Laundromat attendant

Laundromat attendants assist the customers of self-servicing laundries with issues related to coin-machines, dryers or vending machines. They maintain the general cleanliness of the laundry.

The duties of a laundromat attendant include, but are not limited to:

• Collecting and counting coins from washers and dryers, returning change to customers, and keeping track of the number of loads run
• Operating washing machines and dryers to ensure they are cleaned thoroughly
• Maintaining cleanliness of the Laundromat by wiping down machines and vacuuming floors
• Folding and stacking laundry after it has been washed and dried
• Ensuring that all machines are in good working order and ready for use
• Helping customers load and unload washing machines and dryers, as well as providing them with detergent, fabric softener, and other supplies as needed
• Keeping inventory of supplies and equipment needed for operation, ordering new supplies as needed
• Checking items for stains or damage before putting them in the washer or dryer
• Handling customer complaints about broken machines or other problems with the service provided by the Laundromat

Laundromat attendants typically work in well-lit and ventilated areas. They may be exposed to some noise from washers, dryers, and irons. Laundromat attendants typically work full time and may have evening and weekend hours. Some attendants may work part time.

The following job titles also refer to laundromat attendant:

launderette worker
laundromat worker
laundromat operator
laundromat assistant
launderette attendant
laundromat supervisor
launderette assistant
laundry assistant
launderette operator
laundry aide
launderette supervisor

Laundromat attendants typically need only a high school diploma. Some employers may prefer candidates who have completed a laundry or dry cleaning course. These courses teach students how to clean and care for different fabrics, how to use different cleaning products and how to use a variety of machines.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Laundromat attendant is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to laundromat attendant.

drapery and carpet cleaner
domestic cleaner
room attendant
toilet attendant
train cleaner

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of laundromat attendant. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of laundromat attendant with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

laundry worker
laundry ironer
spa attendant
bed and breakfast operator
domestic housekeeper

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of laundromat attendant.

• Cleaning techniques: Various techniques and tools used to clean different types of surfaces to achieve a certain degree of cleanliness such as sweeping, vacuuming, degreasing and wet cleaning.

These skills are necessary for the role of laundromat attendant.

• Guarantee customer satisfaction: Handle customer expectations in a professional manner, anticipating and addressing their needs and desires. Provide flexible customer service to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Maintain inventory of cleaning supplies: Follow the stock of cleaning materials, order new material when the stock is empty and follow their usage to maintain a constant supply.
• Maintain personal hygiene standards when cleaning: Make sure to keep yourself clean and tidy and wear protective equipment when performing cleaning activities, as required by the health and safety procedures of the task or the organisation.
• Wash the laundry: Wash or clean clothes by hand or by use of a washing machine.
• Oversee guest laundry service: Ensure that guest laundry is collected, cleaned and returned to a high standard and in a timely fashion.
• Greet guests: Welcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.
• Operate floor cleaning equipment: Set up, maintain and operate roto, extractor and walk behind scrubbers and other floor care equipment to clean carpets and scrub hard floors.
• Dispose waste: Dispose waste in accordance with legislation, thereby respecting environmental and company responsibilities.
• Assist customers: Provide support and advice to customers in making purchasing decisions by finding out their needs, selecting suitable service and products for them and politely answering questions about products and services.
• Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
• Set up machine controls: Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
• Maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment: Preserve health, hygiene, safety and security in the workplace in accordance with relevant regulations.
• Supervise store opening and closing procedures: Supervise the procedures of opening and closing hours such as cleaning, stock shelfing, securing valuable items, etc.
• Operate tumble dryer: Operate machine to remove stains and achieve clean clothes. Measure the minimum and maximum load to insert in the machine and select the appropriate drying process for eventual moisture and leaking problems.
• Rinse cloth articles: Flush out detergents, soil and odors from cloth materials and articles using a water hose.
• Control temperature: Measure and adjust temperature of a given space or object.
• Read care labels: Sort clothing items according to their colour or fabric by inspecting and reading care tags or labels. They indicate agitations, how a particular fabric should best be washed, bleached, dryed, ironed and cleaned.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of laundromat attendant. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Dyeing technology: Processes involved in textile dyeing using different dyeing technologies. Also, addition of colours to textile materials using dye stuffs.
• Types of bleach: The range of bleach and others chemicals used to remove the colour from materials in a steam cooking process, adjusting the brightness and colour of the materials.
• Types of staining: Check the fabric for different kinds of stains such as invisible, perspirative, and oxidation stains. Understand the right way to deal with the defects by testing the nature of the stain, the type of fabric (absorbed, built up and compound staining) and the colour fastness of the dye.
• Types of brushes: Tools with bristles used for a wide variety of purposes such as cleaning, painting, putting on make up and grooming hair. Materials used for bristles include animal hair, synthetic fibers and plastic. Various shapes exist such as cylindrical brushes and twisted-in wire brushes for cleaning brushes, and flat, round or mop for painting brushes.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of laundromat attendant. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Evaluate garment quality: Evaluating stitching, construction, attachments, fasteners, embellishments, shading within the garment; evaluating pattern continuity-, matching; evaluating tapes and linings.
• Use solvents: Clean products or surfaces by using solvents to dissolve or extract other unnecessary substances.
• Operate washer extractor: Prepare the equipment and safely load and unload clothing items in and out of the washer extractor. Select the right washing programme, recognize faults and malfunctions with the machine and report this to the right person.
• Weigh materials: Weigh materials and products, record weight and other relevant data on tags or labels.
• Count money: Count money by sorting and wrapping money and coins.
• Handle chemical cleaning agents: Ensure proper handling, storage and disposal of cleaning chemicals in accordance with regulations.
• Iron textiles: Pressing and ironing in order to shape or flatten textiles giving them their final finishing appearance. Iron by hand or with steam pressers.
• Collect items for laundry service: Collect the dirty pieces of clothing or other linen within the facility and send them to the laundry service.
• Handle linen in stock: Manage laundered items and store them in safe and hygienic conditions.
• Vacuum surfaces: Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and small particles from floors, drapes, carpets or furniture.
• Eliminate stains: Use stain removal equipment to remove stains without damaging the fabric. Carry out garment and stain detection to identify the specific staining type such as wet or dry side staining in a safe and appropriate manner.
• Maintain cleaning equipment: Clean and preserve the equipment and material used for cleaning purposes in a proper state.
• Apply prespotting: Remove stains in dry-cleaning by using the pre-spotting technique. Use a spotting board, which vacuums the garment attached to the spotting board through air suctions. Use a spotting gun to apply steam to loosen the stain and use a blow dryer to dry the fabric.
• Inspect dry cleaning materials: Check which items are suitable or unsuitable for dry-cleaning by interpreting care labels and decide which dry cleaning processes may be required.
• Process payments: Accept payments such as cash, credit cards and debit cards. Handle reimbursement in case of returns or administer vouchers and marketing instruments such as bonus cards or membership cards. Pay attention to safety and the protection of personal data.
• Identify cloth items: Count and collect the items, and provide them with the drop off and delivery dates. Fix tags with a safety pin or staple, describing important information about the customer. Apply special colored tags for different sorts of treatments, and assemble and re-assemble the order after the laundry and dry cleaning process.
• Operate tunnel finisher machine: Handle wide or narrow body tunnel finishers which remove wrinkles from garments. Insert the material in a steam chamber, making the fabric moldable.

9629 – Elementary workers not elsewhere classified

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References

1. ESCO
2. Laundromat Attendant Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – ClimbtheLadder
3. Featured image: Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels