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.
Work Activities
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Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.
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Apply bleaching powders to spots and spray them with steam to remove stains from fabrics that do not respond to other cleaning solvents.
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Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives.
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Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.
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Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.
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Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
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Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment.
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Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.
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Spray steam, water, or air over spots to flush out chemicals, dry material, raise naps, or brighten colors.
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Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types.
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Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers.
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Pre-soak, sterilize, scrub, spot-clean, and dry contaminated or stained articles, using neutralizer solutions and portable machines.
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Mix bleaching agents with hot water in vats, and soak material until it is bleached.
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Apply chemicals to neutralize the effects of solvents.
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Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.
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Sprinkle chemical solvents over stains, and pat areas with brushes or sponges to remove stains.
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Match sample colors, applying knowledge of bleaching agent and dye properties, and types, construction, conditions, and colors of articles.
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Inspect soiled articles to determine sources of stains, to locate color imperfections, and to identify items requiring special treatment.
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Operate dry-cleaning machines to clean soiled articles.
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Operate machines that comb, dry and polish furs, clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets, or roll and package towels.
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Iron or press articles, fabrics, and furs, using hand irons or pressing machines.
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Hang curtains, drapes, blankets, pants, and other garments on stretch frames to dry.
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Clean fabrics, using vacuums or air hoses.
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Test fabrics in inconspicuous places to determine whether solvents will damage dyes or fabrics.
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Rinse articles in water and acetic acid solutions to remove excess dye and to fix colors.
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Start pumps to operate distilling systems that drain and reclaim dry cleaning solvents.
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Identify articles' fabrics and original dyes by sight and touch, or by testing samples with fire or chemical reagents.
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Immerse articles in bleaching baths to strip colors.
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Spread soiled articles on work tables, and position stained portions over vacuum heads or on marble slabs.
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Mend and sew articles, using hand stitching, adhesive patches, or sewing machines.
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Dye articles to change or restore their colors, using knowledge of textile compositions and the properties and effects of bleaches and dyes.
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Wash, dry-clean, or glaze delicate articles or fur garment linings by hand, using mild detergents or dry cleaning solutions.
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Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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Arm-Hand Steadiness
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
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Control Precision
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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Manual Dexterity
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
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Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
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English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education No formal educational credential
- Work Experience No work experience
- Training Less than 1 month on-the-job training
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Looking for technical training programs?
Check out these programs:
Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
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Independence
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Attention to Detail
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Integrity
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Dependability
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Cooperation
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Self Control
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Laundry type washing machines
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Identification markers
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Gas detectors
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Folding machines
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Dry cleaning machines
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Point of sale POS software
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Operating system software
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Office suite software
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Internet browser software
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Electronic mail software
