SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Dry Cleaner
  • Laundry Aide
  • Laundry Assistant
  • Laundry Attendant
  • Laundry Housekeeper
  • Laundry Technician
  • Laundry Worker
  • Personal Clothing Laundry Aide
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What do Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers do?

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers are responsible for cleaning and finishing garments and other articles made of fabric. They operate machines used for washing, drying, and pressing clothes, linens, and other textiles. These workers ensure the cleanliness and maintenance of clothing and textiles by using various methods and solvents, including water and chemical agents for dry cleaning. They may also sort, tag, and hang items based on their cleaning requirements and customer specifications. Attention to detail is crucial as they must identify stains and select appropriate cleaning techniques to preserve the quality of the items being processed. Additionally, they often handle customer inquiries, provide estimates for services, and may manage the logistics of drop-off and pick-up of garments in retail or commercial laundries. Their work is vital in hotels, hospitals, and personal service establishments, contributing significantly to the overall cleanliness and presentation of garments and linens.

What the work actually is

  • Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.
  • 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.
  • Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.
  • Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
  • Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • 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.

Abilities

  • 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.
  • Control Precision The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • 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.
  • Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Knowledge

  • 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.
  • 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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How people get into it

Education of new hires

Less than high school diploma
High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Handling and Moving Objects
  • Controlling Machines and Processes
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Performing General Physical Activities
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel
  • Point of sale POS software Cents · Curbside Laundries Wash and Fold POS Software · Sales processing software · Wash-Dry-Fold POS
  • Electronic mail software Email software
  • Office suite software Microsoft Office software
  • Operating system software Microsoft Windows

Tools

  • Dry cleaning machines Dry-cleaning machines · Dry-to-dry closed loop machines · Tunnel finishers
  • Identification markers Hand markers · Machine markers
  • Laundry type washing machines Continuous tunnel washers · Industrial washing machines
  • Folding machines Automatic folding machines · Semi-automatic folding machines
  • Ironing machines or presses Clothing presses

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

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Questions people ask

How much do Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers earn in South Africa?

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers do?

Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading, 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 and Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.