Summary: 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.

Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

1. Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers.

2. 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.

3. Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.

4. Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.

5. Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.

6. Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.

7. Clean machine filters and lubricate equipment.

8. Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.

9. Operate extractors and driers or direct their operation.

10. Inspect soiled articles to determine sources of stains, to locate color imperfections, and to identify items requiring special treatment.

11. Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types.