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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ironing Attendant

💰 $22,000 - $36,000

HospitalityLaundry & Dry CleaningFacilities Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Ironing Attendant is responsible for professional garment finishing and pressing in a hotel, commercial laundry, or dry-cleaning environment. This role requires consistent application of fabric-care techniques, operation of steam presses and other finishing equipment, and adherence to quality and safety standards. The ideal candidate delivers wrinkle-free, customer-ready garments on schedule while maintaining equipment, managing workflow, and supporting the laundry team to meet volume and quality targets.

Key SEO keywords: Ironing Attendant, garment finishing, pressing operator, steam press, textile care, commercial laundry, hotel linen services.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Laundry Attendant / Housekeeping Assistant
  • Dry-Cleaning Helper / Laundry Assistant
  • Entry-level Hotel Operations or Facilities Support

Advancement To:

  • Pressing Supervisor or Ironing Lead
  • Laundry Room Supervisor / Shift Supervisor
  • Textile Care Technician / Maintenance Technician

Lateral Moves:

  • Housekeeping Team Lead
  • Quality Control Specialist (linen & textile services)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Inspect incoming garments and linens to determine pressing requirements, identify stains, fabric types, and special handling instructions; document and flag items requiring special treatment.
  • Operate steam presses, hand irons, form presses, and finishing equipment to press shirts, trousers, dresses, linens, and specialty garments to company appearance and quality standards.
  • Adjust temperature, steam pressure, and pressing techniques according to fabric composition (cotton, silk, wool, synthetics) and manufacturer care labels to avoid damage and achieve optimal finish.
  • Remove wrinkles, creases, and moisture, and perform final inspection to ensure garments meet presentation and customer expectations before packaging or delivery.
  • Perform stain treatment and pre-spotting using approved solvents and spotting agents, following product instructions and safety data sheets, to prepare items for pressing or rework.
  • Fold, hang, and package finished items using standardized folding and hanging techniques; attach tags, labels, or delivery slips as required by customer or hotel procedures.
  • Prioritize workflow to meet daily production quotas and turnaround times for same-day and next-day service while minimizing rework and rejects.
  • Maintain cleanliness and organization of the pressing area, including lint removal, surface cleaning, and safe storage of tools, garments, and chemicals.
  • Perform routine maintenance and basic troubleshooting on irons, steam boilers, conveyors, and pressing equipment; escalate mechanical issues to maintenance staff and document incidents.
  • Monitor and control chemical and consumable use (spotters, starch, hangers, packaging) and complete inventory requisitions or cycle counts to avoid stockouts.
  • Record production output, lost/damaged garments, and quality metrics in daily logs or laundry management systems to support operational reporting.
  • Assist with receiving and sorting incoming laundry by guest, department, garment type, or urgency to streamline pressing operations and reduce handling time.
  • Ensure compliance with workplace health and safety procedures, including proper ventilation, heat- and chemical-safety protocols, PPE use, and emergency shutdown processes.
  • Train new ironing attendants on pressing techniques, equipment operation, and quality standards and provide coaching and feedback to improve team performance.
  • Coordinate with front desk, housekeeping, or customer service teams to clarify special guest requests, urgent alterations, or item-specific finishing instructions.
  • Participate in periodic quality audits and continuous improvement initiatives to increase throughput, reduce defects, and standardize pressing techniques across shifts.
  • Support seasonal or peak load demands by adjusting shift priorities, working flexible hours, and cross-training on additional laundry tasks such as sorting, loading dryers, and folding.
  • Handle fragile and high-value garments with extra care, following chain-of-custody procedures and documentation requirements for owner-supplied clothing.
  • Implement energy- and water-saving best practices in the finishing area (e.g., steam conservation, efficient scheduling) in line with sustainability goals.
  • Apply basic garment alteration skills (e.g., minor seam pressing, temporary stitching) when required to present a finished appearance prior to customer pickup or delivery.
  • Maintain accurate lost-and-found and damage reports, communicate claims to supervisors, and support resolution with customers according to company policy.
  • Adhere to company confidentiality and guest privacy standards when handling personal garments and garments with identifying information.

Secondary Functions

  • Support inventory control processes by assisting with deliveries, receiving supplies, and rotating stock of hangers, bags, and finishing materials.
  • Contribute to process documentation and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pressing and finishing tasks to support training and compliance.
  • Assist maintenance and engineering teams during scheduled equipment servicing to provide usage context and identify recurring issues.
  • Participate in cross-functional team meetings to align laundry capacity with hotel events, guest arrivals, and banquet schedules.
  • Provide front-line customer interaction for in-house garment queries, charge confirmations, and pickup coordination when needed.
  • Participate in safety walks and report potential hazards, chemical spills, or non-compliant equipment immediately to the supervisor.
  • Collect and analyze basic productivity data to recommend minor workflow changes that can reduce rework and increase throughput.
  • Serve as a backup to the laundry lead during breaks or short staffing, stepping into order tracking and basic scheduling tasks.
  • Assist with special projects such as linen refurbishment, textile inspections, and seasonal deep-clean cycles.
  • Help maintain digital records in laundry or property-management systems (PMS) for garment tracking, billing codes, and service requests.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient operation of steam presses, hand irons, form presses, and finishing machines used in commercial laundry and dry-cleaning settings.
  • Fabric identification and care-label interpretation: ability to choose correct heat, steam, and pressing method for cotton, linen, silk, wool, and synthetics.
  • Spotting and stain removal using standard spotters and solvent-based cleaners while following safety data sheets (SDS).
  • Basic machine maintenance and troubleshooting: pressure checks, descaling, pad replacement, and reporting of technical faults.
  • Garment finishing techniques: collar, cuff, pleat, crease, and seam pressing to industry quality standards.
  • Packaging and presentation: professional folding, hanging, bagging, and tagging methods tailored to hotel or customer specifications.
  • Inventory and supply control experience: tracking consumables, logging usage, and placing replenishment requests.
  • Familiarity with laundry management or point-of-sale systems for logging orders, tracking progress, and recording deliveries.
  • Knowledge of health, safety, and chemical handling regulations (PPE, ventilation, SDS compliance).
  • Ability to perform basic minor garment repairs or temporary fixes (sewing a button, tacking a hem) when necessary.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and a strong eye for quality and consistency.
  • Time management and ability to meet tight turnaround deadlines under variable workloads.
  • Strong teamwork and collaboration skills to coordinate with housekeepers, front desk, and maintenance staff.
  • Clear verbal communication and courteous customer-facing manner for guest interactions and service clarification.
  • Reliability, punctuality, and professional presentation to maintain service standards in hospitality environments.
  • Adaptability to changing priorities, peak periods, and variable shift schedules.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to escalate issues when quality or safety is at risk.
  • Patience and calmness under pressure to maintain accuracy during high-volume periods.
  • Willingness to learn new equipment, techniques, and process improvements.
  • Basic numeracy and record-keeping skills for production logs and inventory counts.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma, GED, or equivalent; relevant on-the-job training accepted.

Preferred Education:

  • Vocational certificate in textiles, hospitality services, or commercial laundry operations.
  • Short courses in textile care, steam press safety, or chemical safety (SDS familiarity).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Hospitality Management
  • Textile Care / Clothing Technology
  • Vocational / Technical Training in Laundry Services

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0–3 years in a laundry, dry-cleaning, or hotel linen services environment.

Preferred:

  • 1–2 years of experience operating pressing equipment in a commercial laundry, dry-cleaning shop, or hotel housekeeping/linen department; demonstrated competency in stain removal and fabric handling.
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