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Laundry worker

Alternative titles for this job include

Laundry workers operate washing machines and tumble dryers to clean and dry items like clothes, bed linen and uniforms.

Average salary (a year)

£15,000 Starter

to

£19,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

39 to 41 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a laundry worker

You can get into this job through:

  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

Apprenticeship

You can do an intermediate apprenticeship for textile care operatives.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More Information

Direct Application

You can apply directly for jobs. Experience in dry-cleaning or commercial clothes pressing may give you an advantage, although many employers will train you on the job.

More Information

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers for professional development training and the latest industry information.

Further information

You can find out more about working in laundry services from the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to work well with others
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • check items before washing for damage or stains
  • use water and chemicals to remove stains before cleaning
  • sort items according to colour, size and type of fabric
  • tag items with bar codes or computer chips for easy identification
  • load items into machines
  • add cleaning agents and set controls
  • finish items by drying, pressing and folding
  • process orders, send out invoices and update customer databases
  • deliver laundered items back to the customer

Working environment

You could work at a laundry, in a hotel or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be physically demanding, humid and hot.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience you could become a laundry service supervisor or manager.

You could also start your own laundry business.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a laundry worker right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Are you interested in becoming a laundry worker?

Search for training courses near you.

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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