In 1918, veterans were returning home from World War 1, the New York Times began home delivery, the first gasoline pipeline began operation and the New York Rug Cleaners Institute (NYRCI) was founded with the goal of finding a better way to clean rugs.

At that time, there were no on-location cleaners, only in-plant companies. There were over 50 in the New York metropolitan area alone, although that number has dwindled to only three today.

Carpet cleaning was a different business back then. Cleaners used jellied soap, which they spread on the rugs and literally scraped off. The rugs were then sun-dried. Although this process made the rugs clean initially, it encouraged rapid resoiling. By not rinsing the soapy residue, the rugs attracted more dirt and soiled more easily.

The companies usually employed around 15 people with the insiders making $6 per week and the drivers making $9. Many drivers were using horse and wagons to pick up and deliver the rugs.

The charter members came from large family companies like J&JW Williams, A. Beshar & Co., LH Brown and Long Island Carpet Cleaners.

During the depression, the association grew through the augmentation of the Brooklyn Rug Cleaners Institute. Herb Klein's father, Kalman, was a member and trustee of the Brooklyn Organization and helped combine the two.

The NYRCI was the original association that pushed for a national organization of rug cleaners. At the time, members went to Detroit to meet with their organization. They discovered cleaners knew more about rug cleaning in Detroit than in New York, which reinforced the idea of conglomeration.

In 1959, NYRCI became a local chapter of the National Institute of Rug Cleaners (NIRC), but the relationship did not work and NYRCI reestablished itself. The first location company to join was Renotex Corp., headed by Wally Darling. In 1960, Sam Kornet from Fabra-Cleen joined. Kornet recalls how the plant owners looked down at the on-location cleaners at that time. At Kornet's first meeting, Darling told him not to let the plant owners intimidate him; the future is with on-location cleaning.

Currently NYRCI is comprised of both on-location cleaners and in-plant cleaners. The industry has changed so we need to keep up with the changing times. The meetings have been geared to introduce the newest technology in both machinery and chemistry. The twenty-first century leadership team has not forgotten the roots of the organization and will strive to keep the mission of our fore-fathers in mind as we carry on their goal to better ourselves to serve the public more professionally.