products – that also have the potential to significantly reduce the laundries’ production costs, boost their market share and increase satisfaction among their customers.

Quality and hygiene: A total solution is more than a product offering 24/7 protection
Mr. Schöppe, of LEO System GmbH took a brief look at the role of textiles used in healthcare settings in the acquisition and transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. He asks if only technological interventions can reduce the risk of transmission of micro-organisms that are associated with the healthcare environment. Or if maybe already existing developments / innovations serve this purpose efficiently and should be communicated more proactively by the Textile Service company, supported by the manufacturer? He concluded that health care apparel is one important factor for controlling transmission of infection in healthcare settings. Manufacturers of protective apparel and Textile Service companies have to co-operate in offering effective solutions to the hospital. A total solution is more than a product, creating 24/7 protection for health care workers.

Innovations in textile industry enabling added value & new services for PTC
The most important development is the ever-growing market share of polyester as a result of the limited growth possibilities for cotton. Furthermore, polyester varies with improved comfort are brought to the market. New developments in the textile production chain, e.g. inkjet printing, digital finishing and 3-D body scanning, will lead to a digital textile production with enlarged flexibility and shorter time-to-market as explained by Dr. Ir. Gooijer of the technological knowledge center textile care (TKT). These technologies are enabling mass customisation by personalized products. A third important development is going on in the integration of electronics in textiles to create smart textiles. Apart from the smart textiles themselves, promising developments are going on in data processing and data management. Mr ing. Lucassen, of TKT, explained that data management is offering new service possibilities to the textile service companies creating an added value to their customers.

Who will stand up?
Concluding this forum session it was clear that many developments contribute to the added value textiles and textile service companies can offer to meet the changing demands of their customers. The question remains who will implement these developments and offer the services to the end users, will the textile service companies take the leap to offer total solutions with a cost of ownership model or will other companies take over specialised services?