LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANING MACHINE OPERATOR AND TENDER EXCEPT PRESSING

Job Definition:

• Laundry machine operators operate laundry, dry cleaning, pressing and fabric treatment machines in laundries and dry-cleaning establishments.

Job Description:

• Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean commercial, industrial, or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, fine linens, rugs, and carpets.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Starts pumps to operate distilling system that drains and reclaims dry cleaning solvents.
• 2) Adjusts switches to tend and regulate equipment that fumigates and removes foreign matter from furs.
• 3) Cleans machine filters and lubricates equipment.
• 4) Mends and sews articles, using hand stitching, adhesive patch, or power sewing machine.
• 5) Hangs curtains, drapes, blankets, pants, and other garments on stretch frames to dry, and transports items between specified locations.
• 6) Irons or presses articles, fabrics, and furs, using hand iron or pressing machine.
• 7) Receives and marks articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code number or name, using hand or machine marker.
• 8) Sorts and counts articles removed from dryer and folds, wraps, or hangs items for airing out, pickup, or delivery.
• 9) Examines and sorts articles to be cleaned into lots, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.
• 10) Pre-soaks, sterilizes, scrubs, spot-cleans, and dries contaminated or stained articles, using neutralizer solutions and portable machines.
• 11) Washes, dry cleans, or glazes delicate articles or fur garment linings by hand, using mild detergent or dry cleaning solutions.
• 12) Starts washer, dry cleaner, drier, or extractor, and turns valves or levers to regulate and monitor cleaning or drying operations.
• 13) Loads or directs other workers to load articles into washer or dry cleaning machine.
• 14) Removes or directs other workers to remove items from washer or dry cleaning machine and into extractor or tumbler.
• 15) Tends variety of automatic machines that comb and polish furs; clean, sterilize, and fluff feathers and blankets; and roll and package towels.
• 16) Mixes and adds detergents, dyes, bleach, starch, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.

Activities:

• Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Abilities:

• 1)  Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness
• 2) 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.
• 3) Trunk Strength — The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without ‘giving out’ or fatiguing.
• 4) Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• 5) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Knowledge

• 1) Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 2) 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.