Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, linens, rugs, and carpets. Includes spotters and dyers of these articles.

From people doing the work

It's a environment, constantly dealing with different fabrics and stains. You need to be quick, detail-oriented, and know your chemicals. The satisfaction comes from seeing a garment transformed from dirty to pristine.

Drawn from Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI), Laundry & Cleaning News, Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), r/laundry

Attribution: Composite

Composite · Synthesised from Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI), Laundry & Cleaning News, Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), r/laundry

A day in the life of Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
75% Team / 25% Solo
Client facing
Never
Impact visibility
Low
Travel
Minimal
Schedule flexibility
Rigid
Remote work
On-site Only
Typical work hours
40-50
Stress level
Moderate

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$33,800
Entry-level
$25,000
Senior
$47,000
Growth by 2033
+5.4%
Demand
Stable
Freelance potential
Low
Salary growth potential
88%
Typical student debt
Moderate

Skills you need as Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Hard skills

  • Production and Processing
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Operating system software

Soft skills

  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Active Listening

Technical complexity: Low

Tools of the trade

Core tools

  • Commercial Washing Machine (Hardware): Used for washing large quantities of laundry efficiently.
  • Dry Cleaning Machine (Hardware): Utilized for cleaning garments and textiles that cannot be wet-washed.
  • Spotting Gun (Hardware): Applies specialized cleaning solutions to remove stains from fabrics.

Commonly used

  • Industrial Iron/Press (Hardware): Used for pressing and finishing garments to remove wrinkles and create crisp lines.
  • Laundry Detergents and Chemicals (Service): Various cleaning agents and solvents used for different fabric types and stain removal.

Specialist tools

  • Conveyor System (Hardware): Automates the movement of laundry items through different stages of processing.

How to become Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Minimum education
Less than High School
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
3-5
Years to senior
8-12
Career switching
Moderate

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

  • Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Pressers: Workers may transition from pressing finished garments to operating full laundry and dry-cleaning processes.
  • Sewing Machine Operators: Individuals with experience in handling and repairing textiles might move into garment care.
  • Housekeeping Cleaners: Cleaners with experience in maintaining cleanliness in various settings can adapt to laundry operations.

Where you can go from here

Typical progression

  1. Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
  2. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
  3. or Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
High
AI disruption risk
Moderate
Demand trend
Stable

Job satisfaction as Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Overall satisfaction
5.8/10
Meaning
5/10
Work-life balance
6/10
Prestige
4/10
Social perception
Low

Where practitioners gather

Professional organisations

Podcasts and media

  • Laundry & Cleaning News: A global publication providing news and insights for the laundry and dry cleaning industry.

Reddit communities

  • r/laundry: An online community for discussing all aspects of laundry care.

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