What Do Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers Do?

Example of a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker Job 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.

A Day in the Life of a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker

• Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
• Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.
• Match sample colors, applying knowledge of bleaching agent and dye properties, and types, construction, conditions, and colors of articles.
• Clean fabrics, using vacuums or air hoses.
• Operate machines that comb, dry and polish furs, clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets, or roll and package towels.
• Sprinkle chemical solvents over stains, and pat areas with brushes or sponges to remove stains.

Things a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker Should Know How to Do

When polled, Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Types of Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

• Clothes Separator
• Detacher
• Upholstery Cleaner
• Furniture Cleaner
• Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Machine Operator/Tender

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker Job Outlook

In the United States, there were 220,100 jobs for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers in 2016.

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker jobs are decreasing by a rate of -0.2%. This means the total job opportunities are shrinking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a loss of -500 jobs for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 29,500 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers are Florida, Texas, and California.

Watch out if you plan on working in Illinois, Georgia, or Missouri. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What is the Average Salary of a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker

The typical yearly salary for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is somewhere between $18,120 and $32,530. The median salary is $23,210.

How much do Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers make in each U.S. state?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
District of Columbia	$36,870
Hawaii	$31,870
Alaska	$30,340
Washington	$28,910
California	$28,600
Minnesota	$28,180
Rhode Island	$28,090
Massachusetts	$27,820
North Dakota	$27,600
Arizona	$27,600
Oregon	$27,520
Connecticut	$26,850
New York	$26,610
Maine	$25,490
Nebraska	$25,460
Colorado	$25,330
Montana	$24,790
Vermont	$24,790
Michigan	$24,770
Nevada	$24,750
Utah	$24,720
Wisconsin	$24,520
Iowa	$24,510
Pennsylvania	$24,240
Illinois	$24,140
West Virginia	$24,090
New Hampshire	$24,070
Wyoming	$23,940
Maryland	$23,920
Delaware	$23,870
New Jersey	$23,820
South Dakota	$23,570
Texas	$23,400
Indiana	$23,100
Ohio	$23,030
Florida	$22,740
Louisiana	$22,690
Idaho	$22,650
South Carolina	$22,640
Kansas	$22,450
Virginia	$22,280
North Carolina	$22,020
Alabama	$21,960
Missouri	$21,920
Georgia	$21,850
Kentucky	$21,650
New Mexico	$21,560
Tennessee	$21,540
Arkansas	$21,500
Oklahoma	$21,020
Mississippi	$20,210

Tools & Technologies Used by Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word

How do I Become a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker?

What kind of Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers?

Related Careers

Career changers with experience as a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

• Fabric Menders, Except Garment
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons