Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.1). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient

The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.

Tasks

All 32 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading. Core · importance 4.3
• Apply bleaching powders to spots and spray them with steam to remove stains from fabrics that do not respond to other cleaning solvents. Supplemental · importance 4.3
• Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives. Core · importance 4.3
• Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation. Core · importance 4.2
• Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so. Core · importance 4.2
• Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them. Core · importance 4.2
• Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment. Core · importance 4.2
• Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required. Core · importance 4.1
• Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types. Supplemental · importance 4.1
• Spray steam, water, or air over spots to flush out chemicals, dry material, raise naps, or brighten colors. Supplemental · importance 4.1
• Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers. Core · importance 4.1
• Pre-soak, sterilize, scrub, spot-clean, and dry contaminated or stained articles, using neutralizer solutions and portable machines. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Mix bleaching agents with hot water in vats, and soak material until it is bleached. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Sprinkle chemical solvents over stains, and pat areas with brushes or sponges to remove stains. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Match sample colors, applying knowledge of bleaching agent and dye properties, and types, construction, conditions, and colors of articles. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Inspect soiled articles to determine sources of stains, to locate color imperfections, and to identify items requiring special treatment. Supplemental · importance 3.8
• Operate machines that comb, dry and polish furs, clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets, or roll and package towels. Supplemental · importance 3.8
• Iron or press articles, fabrics, and furs, using hand irons or pressing machines. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Hang curtains, drapes, blankets, pants, and other garments on stretch frames to dry. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Identify articles' fabrics and original dyes by sight and touch, or by testing samples with fire or chemical reagents. Supplemental · importance 3.4
• Immerse articles in bleaching baths to strip colors. Supplemental · importance 3.4
• Spread soiled articles on work tables, and position stained portions over vacuum heads or on marble slabs. Supplemental · importance 3.3
• Apply chemicals to neutralize the effects of solvents. Supplemental
• Clean fabrics, using vacuums or air hoses. Supplemental
• Dye articles to change or restore their colors, using knowledge of textile compositions and the properties and effects of bleaches and dyes. Supplemental
• Mend and sew articles, using hand stitching, adhesive patches, or sewing machines. Supplemental
• Operate dry-cleaning machines to clean soiled articles. Supplemental
• Rinse articles in water and acetic acid solutions to remove excess dye and to fix colors. Supplemental
• Start pumps to operate distilling systems that drain and reclaim dry cleaning solvents. Supplemental
• Test fabrics in inconspicuous places to determine whether solvents will damage dyes or fabrics. Supplemental
• Wash, dry-clean, or glaze delicate articles or fur garment linings by hand, using mild detergents or dry cleaning solutions. Supplemental

Work activities

• Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
• Operate garment treatment equipment.
• Apply water or solutions to fabrics or apparel.
• Count finished products or workpieces.
• Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
• Inspect garments for defects, damage, or stains.
• Direct operational or production activities.
• Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
• Clean production equipment.
• Lubricate production equipment.
• Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
• Select equipment, materials, or supplies for cleaning or maintenance activities.
• Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
• Compare physical characteristics of materials or products to specifications or standards.
• Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
• Smooth garments with irons, presses, or steamers.
• Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Abilities

Knowledge

Essential skills

Transferable skills

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• Speech Recognition Specialized Skill
• Microsoft Word Common Skill
• Microsoft Windows Common Skill
• Microsoft Excel Common Skill
• Active Listening Common Skill
• English Language Common Skill
• Time Management Common Skill
• Social Perceptiveness Common Skill
• Information Ordering Specialized Skill
• Finger Dexterity Common Skill
• Mathematics Common Skill
• Reading Comprehension Common Skill
• Inductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Deductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Critical Thinking Common Skill
• Active Learning Common Skill
• Chemistry Specialized Skill
• Visualization Specialized Skill
• Instructing Specialized Skill
• Complex Problem Solving Common Skill
• Negotiation Common Skill
• Learning Strategies Specialized Skill
• Writing Common Skill
• Systems Analysis Specialized Skill
• Email Software Specialized Skill
• Depth Perception Common Skill
• Foreign Language Common Skill
• Equipment Selection Specialized Skill
• Equipment Maintenance Specialized Skill
• Psychology Specialized Skill
• Telecommunications Specialized Skill
• Physics Specialized Skill
• Biology Specialized Skill
• Geography Specialized Skill
• Installation Specialized Skill

Tools & technology

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

How to get in

Job zone

Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Education

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Typical entry-level education

No formal educational credential · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement

Related experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Preparation level

SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Related occupations

Part of the Advanced Manufacturing career cluster.

• Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment · 53-7061.00 Compare →
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials · 51-6021.00 Compare →
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders · 51-9192.00 Compare →
• Sewing Machine Operators · 51-6031.00 Compare →
• Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · 51-9123.00 Compare →
• Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders · 51-6061.00 Compare →
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers · 53-7063.00 Compare →
• Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners · 37-2012.00 Compare →
• Cutters and Trimmers, Hand · 51-9031.00 Compare →
• Packers and Packagers, Hand · 53-7064.00 Compare →
• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders · 51-9111.00 Compare →
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9124.00 Compare →

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
• AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
• ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
• IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
• Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
• Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-role-51-6011-00,
  title  = {Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-6011-00}
}