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Useful experience for laundry workers/dry-cleaners includes:

• work with fabric or textiles
• clothing retail work
• housekeeping.

Laundry workers/dry-cleaners may do some or all of the following:

• take laundry from customers, calculate costs of work and record work to be done
• label and sort items to be cleaned
• inspect items for stains, and spot-clean as required
• load and unload dry-cleaning or washing machines and driers
• steam-press items
• iron, fold and pack cleaned laundry
• deliver items to businesses or private homes
• repair and alter clothing, if they offer these services.

Demand limited for dry-cleaners and stronger for laundry workers

An ageing workforce is creating demand for dry-cleaners as they retire, but opportunities are still limited due to: 

• it being a smaller occupation, with only about 350 dry-cleaners nationwide
• low turnover
• concerns about the environment and trends for less formal clothing leading to less demand for dry-cleaning services
• more people working from home, which has reduced demand for dry-cleaning suits and shirts.

Opportunities are better for laundry workers, as turnover is higher and the occupation is larger.

According to the Census, 2,877 laundry workers/dry-cleaners worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Demand for laundry workers highest during summer

Opportunities for laundry workers are usually best in summer when laundries either take on more temporary workers, or are open for longer hours. In 2021, employers reported higher demand in the regions due to there being more domestic tourists than in the cities.  

Types of employers varied

Laundry workers/dry-cleaners may work for:

• small, privately owned laundry/dry-cleaning businesses
• larger laundry/dry-cleaning franchises
• hotels, hospitals and rest homes that have in-house laundries.

Laundry workers/dry-cleaners may progress to set up or buy their own businesses, or move into supervisory or managerial positions.

Laundry workers/dry-cleaners usually specialise as one of the following:

Dry-cleaner

Dry-cleaners use chemicals to clean clothing.

Laundry Worker

Laundry workers wash, dry, fold and organise laundry.

Laundry workers/dry-cleaners need to be:

• quick, practical and methodical
• able to pay attention to detail
• careful and responsible
• good at basic maths.