Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8157

Laundry ironer

Laundry ironers re-shape clothing items and linen and remove creases from them by using irons, presses and steamers. They clean and maintain the ironing and drying area and organise the items accordingly.

Check yourself in a minute: laundry ironer

Rate 5 of the 11 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

distinguish accessories

iron textiles

collect items for laundry service

handle linen in stock

distinguish fabrics

About laundry ironer

As a laundry ironer, you play a vital role in the clothing care industry, restoring garments and linens to pristine condition through professional pressing and steaming. Your daily responsibilities include operating industrial irons, presses, and steamers to remove creases and reshape clothing items, ensuring each piece meets strict quality standards. You'll work with diverse fabrics, carefully distinguishing between different materials and reading care labels to apply appropriate techniques for each garment without causing damage.

This role requires attention to detail, physical stamina, and an understanding of textile care. Beyond the actual ironing, you'll organize the laundry workspace, maintain equipment, handle items in stock systematically, and work efficiently to process large volumes. You're the final touchpoint before customers receive their cleaned items, making your work essential for customer satisfaction. In Poland, laundry services remain popular in cities and residential areas, offering steady employment opportunities for reliable, quality-focused professionals.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a laundry ironer.

1

Item sorting and preparation

  • Collect and sort textile items according to fabric type and care requirements
  • Read and interpret care labels on clothing
  • Distinguish between different fabrics and accessories
2

Pressing and steaming operations

  • Operate industrial irons, presses, and steamers efficiently
  • Iron textiles using appropriate heat and pressure settings
  • Remove creases and reshape clothing items to professional standards
3

Workspace management and maintenance

  • Clean and maintain the ironing and drying area
  • Organize items in stock and manage inventory
  • Maintain pressing equipment in good working condition
4

Quality assurance and customer service

  • Ensure items meet quality standards before delivery
  • Maintain customer service standards throughout the process
  • Identify and handle special cloth items appropriately

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (11)

quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.distinguish accessoriesdistinguish accessoriesDistinguish accessories in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate accessories based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.iron textilesiron textilesPressing 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 servicecollect items for laundry serviceCollect the dirty pieces of clothing or other linen within the facility and send them to the laundry service.handle linen in stockhandle linen in stockManage laundered items and store them in safe and hygienic conditions.distinguish fabricsdistinguish fabricsDistinguish fabrics in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate fabrics based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.maintain customer servicemaintain customer serviceKeep 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 requ...sort textile itemssort textile itemsSort garments and other textiles to be pressed and ironed or for customer pick-up.operate dry cleaning pressing machinesoperate dry cleaning pressing machinesUse assigned equipment such as shirt, sleeve, collar, cuff and single or double buck pressing machines to press a variety of customers garments.identify cloth itemsidentify cloth itemsCount 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 tag...read care labelsread care labelsSort 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 ...
Optional (11) — show
organisational policiesorganisational policiesThe policies to achieve set of goals and targets regarding the development and maintenance of an organisation.properties of textile materialsproperties of textile materialsThe characteristics and properties of different textile and fabric materials. These include strength, flexibility, elasticity, softness, durability, heat insulation, low weight, water absorbency/repel...guarantee customer satisfactionguarantee customer satisfactionHandle customer expectations in a professional manner, anticipating and addressing their needs and desires. Provide flexible customer service to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.evaluate garment qualityevaluate garment qualityEvaluating stitching, construction, attachments, fasteners, embellishments, shading within the garment; evaluating pattern continuity-, matching; evaluating tapes and linings.sell servicessell servicesEncourage sales by identifying the customer’s buying needs and by promoting benefits and features of the organisation’s services. Respond to and resolve customer objections and agree to mutually benef...follow up orders for customersfollow up orders for customersFollow-up/tracking of an order and notifying the customer when the goods have arrived.count moneycount moneyCount money by sorting and wrapping money and coins.clean surfacesclean surfacesDisinfect surfaces in accordance with sanitary standards.clean equipmentclean equipmentPerform cleaning routines after equipment use.set up machine controlsset up machine controlsSet up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.pleat fabricspleat fabricsApply pleating processes to fabrics and wearing apparel products following adequate procedures and using specific equipment for the purpose.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

Frequently asked questions

What does a laundry ironer do?

Laundry ironers re-shape clothing items and linen and remove creases from them by using irons, presses and steamers. They clean and maintain the ironing and drying area and organise the items accordingly.

What skills does a laundry ironer need?

A laundry ironer needs 11 essential skills, including quality standards, distinguish accessories, iron textiles, collect items for laundry service, handle linen in stock.

Will AI replace laundry ironer jobs?

The AI disruption score for laundry ironer is 59/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: count money, quality standards, read care labels. Most resilient: clean surfaces, iron textiles, pleat fabrics.

AI Replacement Risk

59/ 100
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Skills resilient to automation

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Quick Facts

ISCO GroupStationary plant and machine operators
Essential Skills11

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